SEATTLE (Reuters), – Seattle’s new permanent NFT museum has officially opened. It aims to open a window on the world of blockchain-based digital art and “pull back” the curtain.

These non-fungible digital assets (NFTs), have seen a surge in popularity. Recently, NFT artworks were selling for multimillions of dollars. The blockchain is a database that records transactions between computers.

On January 14, 2014, the museum was opened. It has served as a platform for artists, creators and collectors to showcase their NFTs in an actual setting and to inform the general public about the relatively new digital art market.

Jennifer Wong (co-founder, curator, Seattle NFT Museum) said, “We realized the importance of being able look at this kind of art in such a slow way that you can see all of the details.”

Maksim Surguy, a local digital artist, attended the opening ceremony of the museum’s “Climate Conversation” exhibition. His designs can be purchased as NFTs online but also printed in paper form.

Surguy who worked in Seattle’s tech sector and ventured into cryptobased art about a year ago said, “Previously, you had to make digital artworks or physical artworks. There were many limitations on who can view the artwork and how they can have it.”

A March report by Research and Markets, an Irish firm, states that the market for NFTs worldwide is set to reach over $21 Billion in 2022.

Peter Hamilton, cofounder of the museum said that an NFT was essentially a contract which signifies ownership of an item of some type. The tokens… can be described as contracts that say this serial number belongs with this work of art. You are entitled to own the token.

Programming is planned for the museum throughout the year.

Hamilton stated, “I cannot emphasize enough the importance of the educational component of this museum.” Hamilton stated, “We are trying to get people onboard and help them understand what NFTs mean and let people see the benefits of blockchain.