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🛍️ NFT Marketplace: Buy, Sell, Trade

Learn how OpenSea and Blur facilitate NFT trading

🏪 The NFT Marketplace Landscape

NFT marketplaces are the eBays and Amazons of the blockchain world—platforms where collectors buy, sell, and trade digital assets. But unlike centralized e-commerce, NFT marketplaces operate through smart contracts, enabling trustless peer-to-peer transactions without intermediaries holding your assets.

📊 Market Overview

In 2021, OpenSea dominated with 98% market share. By 2023, Blur captured 50% of volume through zero fees and trader incentives. LooksRare, Magic Eden, and X2Y2 compete for the remaining share. The marketplace wars have driven innovation in fees, features, and user experience.

$40B+
Total Volume (2023)
10M+
Active Traders
5+
Major Platforms

🔍 Interactive: Marketplace Comparison

Compare the three major NFT marketplaces. Each platform has different strategies for fees, features, and user acquisition.

🌊

OpenSea

Founded 2017$20B+ volume

Marketplace Fee
2.5%
Total Volume
$20B+
✅ Advantages
  • Largest marketplace
  • Most liquidity
  • Wide NFT support
  • Easy onboarding
  • Established trust
⚠️ Disadvantages
  • Higher fees than competitors
  • Slow to innovate
  • Centralized elements
  • Creator royalties optional
🌟 Unique Feature
First mover advantage with massive user base

🎯 What Marketplaces Do

Host Listings: Display NFTs with metadata, images, and prices
Match Orders: Connect buyers and sellers trustlessly
Execute Trades: Call smart contracts to transfer NFTs
Aggregate Liquidity: Show listings from multiple sources

🔑 Key Differences from Web2

Non-Custodial: Marketplace never holds your NFTs
Smart Contract: Trades execute on-chain, trustlessly
Permissionless: Anyone can list, no approval needed
Composable: Same NFT listed on multiple platforms

💡 Key Insight

Unlike eBay or Amazon, NFT marketplaces don't custody your assets—they're interfaces to smart contracts. When you "list" on OpenSea, you're actually signing an off-chain message approving a smart contract to transfer your NFT if someone pays your price. The marketplace UI is just a convenient way to create and discover these signed orders. This is why the same NFT can appear on multiple marketplaces simultaneously—it's not exclusive to any platform.