How do you create an NFT?

To make an NFT, you mint it: you create a token on a blockchain that points to your file and records you as the first owner. You need a crypto wallet, a little cryptocurrency for network fees and a smart contract to mint from. Most creators use a marketplace tool that handles the contract for them. What an NFT actually is and how it tracks ownership is covered in how do NFTs work.

How do you mint an NFT?

On OpenSea, creation happens in Studio and takes two main steps.

1. Create a collection. In Studio, choose Create Collection, add a logo, a contract name and a token symbol, and pick an EVM-compatible blockchain. Publishing the contract is a blockchain transaction you approve in your wallet. The name and symbol cannot be changed later.
2. Mint the item. Under Media & Metadata, upload your artwork, give it a name and set the supply. A supply of 1 makes it a one-of-one piece. You can add a description, a link and traits, then click Mint and approve the transaction.

All items in one collection must use the same file type. You can later edit the media, name or description, but each change needs a wallet signature and a gas fee.

Developers can skip the marketplace tools. ethereum.org's tutorial shows how to write an ERC-721 contract with a mint function that gives each new token an ID and a link to a JSON metadata file describing it. That file normally points to the image or media itself.

How much does it cost to make an NFT?

The unavoidable cost is gas, the network fee for each blockchain transaction. On OpenSea you pay gas to deploy the collection contract, to mint and to make later edits. Gas goes to the network, not to OpenSea, and changes with how busy the chain is. Picking a cheaper network, such as a layer 2, lowers this cost.

OpenSea used to offer "lazy minting", which delayed the onchain step until a sale, but it stopped allowing new lazy-minted items on October 3, 2023.

How do you sell an NFT?

Once it is minted, you can list it from your profile, the item page or the collection page. You choose the currency, a price and a listing length from 15 minutes to 6 months. You can also reserve a listing for one wallet address. Alternatively, you can accept an offer someone has already made.

As of OpenSea's May 2026 fee page, the marketplace charges 1% on NFT sales, built into the price buyers see. Collections can also set creator earnings, a share of resales paid to the creator, either enforced or optional. Sellers pay gas the first time they list an item and when accepting an offer. OpenSea says it will never ask you to send funds to sell an item, so treat such messages as a scam. Other platforms are compared in what is an NFT marketplace.