Twitter Blue is a paid subscription service that offers users access to premium services. This includes things like modifying previously published tweets, uploading lengthier videos, and reading news without adverts, among other things. People can use Twitter Blue to show off their NFTs by making them their profile images.

The NFT feature is now only available on iOS, but Twitter claims that it will soon be available on Android phones as well. The Twitter Blue service is only available in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and it is not available worldwide. Regardless of Twitter platform, Twitter claims that the new NFT profile image functionality would be viewable to everyone.

People began updating their profile images to highlight their NFTs, indicating that Twitter was interested in NFTs. It began researching the possibility of official authentication in September 2021, allowing NFT owners to display their digital assets. Twitter has officially become the first social media platform to launch something just for NFT users with this new functionality.

Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, are digital collectibles – often pieces of art – that provide the buyer exclusive ownership of the item. They are traded on the blockchain, just like cryptocurrencies. They are, however, non-fungible (i.e., one NFT cannot be exchanged for another because of the unique value assigned to that particular NFT).

NFTs have grown to be a very profitable industry, with some NFTs fetching millions of dollars. An online auction last year sold an artwork collection by designer Mike Winkelmann for a whopping $69,346,250.

The NBA offered sports stars and celebrities NFTs earlier in 2021, which sparked the NFT fad. In a single month, it created more than the whole NFT market did in the full year of 2020. Trading volume on OpenSea, a significant NFT platform, increased from $329 million in July to $3.4 billion in August.

NFTs are being heralded as the next great thing after Bitcoin by many people, particularly millennials. Some of them are also contemplating NFTs as an investment vehicle and may purchase them. Whether the NFT trend is fleeting or long-term, NFTs have unquestionably become the talk of the town, with their market expanding by the minute. And Twitter’s move reflects their current popularity.

Twitter verifies unique ownership.

As previously said, crypto fans have been displaying their NFTs on their profile photographs for a long time prior to the availability of this function. This feature prevents people from stealing other people’s NFTs and using them as profile images. This is accomplished through Twitter’s official verification method, which was implemented after much thought. Owners of NFTs can do so by connecting their Ethereum wallet to their Twitter account, which will display a list of NFTs they hold.

Only a few Ethereum wallets are now supported by Twitter, including Coinbase Wallet, Rainbow, MetaMask, Ledger Live, Argent, and Trust Wallet. It does, however, intend to expand to other wallets in the near future. Users can easily choose whatever NFT they want to display on their profile after attaching their wallet.

Instead of the usual circular border, their chosen NFT will have a hexagonal border. This is done to emphasize the NFT’s originality and genuineness. If someone attempts to clone your NFT and use it as their profile image, they will receive the standard circular frame.

As a result, Twitter guards against your NFT being stolen and used as someone else’s profile image. If the thief reuploads the image to an NFT platform and mints an identical NFT, they may be able to obtain the hexagonal frame. It’s unclear how Twitter will prevent this type of fabrication.

Despite this disadvantage, crypto aficionados and supporters appreciate Twitter’s present effort to preserve NFTs, which they see as a step toward the general use of blockchain and crypto.

The use of application programming interfaces (APIs) to retrieve users’ NFTs from online marketplaces is another issue with this new functionality. Instead than connecting directly with the blockchain, Twitter involves a third party in the verification process. If the marketplace falls down, Twitter may be unable to load those NFT profile pictures.

Following the launch of this functionality, numerous users claimed that their profile photo was not loading. This is because Twitter uses the API of OpenSea, an NFT marketplace, which experienced an outage, causing problems loading profile pictures on Twitter.

Twitter’s commitment to decentralized technology is shown in their new announcement to enable NFT profile images. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey stated last year that Bitcoin would play a significant role in the company’s future. It launched a tool in September that allowed Twitter users to tip content creators in Bitcoin. It’s also taking proactive steps to form a crypto team that’ll focus on cryptocurrencies, blockchain, and decentralized technology.

Meta, for example, is looking into the possibility of launching an NFT marketplace on its Facebook and Instagram platforms. People frequently use social media platforms to promote and present their work. As a result, a feature like this will undoubtedly boost the NFT market. However, it is unclear how and in what capacity these functions will be released.

Last but not least

Twitter has been the first major social media site to realize the relevance of NFTs in this booming market with the new NFT profile image function. The NFT market and popularity will rise as more social media sites implement NFTs.

The combination of social media and NFT could open up a whole new world of possibilities for content providers, who will be able to reach a considerably larger audience with their work. It remains to be seen how well NFT owners accept this new feature and how they react to this new Twitter feature.