The Complete Beginner’s Guide to NFTs on Polygon

Polygon Labs

August 11, 2022

Ever wanted to learn how to buy NFTs, or are you looking for a new platform to do it? Then you might want to consider Polygon.

Learning about NFTs can be a big jungle, but on Polygon, we make it simple to get started through our beginner-friendly ecosystem. Buy NFTs with low gas fees and high transaction speeds, all on the eco-friendly Polygon blockchain.

The following article will give you a brief beginner’s guide on how to get started with NFTs on Polygon. Learn how to bridge funds, mint new NFTs, and how to buy and view your collection.

How to bridge Ethereum funds to Polygon

First, to use the Polygon network to purchase NFTs, you will need MATIC tokens in your wallet. You will also need some Ether (ETH) in your wallet, as this will be required to buy Polygon NFTs in certain marketplaces.

To get these assets to your Polygon wallet, you must “bridge” them into the ecosystem. Bridging essentially means connecting two blockchains with a protocol to work together. In this case, the Polygon Bridge will help you transfer the suitable funds across blockchains.

To get started on Polygon Bridge, you want to connect your wallet and follow the steps. When you have MATIC, and some ETH transferred to the wallet, you will be ready to buy and sell NFTs on the Polygon network.

You can even bridge actual NFTs from Ethereum to Polygon, or the other way around, by using the NFT bridge.

How to mint NFTs on Polygon

Now that you have set up your Polygon wallet with suitable funds, you will be ready to buy NFTs. But first, you should know that you can also mint NFTs directly from the Polygon network.

This means you can get your hands on brand new NFTs without buying them through a secondary market. As long as a project is built and hosting the mint on the Polygon blockchain, you will be able to mint directly through Polygon.

Minting on Polygon is very similar to Ethereum or another blockchain, but with cheaper gas fees, and shorter transaction times. Polygon makes minting a new NFT smoother, and less costly.

To make it even more convenient, Metamask, the most used crypto wallet, supports the Polygon network and can be used to mint NFTs.

You can also mint your own for free with Mint NFT. In just a few steps -- voilà -- you are now an NFT artist!

Where to buy Polygon NFTs

Buying NFTs directly from marketplaces is also an option with Polygon, as some of the biggest marketplaces have deployed on the network. The most common place will be OpenSea, where you can find a wide variety of Polygon NFTs to buy or sell.

If you want a marketplace that isn’t OpenSea, you can also find Polygon NFTs on Rarible, a community-centric NFT marketplace. Do note that Polygon is still in a beta version on Rarible.

How to view your Polygon NFTs

After you get your hands on an NFT, there are a number of ways to view it: through OpenSea, using the NFT’s token address, or using a Rainbow.me wallet.

To view on OpenSea, you need to connect your wallet and navigate to the “Collections” section, where your NFTs will be showcased.

You can also manually follow the NFT’s token address in Polyscan. This address will be fetched from the recorded blockchain transaction.

Why should you mint on Polygon

Now that you are set up to start your NFT journey on Polygon, you might be wondering, why is Polygon so great for NFTs?

You probably already know about the low fees and fast transaction speeds offered by Polygon network. But some people may still have concerns about the impact on the environment. That’s why Polygon made its chain carbon neutral and has committed to going carbon negative this year. That means the CO2 footprint of every transaction is offset, so you can mint, sell or buy your NFTs with a clear conscience.

Tune into our blog for the latest explainers and news from the Polygon ecosystem.