In this track: Tokens and digital ownership
intermediate · 3 MIN READ

What makes an NFT unique?

A token ID distinguishes an item within its contract’s collection.

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Two library books can have separate inventory IDs even if their cover art looks the same.

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A valid counter call, step by stepStep 1 / 4
A valid counter call, step by stepFunction requestincrement()No argumentsBefore executionstored count0A local teaching example with a defined starting stateIncoming callCheck function dispatchCheck coded conditionsRules passConditions passContinue executionA failed check can revert insteadCalculation0 + 1Result: 1Storage writecount = 1Persists if call succeedsCalculating a local value and storing it are separate stepsPersistent statecount1Later readGetter reports 1No new incrementState, logs and browser display have different roles

This example begins with count zero and a request to call increment(). No real contract is deployed.

Animated local teaching model. No wallet, RPC or live blockchain data. Some labels and hashes are abbreviated for readability.

Identity has multiple parts

An ERC-721 item is identified in its contract by a token ID. Network, contract address and token ID together supply the useful onchain context. Token ID 7 in another collection is a different item.

Unique does not mean one image

Two tokens can refer to the same media or similar metadata. Non-fungibility concerns individually tracked token identity and ownership, not proof that the artwork has never appeared elsewhere.

Rights need a separate basis

Holding a token does not automatically grant copyright, ownership of a physical object or every commercial right. Those claims depend on additional terms and mechanisms beyond the bare ownership record.

Read the ownership rules

The contract determines how ownership and approvals change. A marketplace image is a presentation layer. Learn ERC-721 ownership and metadata separately so each claim has the right evidence.

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Is token ID 7 globally unique across every NFT contract?

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