🖼️ NFT Metadata: IPFS, Images & JSON
Store NFT images and attributes using decentralized storage
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0 / 5 completed📦 NFT Metadata & Storage
NFT smart contracts only store the owner and token ID on-chain. The actual image, name, and properties live off-chain in JSON metadata files.
Why Not Store Everything On-Chain?
💸 Cost
Storing 1KB costs ~640,000 gas (~$50). A 1MB image would cost $50,000+!
📏 Size Limits
Ethereum blocks have gas limits. Large files simply cannot fit.
🐌 Speed
Reading large data from blockchain is slow and expensive.
🗂️ Interactive: Metadata Builder
Adjust the token ID to see how metadata is structured:
{
"name": "Cool NFT #42",
"description": "A unique digital collectible",
"image": "ipfs://QmImage42",
"attributes": [
{
"trait_type": "Background",
"value": "Blue"
},
{
"trait_type": "Rarity",
"value": "Legendary"
}
]
}Smart Contract Stores:
- ✓Token ID: 42
- ✓Owner: 0x123...abc
- ✓Metadata URL
Metadata File Contains:
- ✓Name & Description
- ✓Image/Video URL
- ✓Traits/Attributes
☁️ Interactive: Storage Comparison
Compare different storage solutions for NFT metadata:
IPFS
Most NFT projects (CryptoPunks, Bored Apes)
Cost
Free
Permanence
Depends on pinning
Speed
Fast (distributed)
✅ Pros:
- +Decentralized
- +Content-addressed
- +Free to use
- +Fast retrieval
❌ Cons:
- -Needs pinning service
- -Data can disappear if unpinned
- -Relies on nodes
Example URL:
ipfs://QmXyz.../42.jsonIndustry Standard
Most NFT projects use IPFS + Pinning Service (like Pinata or NFT.Storage). This balances cost, decentralization, and reliability. High-value art collections use Arweave for guaranteed permanence.