OpenSea is an American online non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace headquartered in New York City. The company was founded by Devin Finzer and Alex Atallah in 2017. OpenSea offers a marketplace allowing for non-fungible tokens to be sold directly at a fixed price, or through an auction, based on the Ethereum ERC-721 standard, the layer-2 scaling solution for Ethereum Polygon, the KIP-7 standard for Klaytn, and the SPL standard for Solana. In 2021, following a heightened interest in non-fungible tokens, the company’s revenue reached $95 million in February 2021 and $2.75 billion in September of that year. By January 2022, the company had been valued at $13.3 billion and has been considered the largest non-fungible token marketplace. The daily trading volume on the OpenSea marketplace reached a record $2.7 billion on May 1, 2022, but four months later had dropped by 99%.
BlackBlocs is a blockchain-focused digital art curator and marketplace dedicated to amplifying NFT creators and educating the broader community about Web3 technologies. At its core, BlackBlocs seeks to showcase high-quality works by emerging and established NFT artists, positioning itself as both a collector (“curator”) and a facilitator for artists to reach new audiences.
Mission & Philosophy
* NFT Curation: By labeling projects “curated by Black Blocs” on leading NFT platforms such as Foundation and Spatial, BlackBlocs highlights select digital artworks, affirming its role as a trusted tastemaker.
* Web3 Education: Adopting the tagline “All about Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, NFT, and Metaverse,” the organization publishes articles, analyses, and social-media posts that explain blockchain fundamentals, crypto trends, and metaverse developments.
* Community & Impact: Beyond art promotion, BlackBlocs occasionally organizes or endorses charitable Web3 initiatives—for example, NFT-based fundraising for orphan relief in Uganda—underscoring a commitment to social good through digital innovation.
Products & Services
1. NFT Marketplace: Hosted on blackblocs.io, the platform offers curated categories such as Digital Art, Photography, PFPs (Profile Pictures), MicroArt, and Books. Here, artists and BlackBlocs alike mint and sell NFTs, creating a streamlined gallery experience.
2. Content & News Portal: A regularly updated blog and “News” section deliver insights on market movements, emerging artists, and major NFT drops, serving both collectors and curious newcomers.
3. Curation & Exhibition: Through partnerships with virtual-reality spaces and NFT platforms, BlackBlocs arranges digital exhibitions, giving artists a chance to present immersive collections to global audiences.
4. Advisory & Networking: While not explicitly advertised, BlackBlocs’s position in the NFT ecosystem suggests an informal advisory role—helping artists navigate minting, smart-contract standards, and promotional strategies.
In roughly three years since its founding, BlackBlocs has carved out a niche at the intersection of art and blockchain, balancing commercial marketplace functions with educational outreach and occasional philanthropic ventures—all aimed at elevating the profile of NFT art and fostering a vibrant, informed community.