Welcome to the first article in a series of educational, informative, and fun deep dives into the world of XCM and Cross-Chain NFTs. Since the beginning of our initial announcement, we’ve been hard at work delivering milestones and paving the way for new technology on Polkadot, enabling everyone to immerse themselves in the world of NFTs on Polkadot.

Explore everything you need to know about NFT XCM and interoperable NFTs on Polkadot and learn what’s coming next in our NFT XCM blog series.

Key acronyms to get you started:

  • XCM: Cross-Consensus Messaging format on Polkadot, designed to communicate between parachains and enable easy transfers, actions, rules, etc.

  • NFTs: Non-Fungible Tokens are digital assets that are forever unique and live on the blockchain.

Interoperability & what this means for NFTs

Interoperability refers to communicating between different blockchain networks, whether to share data, build using each network's features, share features, and create connections without the need for any intermediaries.

We can think of interoperability in the form of specific tooling and frameworks, such as:

  • Messaging Protocols: Standards like Polkadot’s XCM allow parachains to share data and perform actions securely.

  • Cross-Chain Bridges: Bridges act as intermediaries, enabling asset transfers between non-native chains.

    • For example: Ethereum ↔ Solana bridges for token transfers.

    • Cross-chain bridges like Hyperbridge, Wormhole, or Synapse enable you to move tokens and assets between blockchains.

  • Shared Security: Systems like Polkadot provide a shared security layer, reducing the need for each parachain to build its own security infrastructure.

Projects like Polkadot or Cosmos, which are designed from the ground up are able to support multichain interoperability and have both changed the course of blockchain interoperability.

It’s key to understand that, interoperability's main focus point is the ability for us to make transfers, and more specifically, NFT transfers. Polkadot and XCM combined provide a decentralized and innovative way of transferring assets, guaranteeing secure and trustless communication between chains.

XCM is not meant to be only specific to Polkadot, but rather its primary intention is to define a generic and common format amongst different consensus systems to communicate.

As blockchains become more advanced and evolve with more networks prioritizing user needs with various features, interoperability is more important than ever to communicate between these networks as efficiently and easily as possible.

Why does interoperability matter?

  • For users: Greater convenience and usability—no need to manage multiple wallets or bridge assets.

  • For ecosystems: Reduces fragmentation, fostering collaboration and shared growth.

Different ways to transfer NFTs on Polkadot and other blockchains

The options for transferring NFTs across Polkadot are currently limited, and that’s where Unique Network steps in to bridge the gap and provide a way for users to move their assets as seamlessly as possible. By using Polkadot’s XCM, (the native communication protocol between parachains and the relay chain) we can ensure integrity and functionality are maintained throughout the entire process of the transfer.

Example → You’ve minted an NFT on the Unique Network marketplace. This NFT can be later transferred to Ajuna Network, Polimec, or Exiled Gamers to use in their game.

When we take a look at interoperability on other blockchains, we can think of:

  • Ethereum: The biggest and most well-known network, enabling developers to create smart contracts, decentralized apps (dApps), and grow decentralized finance (DeFi) applications promotes layer-2 solutions like Arbitrum and Optimism for scalability and inter-rollup communication.

  • Cosmos: Uses blockchain communication to connect to its independent zones and focuses on token transfers, like NFTs with additional configuration.

  • Avalanche: Avalanche leverages ‘subnets’ that enable custom blockchains with tailored rules to communicate and handle data within the Avalanche network.

What is XCM?

XCM (Cross-Consensus Messaging) has been designed for the Polkadot network and is a language used for communicating intentions, actions, and rules, such as transferring assets, coins, or NFTs between Polkadot parachains and projects.

In short, XCM enhances interoperability by connecting parachains and projects alike, giving them and users the best user experience when transferring assets and/or tokens (e.g., Fungible Tokens).

XCM’s key features include:

  1. Programmability: The ability to have expectations for messages, which allow for more comprehensive use cases, safe dispatches for version checking, branching, and NFT/Asset support.

  2. Functional Multichain Decomposition: The ability to define mechanisms to cross-reference and perform actions on other chains on behalf of the origin chain (remote locking), context/id for these messages, and asset namespacing.

