Meta’s Instagram to Support NFTs From Ethereum, Polygon, Solana, Flow

The social media powerhouse won’t charge users for showcasing their crypto art.

AccessTimeIconMay 8, 2022 at 2:41 a.m. UTC
Updated May 11, 2023 at 5:41 p.m. UTC

Non-fungible tokens from some of the most popular blockchain networks for crypto art are coming to Instagram with the announcement of a pilot as soon as Monday.

The social media powerhouse owned by Meta is planning NFT integrations for Ethereum, Polygon, Solana and Flow, CoinDesk has learned. Those networks host the vast majority of trading in digital collectibles, with Ethereum and its Bored Apes leading the way by market cap.

The pilot will feature a small group of NFT aficionados based in the U.S. It wasn’t immediately clear whether Instagram would support NFTs from all four chains at launch.

Instagram intends to support widely used crypto wallets such as MetaMask. Plugging in their wallets, users will be able to prove NFT ownership, showcase them on their profiles and tag the creators who made them.

CoinDesk has confirmed Instagram will not charge users for posting and sharing NFTs, as Twitter (TWTR) initially did for its hexagonal NFT profile pictures in January.

The decision likely spells a rush of new cultural visibility for NFTs. Instagram has over one billion monthly active users; many of whom use the platform to promote and market their art.

Meta (FB) CEO Mark Zuckerberg teased the initiative in March without divulging many details.

The Financial Times previously reported that Meta would follow up its NFT pilot on Instagram with minting and group membership options on Facebook.

An email to Meta seeking comment wasn't immediately answered.

Disclosure

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.

Danny Nelson

Danny is CoinDesk's Managing Editor for Data & Tokens. He owns BTC, ETH and SOL.