Blockchain-Based Ecosystems for Digital Art: A Survey of NFT Technologies, Adoption Barriers, and Implementation Challenges

Abstract

This paper examines the transformative impact of blockchain technology and non-fungible tokens on the visual arts sector. We explore how NFT innovations are reshaping digital art creation, distribution, and monetization through a thorough literature review. The study investigates how NFTs address traditional challenges faced by visual artists, including ownership verification, fair compensation, and intermediary dependencies, by providing unique digital certificates of authenticity stored on blockchain networks. We examine key socio-cultural aspects of NFT adoption, showing how artists use decentralized marketplaces to connect with collectors, retain more revenue, and earn recurring royalties via smart contracts. However, our systematic analysis on existing studies reveals significant barriers to widespread adoption, including security vulnerabilities in smart contracts and privacy concerns related to transparent blockchain ledgers. Critically, we identify socio-economic barriers for artists with lower digital literacy, whose steep learning curves and market unfamiliarity risk reinforcing art world inequalities. While NFTs demonstrate considerable potential for democratizing art creation and trading in Web3 environments, addressing security, privacy, scalability, interoperability, and digital inclusion challenges remains essential for achieving equitable and sustainable transformation of the creative industries. The study concludes with topical suggestions for future research, including user experiences and potential of the remix paradigm, which is attracting more attention from the art NFT community.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. ACM Computing Surveys, 2026 · DOI ↗