Reviewed as of 27 September 2026.
OBJKT is a digital art marketplace that runs on Tezos. It lets you publish tokenised works, sell, buy and resell them and organise collections. Publishing looks simple: you connect a wallet, mint a token and set a price. But several distinct parts are involved in that operation. Confusing them leads to two opposite mistakes: believing that the token adds nothing, or believing that it records and guarantees everything.
I publish work on OBJKT. This guide brings together what is worth knowing before using the platform as an artist or collector.
Six different parts
The work is the artistic creation. The file is the image, video, sound or program that contains or runs it. The metadata make up the associated record: title, declared creator, description, edition and link to the file. The token is the unit recorded on the chain. The smart contract is the code that defines how that token is created and transferred. The platform, OBJKT, is the interface that displays those layers and makes the operations easier.
They are not the same thing. OBJKT is not the blockchain, nor necessarily the place where the file is stored. If the platform disappeared, the token and the contract could still exist on Tezos, but viewing the work, reading its metadata or operating with it would require other tools.
The token identifies a unit within a contract and makes it possible to record certain transfers. It does not in itself prove that the file is authentic, that whoever minted it is its author or that the buyer receives exploitation rights in the work.
The wallet and security
The wallet lets you manage the keys used to sign operations. The platform does not need to know your private key to display your tokens, but an authorised signature can have effects on them.
Before connecting it:
- check that the domain is correct;
- read what each signature window is asking for;
- do not share the recovery phrase;
- where it makes sense, keep your everyday wallet separate from the one holding funds or more valuable pieces;
- keep the recovery method in a safe place, separate from shared documentation.
Losing access to the wallet can mean losing control of the tokens, even if the work and the file still exist.
Operations on Tezos are paid in tez, usually written XTZ. Its value in euros fluctuates. To buy, mint or transfer you need funds plus an additional amount for network costs.
Minting: what to decide first
Minting means creating the token under a contract and attaching metadata to it.
Before doing so, decide:
- which file is the version you are going to publish;
- whether the work will be unique or part of an edition;
- how many copies it will have;
- the title and the description;
- which licence or permission of use comes with the purchase;
- the royalty percentage;
- the price;
- the collection or contract in which it will be minted;
- how you will record the operation in your own archive.
Do not mint a provisional file if you want the token to identify a particular version. Correcting the metadata later may be limited, leave traces or require another operation.
In an edition, the number of tokens does not necessarily match the number of copies of the file that exist off-chain. Document the edition size, artist proofs, other editions of the same file, earlier or later versions and what happens to unsold copies. The master artwork record can hold this information.
On OBJKT, creating a collection means deploying a smart contract. The visible name is not enough to identify it: two collections may have similar names, and the same artist may use different contracts. The combination of the contract address and the token ID is what locates the specific unit.
Selling: commissions and royalties
The primary sale is the first transfer of the piece. Later resales make up the secondary market.
A transaction may involve:
- the price;
- the network cost;
- the platform commission;
- the creator's royalty;
- other splits set up through curatorial or collaborative tools.
Check the current fee structure before setting a price or accepting an offer. The net amount does not necessarily match the price displayed.
The royalty is the percentage set so that the creator receives a share of certain resales. Whoever mints decides that percentage. OBJKT acknowledges that royalties cannot be fully enforced on-chain and states that it honours them in transactions carried out through its marketplace.
So the royalty:
- may depend on the marketplace where the resale occurs;
- is not a universal guarantee of payment;
- does not on its own show who is legally entitled to receive it;
- does not replace the resale right that may apply under the law.
The resale right on certain professional resales and the technical royalty set on a platform are different mechanisms.
Buying: what you receive
Buying a token gives you control of that unit within the contract and the ability to transfer it according to its rules. It does not in itself transfer the copyright in the work. The distinction is the same one explained in the guide Selling a painting is not selling its rights.
Before buying, check:
- which file is associated;
- where it is stored;
- whether a licence exists;
- what uses it allows;
- whether you may exhibit the work or make the necessary technical copies;
- whether a format migration is authorised;
- what happens if the link stops working;
- whether additional documentation exists outside the platform.
It is up to the seller to describe clearly what comes with the transaction. 'You are buying the work' does not define the rights acquired. If a licence is granted, it should identify its uses, duration, territory and relationship to ownership of the token.
Nor does minting prove that whoever does it holds sufficient rights in every element of the file. Before publishing, check the images, music, typefaces, code, models, archival material, trademarks, image rights and the terms of the tools used.
Where the file is
The token usually points to metadata which, in turn, link to the file. The file may be hosted on a distributed storage system or elsewhere.
'It is on the chain' is often an inaccurate description. The chain usually holds the reference and the record of transactions, not necessarily the whole file. Future availability depends on how it was published and on the content remaining accessible.
Check and keep, where available:
- the metadata URI;
- the file URI;
- the storage system;
- the file type and size;
- a checksum;
- the technical dependencies;
- an authorised copy.
Checking before you buy
The chain records that an address carried out a transaction. It does not prove who controls that address in real life, or that they had permission to mint the file.
Before buying:
- find the wallet the artist acknowledges as their own on their official channels;
- check the contract and the token ID;
- check the original collection and the edition;
- compare the file and the metadata;
- look for possible duplicate or unauthorised mints;
- ask about the licence and preservation when they are unclear;
- keep the transaction details.
A profile name, an image or a link on social media is not enough to establish authorship. The guide on authenticity, attribution and forgery explains why no single signal settles the question.
If you spot possible impersonation, keep evidence, identify the contract, token and wallet, check the creator's official channels and use the platform's reporting mechanisms before making public accusations. A piece no longer being displayed in an interface does not necessarily mean that the token has disappeared from the chain.
Documenting and preserving
Do not keep only the OBJKT link. If the platform changes or stops providing the service, that address may no longer be useful.
For each work you publish or buy, keep, as relevant:
- title and declared creator;
- creator wallet address;
- contract address and token ID;
- edition and copy;
- date and price in XTZ;
- fees and network costs;
- value used in euros and conversion source;
- transaction ID or link;
- metadata;
- authorised copy of the file;
- licence and terms of use;
- exhibition instructions;
- software and technical dependencies;
- history of versions or migrations.
For tax and accounting, record the amounts and supporting documents you need for your situation. The pseudonymity of a wallet does not remove the obligations that apply to each party.
Before transferring a token, check the destination address, the network and the exact unit. A transaction on the chain can be hard or impossible to reverse.
What the chain does not prove
A blockchain can record contracts, tokens, addresses, signatures and transactions. It does not on its own prove:
- artistic authorship;
- the real-world identity of the signer;
- the authenticity or legality of the file;
- that no other copies exist;
- the transfer of copyright;
- the future preservation of the file;
- a stable economic value;
- tax compliance;
- institutional recognition.
Its documentary value grows when it is combined with preserved files, clear licences, external sources and a consistent public identity.
On the open conversation
This guide describes how OBJKT and Tezos generally work, based on their official documentation and my experience as an artist on the platform. The interface, contracts, fees and features may change. Before signing, check the current documentation and the exact content of the transaction your wallet is asking you to approve.
If you work with OBJKT as an artist, collector or curator and notice a relevant change, write to me.