NFT Token Standards Explained: ERC-721, ERC-1155, and What They Mean for You

When you buy an NFT, you’re not just buying a picture—you’re buying a piece of code that follows a set of rules called an NFT token standard, a technical blueprint that tells a blockchain how to create, track, and transfer unique digital assets. Also known as NFT smart contracts, these standards are the invisible foundation behind every NFT you see on OpenSea, Blur, or any other marketplace. Without them, NFTs wouldn’t be verifiable, transferable, or usable across apps. Think of them like the USB standard for digital ownership—without it, your phone wouldn’t know how to talk to your headphones.

Two standards dominate the space: ERC-721, the original NFT standard on Ethereum that makes each token completely unique, and ERC-1155, a more flexible standard that lets one contract handle both unique and multiple identical items. ERC-721 is what powers CryptoPunks and Bored Apes—each one is one-of-a-kind. ERC-1155 is used in games like SpaceY 2025 and NBOX, where you might own one rare sword and ten common potions, all under the same contract. The difference isn’t just technical—it affects cost, speed, and how projects scale.

These standards aren’t just for art. They’re the reason you can trade an NFT from a gaming project on a decentralized exchange, or use your NFT as a ticket to a virtual event. They’re also why so many NFT airdrops—like N1 by NFTify or TrillioHeirs—require you to connect a wallet that supports these protocols. If a project doesn’t use a recognized standard, it’s likely not real, or worse, it’s designed to vanish after the airdrop, like PAXW or ELMON. Real NFTs live on standards that other apps can read and interact with.

Behind every scammy NFT project you’ve heard about, there’s usually a lack of transparency around the token standard. If a project won’t tell you whether it’s ERC-721 or ERC-1155, or if it’s built on a chain that doesn’t support these, walk away. These standards are the baseline for trust. They’re why some NFTs hold value years later while others turn into digital ghosts.

What you’ll find below are real case studies of NFT projects—some successful, some dead—that show exactly how these standards play out in the wild. From airdrops that promised the moon to games that never launched, you’ll see how the underlying token standard made the difference between lasting value and total collapse.