Why Artnet's First NFT Strategy Was to Wait | NFTS.WTF Interview

Colleen Cash of Artnet Auctions on bringing NFTs into Artnet's price database, launching an on-chain marketplace, and building a bridge between crypto collectors and the traditional art market. Interviewed by David Cash. Book David to host, moderate, or speak: https://davidcash.ca Recorded live in April 2022 at NFC Lisbon, David Cash talks with Colleen Cash of Artnet Auctions who joined Artnet in 2018 from the traditional brick-and-mortar auction world. She explains why Artnet's first NFT strategy was to wait until it could launch a fully on-chain, crypto-native marketplace, which it did in December 2021, and why the company went to the community first and asked to be taught. They discuss how blockchain transparency fits Artnet's DNA as a company founded in 1989 around its price database, what it means for NFT creators to see their auction records next to the greats of art history, the creator as market maker, a Rare Pepe sale that paired a new work with an original canvas, and what crypto collectors want for their walls. Chapters 00:00 Intro: live at NFC Lisbon 0:33 From traditional auctions to Artnet in 2018 0:52 Artnet's on-chain NFT marketplace 1:54 Artnet's price database and a culture of transparency 2:20 Adding NFTs to the Artnet price database 2:39 The creator as market maker 3:13 A bridge in both directions 3:37 Why the first strategy was to wait 4:20 Gatekeepers or context providers? 4:38 Crypto collectors with walls to fill 4:56 The Rare Pepe sale and the original canvas 5:33 Democratizing access to art 6:07 What's next: helping people get into the water 6:50 Constant evolution 7:45 Where to find her and Artnet Key topics • Artnet Auctions and its on-chain NFT marketplace • Waiting until NFTs could be done authentically • Asking the NFT community for guidance • Blockchain transparency and the Artnet price database • NFT creators alongside traditional artists in the auction record • The creator as market maker • Curated platforms as context providers • Rare Pepe and historical NFTs • Pairing digital and physical works in one sale • Onboarding collectors with fiat on-ramps and custodial wallets • Democratizing access to art Speakers • David Cash, interviewer and editor-in-chief, NFTS.WTF • Colleen Cash, Artnet Auctions In their words "Crypto billionaires have homes too." Colleen Cash "Constant evolution is, I think, the name of the game." Colleen Cash Recording details Recorded April 2022 at NFC Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal. Originally published on NFTS.WTF, April 2022. This edition: archival re-release with chapters and captions, 2026. How to cite APA: Cash, D. (2022). Inside Artnet Auctions: NFTs and the art market [Video]. YouTube.    • Colleen Cash of Artnet on NFTs and the Art...   Chicago: Cash, David. "Colleen Cash of Artnet on NFTs and the Art Market." Recorded April 2022, Lisbon. YouTube video, 8:09.    • Colleen Cash of Artnet on NFTs and the Art...  . About NFTS.WTF NFTS.WTF was a Web3 culture publication and interview series edited by David Cash. It covered artists, collectors, and builders during the 2021–2022 NFT boom. It ran for two years and closed after a board decision by the NFTS DAO, which left many of its interviews unpublished. Watch next More NFTS.WTF interviews:    • Interviews with David Cash   Links Cash Labs: https://cashlabs.io Instagram:   / davidcash888   LinkedIn:   / davidcash888   Subscribe for the full archive of conversations on technology, art, fashion, and culture. #Artnet #NFTArt #RarePepe #ArtMarket #NFCLisbon #NFTSWTF