Takeaways
- Starting this week on Instagram, we’re testing digital collectibles with select US creators and collectors to share NFTs that they have created or bought.
- The feature includes connecting a digital wallet, sharing digital collectables and automatically tagging the creator and collector.
- There will be no fees associated with posting or sharing a digital collectible on Instagram.
Creators will soon be able to make their own digital collectibles on Instagram and sell them to fans, both on and off Instagram. They’ll have an end-to-end toolkit — from creation (starting on the Polygon blockchain) and showcasing, to selling. People can easily support their favorite creators by buying their digital collectibles directly within Instagram. We’re testing these new features with a small group of creators in the US first, and hope to expand to more countries soon.
We’re also expanding the types of digital collectibles that you can showcase on Instagram to include video and adding support for the Solana blockchain and Phantom wallet, in addition to the blockchains and wallets that we already support. Lastly, information for select collections where the metadata has been enriched by OpenSea, such as collection name and descriptions, will now be available on Instagram.
Update on September 29, 2022 at 7:00AM PT:
Today we’re announcing everyone on Facebook and Instagram in the US can now connect their wallets and share their digital collectibles. This includes the ability for people to cross-post digital collectibles that they own across both Facebook and Instagram. Additionally, everyone in the 100 countries where digital collectibles are available on Instagram can now access the feature.
Update on August 29, 2022 at 9:00AM PT:
As we continue rolling out digital collectibles on Facebook and Instagram, we’ve started giving people the ability to post digital collectibles that they own across both Facebook and Instagram. This will enable people to connect their digital wallets once to either app in order to share their digital collectibles across both.
Update on August 4, 2022 at 7:00AM PT:
Today we’re starting international expansion to 100 countries in Africa, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and the Americas. Additionally, we now support wallet connections with the Coinbase Wallet and Dapper, as well as the ability to post digital collectibles minted on the Flow blockchain.
In order to post a digital collectible, all you need to do is connect your digital wallet to Instagram. As of today, we support connections with third-party wallets including Rainbow, MetaMask, Trust Wallet, Coinbase Wallet and Dapper Wallet coming soon. Supported blockchains at this time include Ethereum, Polygon and Flow. There are no fees associated with posting or sharing a digital collectible on Instagram.
Originally published on May 10, 2022 at 5:00AM PT:
Every day, creators inspire people and push culture forward around the world. With the incredible opportunity of blockchain technology, they can now leverage new tools to earn income, and fans can support their favorite creators by purchasing digital collectibles – art, images and videos, music or trading cards – as non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Starting this week, select creators and collectors can share their digital collectibles on Instagram.
Creators are using new technologies like NFTs to take more control over their work, their relationship with their fans, and how they can monetize. At Meta, we’re looking at what creators are already doing across our technologies in order to improve the experience, help them create more monetization opportunities, and bring NFTs to a broader audience.
Introducing Digital Collectibles
We’re beginning to test digital collectibles with a handful of U.S. creators and collectors who will be able to share NFTs on Instagram that they have created or bought. This feature includes:
- Connecting a digital wallet. Once connected, creators and collectors will have the ability to choose which NFTs from their wallet they would like to share on Instagram.
- Sharing digital collectibles. Once a creator or collector posts a digital collectible, it will have a shimmer effect and can display public information, such as a description of the NFT. Posts will also be visible on their profile.
- Automatic tagging of both the creator and collector. The creator and collector can be automatically attributed in the digital collectible post (subject to their privacy settings).
We collect and organize public data from open blockchains, such as Ethereum, to provide this feature. From this public blockchain data, we can only identify which collectibles belong to collectors and creators when they connect their third-party wallets to Instagram. Starting at launch, the blockchains that will be supported are Ethereum and Polygon, with Flow and Solana coming soon. The third-party wallets compatible for use will include Rainbow, MetaMask and Trust Wallet, with Coinbase, Dapper and Phantom coming soon. There will be no fees associated with posting or sharing a digital collectible on Instagram.
It’s critical that our early efforts in this space empower diverse voices and that underrepresented groups have access to emerging digital assets like NFTs. By building support for NFTs, we aim to improve accessibility, lower barriers to entry, and help make the NFT space more inclusive to all communities. It is also important that we keep Instagram a safe and enjoyable place for everyone. Therefore, people can use our tools to keep their accounts secure and report digital collectibles which go against our community guidelines. In addition, we understand that blockchain technology and NFTs raise important questions on sustainability. Meta will help reduce the emissions impact that might be associated with the display of digital collectibles on Instagram by purchasing renewable energy. Learn more about our commitment to sustainability here.
We will expand access to digital collectibles soon, bringing the benefits of NFT ownership to even more creators and collectors. For now, if you want to see digital collectibles in action, you can follow these accounts: @adambombsquad, @bluethegreat, @bossbeautiesnft, @c.syresmith, @cynthiaerivo, @garyvee, @jenstark, @justmaiko, @maliha_z_art, @misshattan, @nopattern, @oseanworld, @paigebueckers, @phiawilson, @swopes and @yungjake.
“I feel excited to be able to share my NFT journey with the community I’ve been cultivating on IG for over ten years! I love how this new feature will let collectors trace the art back to the artist and be a part of the community that they have been building on IG for so long. I also love how it bridges my traditional art community and the Women Rise NFT community.” – @maliha_z_art
What’s Next?
Across Meta, we will continue listening to feedback as we embark on this new area of investment for the company. Soon, we’ll be rolling out digital collectibles on Facebook, and allow people to display and share their digital collectibles as AR stickers in Instagram Stories. You can read more about our AR efforts here.
Over the coming months, we will explore additional features to provide further benefits of this technology to creators and collectors.