How NFT Collectors Experience Online NFT Communities: A Case Study of Bored Ape

TL;DR

This case study explores how NFT collectors experience online communities around Bored Ape NFTs, highlighting positive social aspects and challenges like scams and trolling, to understand community dynamics and trust issues.

Contribution

It provides an in-depth observational and interview-based analysis of NFT community experiences, focusing on Bored Ape Yacht Club, which is underrepresented in existing literature.

Findings

Positive community experiences foster personal expression and mutual support.

Challenges include scams, trolling, and questionable projects.

Community trust influences NFT popularity and user engagement.

Abstract

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are unique cryptographic assets representing the ownership of digital media. NFTs have soared in popularity and trading prices. However, there exists a large gap in the literature regarding NFTs, especially regarding the stakeholders and online communities that have formed around NFT projects. Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) is one of the most influential NFT projects. Through an observational study of online BAYC communities across social media platforms and semi-structured interviews with four participants who owned BAYC NFTs, we explored the experiences of NFT collectors within the online NFT community. Positive community experiences, i.e., personal expression and identity, mutual support among BAYC holders, and exclusive access to online and offline events, were expressed. Encountered challenges included scams and "cash grab" NFT projects as well as trolling. The results of this study point towards the welcoming, positive nature of the NFT community, which is a possible causation factor of the initial rise in popularity of NFTs. Demotivators, on the other hand, countered the established trustworthiness of NFT technology among its consumers.