  3. Bridging: Introduces the concept of a universal location, which allows for a base reference for global consensus systems for multi-hop setups. This location is above the parent relay chain or other consensus systems like Ethereum or Bitcoin.

Source: https://wiki.polkadot.network/docs/learn-xcm

Note, it’s important to remember that XCM is a format and not a protocol. XCM doesn’t determine how messages are sent but rather it contains instructions on how messages should be constructed and how on-chain actions should be performed.

Common XCM use cases include:

  • Sending: Transfer assets, NFTs, and tokens between parachains.

    • For example, sending the Kusamarian NFTs from one parachain to another to exchange the value of the NFTs on different platforms. Or transferring native tokens, like DOT or KSM between accounts on different chains.

  • Cross-Chain Smart Contract Calls: Enabling contracts on one parachain to invoke functions or access data from a contract on another chain

  • Interoperable Gaming: Transfer in-game items from one parachain to another.

    • For example: Transferring an Exiled Racer NFT to another game with NFT XCM.

  • Custom Calls: Calling specific functions on another blockchain.

NFT XCM: How it works

Polkadot is known for its interoperability and highly secured infrastructure. With XCM and numerous bridges, this value became possible. However, this only worked for Fungible Tokens (FTs), e.g. transferring tokens, but not unique assets. For Polkadot to deliver the ultimate interoperability dream, this is where NFT XCM comes in as a must-have feature.

NFT XCM is an initiative developed and led by the Unique Network team, designed to simplify the transfer of NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) across Polkadot parachains and projects that will unleash the capabilities for the next generation of Web3.

NFT XCM is needed to enable trustless and efficient Cross-Chain transfers of NFTs.

With NFT XCM in mind, you can imagine:

→ Transfer your hard-earned Flappy Wud NFTs from the Flappy Wud game and move them to another project and/or marketplace existing on another blockchain.

→ The same use case applies to in-game assets, moving your PFP NFT from one project to KodaDOT’s NFT Marketplace or even your Chess On Chain chess pieces to Hydra DX.

Implementing a solution to enable seamless NFT transfers and unlock greater opportunities for users and projects was a crucial and much-needed feature. Unique Network took the lead in turning this vision into the reality we see today. Not only will NFT XCM enable further interoperability enhancements on Polkadot, but it will also empower developers and creators on the network to create more versatile applications involving NFTs.

The ecosystem goal is to make NFTs more accessible, unlock new ideas and concepts, and showcase more NFT applications and use cases to Polkadot.

Next Up: How to Approach NFT XCM

Next week, we'll explore the various ways to transfer NFTs across projects in the Polkadot ecosystem—and reveal how NFT XCM facilitates this process with more in-depth explanations and use cases!

Final Thoughts

NFT XCM paves the future for seamless interoperability for NFTs on Polkadot, and Unique Network is excited to be driving this next-gen technology for years to come to unlock endless opportunities for limitless NFT innovation.

As we continue developing and expanding NFT XCM, we couldn’t be more thrilled to see a future of interconnected projects and dApps!

Join the Unique Ecosystem!

Unique Network is the number one next-generation NFT chain for Polkadot and Kusama, bridging the gap between Web2 and Web3 by giving you all the necessary tools and platforms to achieve your dreams as easily as possible.

Step into the world of Web3 with the NFTs 2.0 CodeCraft Grant Fund, complete with unlimited advanced NFT features built for today and the future. Build your unique dApp or Micro dApp, join a community of developers, and get direct support for your project.

Learn more about the dApps and projects actively using Unique Network today:

dApp

Description

Visit Page

Conor Daly Insider Pass

A unique Digital Insider Pass to promote Fan Engagement in Web3 and bridge non-crypto natives to the Web3 world.

www.conordalypolkadot.net

Sovereign Nature Initiative

One-of-a-kind Proof of Attendance Badge on the Blockchain, that evolves into an exclusive DOTphin NFT.

www.sovereignnature.com

DED Games

A brick-breaking game, showcasing NFTs to gamers as they try to complete challenges and reach the leaderboards.

www.ded.games

Forever Has Fallen

Bringing Bounty Hunter Tickets as NFTs to gamers, unlocking challenges, riddles, and an exclusive lair to those who seek.

www.foreverhasfallen.com

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