The Use of NFTs in 2025: Beyond Art and Collectibles
When you think about NFTs, PFPs, vIRLs, and game assets immediately come to mind – but are there other NFT use cases we should be looking out for?
The initialism “NFT” clambered onto the podium as Collins Dictionary’s Word of the Year for 2021. Most other authority figures on words went for “vaccine” or a variation of it, which is a fair alternative, but likely no less contentious.
There’s a wealth of misconceptions when it comes to the use of NFTs, with many citing the whole industry as a scam or a pyramid scheme. I can forgive those people – though I cannot forgive the media outlets. After all, blockchain is a relatively new technology, and it isn’t simple to explain.
Many scoffed at the advent of email in the 1990s as bizarre and unnecessary, given the overwhelming use of the postal service – now known as “snail mail” – and NFTs have suffered a similar start in life.
Perhaps the most accurate comparison is to the Dot Com boom, where eager individuals and companies spent inordinate amounts of cash on domain names and websites.
The general perception of what was being bought was too narrow and short-sighted. The use of NFTs is facing a similar misunderstanding, with many reducing it to just JPEGs and right-click memes.
One of the worst consequences of this ridicule is the assumption that NFTs are only for art or digital collectibles. While many NFT enthusiasts appreciate that aspect of the technology, its potential goes far beyond that.
We’ve seen the rise of gaming NFTs, digital land, and even vIRL NFTs with physical counterparts – but what are some lesser-known NFT use cases?
Whistleblowing: A Secure Way to Leak Information
I want to start this list with the most obscure NFT use cases, and one I’ve yet to see mentioned elsewhere.
I’ll take whistleblowing to mean “reporting the wrongdoing of a higher power”, particularly if it’s of public interest.
We’ve seen myriad examples of this over the years, with the most famous whistleblowers having to flee their homeland to avoid extradition.
Arguably the most notable case is Edward Snowden, who flew to Hong Kong before releasing NSA documents, then sought asylum in Russia.
The danger of whistleblowing isn’t the only barrier to overcome, and this is where blockchain technology could have a role.
One of the most significant challenges of whistleblowing is getting the information into the public domain without it being silenced along the way. With a decentralized, public ledger, blockchain can enable the horse to bolt before the gate can be shut.
Not to slip into too conspiratorial a narrative, but much of mainstream media is controlled by powerful individuals, making it unreliable for leaking sensitive information—especially when it involves those same powerful people.
By issuing documents and leaks as NFTs, the origin can be confirmed, the information is immutable (which is crucial for the integrity of reports), and the NFT will remain publicly available and untouchable.
Blockchain technology has the power to solidify the “freedom” in freedom of information.
Anti-Fraud: Verifying Authenticity With NFTs
There are numerous common examples of certification of authenticity when it comes to blockchain, usually referencing qualifications, identity, licenses, and so on. However, a closely related NFT use case is fraud prevention, eliminating even the highest-quality counterfeits.
By issuing an accompanying NFT with a product – particularly high-cost items – the sale of the physical item can be supported by the transfer of the matching NFT. Anyone who doesn’t have the issued NFT with the item either has a stolen product or a counterfeit.
One interesting example of this use was introduced to me last year and is already well in the works.
Until recently, I was unaware of a widespread issue in expensive wines: fakes. Given the nature of wines having to be opened to be tested for authenticity, there is a degree of trust in the industry that is being exploited.
An NFT issued with each bottle of wine acts as a certificate of authenticity and proof of provenance. WAX’s vIRL technology is an excellent fit for this sort of application.
As NFTs become more complex and further utility is added, we could even see collectors buy wines and use the NFT to track their purchase’s progress, from grapevine to transit.
Although this sort of functionality might be niche, it has far more widespread uses – leading us to our third NFT use case.
Logistics: Enhancing Transparency in Supply Chains
Logistics is a broad term, but blockchain’s application to it is similarly wide in scope.
There are a few key applications of NFTs to logistics and supply chains. For example, the fashion industry has harbored some condemnable practices – along with much of modern manufacturing – where garments have been created using exploitation in developing nations.
With blockchain technology, a garment could be monitored throughout its creation process, from raw material to factory to shop, enabling the consumer to view the true sourcing of the product.
This could be expanded to allow individual components of a product to be tracked, with that journey recorded to the blockchain. This is not only valuable for more complicated products such as cars or computers but allows for supply chains to become more transparent and trackable – a high priority in our increasingly conscious world.
One industry that stands to gain from this is agriculture and food processing, as it will allow shipments to be tracked accurately and immutably.
The Louis Dreyfus Company, a major food merchant, trialed the use of blockchains within its systems and found that it not only streamlined and improved a lot of their processes but cut costs too.
The Future of NFTs: Challenges and Opportunities
It’s important to remember that the application of blockchain technology and NFTs to industries is still so new. Companies large and small are dipping their toes in, but presently, we must focus on the potential without succumbing to tunnel vision.
NFTs and blockchain technology are not perfect and not without risks. Though many blockchains have all but solved environmental concerns, there are still ethical considerations.
For example, there are limited repercussions for Intellectual Property theft or illegal content. It can be removed and blacklisted from marketplaces, but once it’s out there, the very nature of decentralization means it cannot be reeled back in.
While these are worth mulling over, they shouldn’t detract from the many positive uses spanning every industry.
Art and gaming already have been changed by NFTs and will continue evolving as their technology reveals new possibilities, but many other industries stand to gain enormous amounts too.
NFTs and blockchain technology have the capability to impact all facets of the modern world, and we have scarcely unearthed a fraction of their potential.
FAQs
What are the top NFT use cases in 2025?
NFTs are widely used in gaming, digital identity, real estate, ticketing, supply chain tracking, and anti-fraud measures.
What are the best NFT use cases beyond art?
Beyond collectibles, NFTs secure digital identities, authenticate luxury goods, enable real-world asset tokenization, and streamline logistics.
How are dynamic NFTs used?
Dynamic NFTs (dNFTs) change based on real-time data, making them useful for game characters, sports collectibles, and real-world contracts.
Can NFTs prevent fraud in luxury markets?
Yes, NFTs act as digital certificates for luxury goods like watches, fashion, and wine, ensuring authenticity and preventing counterfeits.