Get to know where your goods come from when you shop at Known Origin. In this Known Origin review, we’ll take a look at what it offers.
Known Origin is an online marketplace where you can buy Non-fungible Tokens or NFTs. These unique items can be minted (created) and sold here with collectors and creators all enjoying the same platform.
Active since April 2018, Known Origin is owned by the crypto exchange, Gemini. It’s also based in the USA.
This exciting marketplace offers a top range of NFTs, usually from well-known NFT artists. That being said, it’s still possible to find cheaper NFTs from lesser-known artists as well.
To date, Known Origin has more than 9000 different artists on their platform with over 47,000 unique Known Origin NFTs. Impressively, this has resulted in more than $10 million in sales at this time.
Though not one of the biggest NFT marketplaces, this one is growing, and growing rapidly. Recently, the most expensive Known Origin NFT was sold for $74.7k.
In this Known Origin review, we will take a look at all the different features that make this marketplace one to watch.
Known Origin Marketplace Overview
For our Known Origin review, we found that this platform originally started as a popup art gallery in Manchester. The goal was to showcase the application of using blockchain technology in the form of artwork that was tokenized on Ethereum.
In this way, art and technology could be combined. This small event turned out to be an immense success and showed that tokenized artwork was in demand.
From that point, founders David Moore, Andy Gray, and James Morgan developed the Known Origin NFT platform as we know it today. For this Known Origin review, we’ve found that their dedication has made it one of the fastest-growing marketplaces out there.
As this is aimed at everyone, Known Origin offers a clean, simple interface with all the Known Origin NFTs being very easy to find throughout the site. Signing up is simple too, and that’s for both artists and buyers.
Even if you’re not logged in, it’s possible to take a look through all the Known Origin NFTs available. Better yet, for this Known Origin review we found that there are many options in terms of artists, latest drops, and more for you to have a look at.
The marketplace itself is customizable allowing you to choose the way it’s set up to be most comfortable for you. For instance, you can set your platform to the latest bids, remaining auction time, and so on.
It won’t be long before you will have got to grips with the platform. Keep reading our Known Origin NFT review to find out all about this exciting marketplace.
Known Origin Review
So as we dive into our Known Origin review, what exactly is the Known Origin marketplace?
Well, it’s a popular NFT market that offers users the chance to look through, create, buy and sell NFTs. Unlike some other platforms though, Known Origin is very careful in its selection of which artists can sell on their marketplace.
Getting started
The site itself is very straightforward to use as it has a clean landing page. Even for newcomers, the setup is easily accessible with a clear menu at the top of the page.
To get started with Known Origin NFTs, you just need to click on the NFT marketplace button, Be aware that this has a drop-down with both Primary and Secondary marketplaces listed here.
Slide to the right, and you can check out the hot Drops and get instant access to view some of the most sought-after items of the moment. Alternatively, clicking on Search simply takes you to the endless NFT collections present on its site.
To use the search, you will need to have a little background knowledge though, as you need to look for artists or collectors by name or through their ETH address. Otherwise, it’s a case of scrolling through thousands of artists and going to their individual pages.
That being said, scrolling through the artists is easy as they give clear explanations of what their art involves. Additionally, their social media handles are clearly provided giving you access to their art quickly.
Once in a collection, these are laid out in a straightforward manner with understandable terms. For instance, these images list clear ‘Reserve Price’, ‘Buy Now’, and so on, options.
Just a little browsing, searching, and exploring is all it takes for you to get a handle on the way this site works. And, once you’re in the swing of things, it’s a lot of fun browsing through all the options — we had fun doing this when writing this Known Origin review too.
What to buy?
But, at this point comes the main issue — determining which of the Known Origin NFTs are worth purchasing. However, the platform is here to help and does so by providing helpful guides explaining how the system works, what can be traded, and importantly, how to buy or sell NFTs via the Known Origin platform.
On top of that, there’s a convenient ‘Community’ section that also contains other helpful options. For instance, click on ‘Trending’ and you are taken to the latest artists, editions, or collections that are popular allowing you to carefully check out that work.
Not so hot
While it’s important that the platform is user-friendly for everyone, and for the most part it is, some areas are lacking. For instance, for this Known Origin review, we feel it’s important to point out that there is no easy-access FAQ section.
Instead, a lot of learning is done via trial and error, which can be great for some users but not for others.
How Does Known Origin Work?
In this section of our Known Origin review, let’s take a look at exactly how you can get started here.
In order to get going on the Known Origin marketplace, you do need to have a wallet connected. There’s a simple blue and white button at the top right of the main page to get this started.
You won’t be able to get very far if you don’t get this setup. When using this site, our Known Origin review identified these wallets as usable options:
Why do you need a wallet?
Well, these wallets are the way you can send, receive and even store your digital assets including cryptocurrency and NFTs.
There are many wallets out there, and these can be built into your browser, as an extension, or even as hardware plugged into your laptop. So, once you have got your preferred wallet connected, you’re then able to start buying or bidding on your Known Origin NFT of choice.
If you’re an artist, you can now start posting listings but make sure that you carefully check any currency listings. This is important as you do not want to miss off vital 0’s when listing as you could end up underselling your work.
When you choose to make a purchase, you will either need to pay the asking price or join an auction. If you are successful, then you will get an email to tell you this, but you will also need to pay gas fees to the ETH blockchain.
Depending on which end of the selling chain you are on, there are also additional fees in place. For instance, creators will have to pay 15% of the final price to Known Origin, which our Known Origin review acknowledges is at the higher end of the scale.
However, creators also get a 10% royalty on any future work they sell as well.
It should be noted that there is also a 2.5% transaction fee across the platform and this is for any secondary transactions that take place. Essentially, this means users who are reselling work will need to pay attention to this as they will owe those royalties to the original owner.
Finally, as our Known Origin review has looked into, the platform is easily used across a range of different devices. Not only can it be accessed on desktops, but also via your mobile device browser.
What Features Does the Known Origin Marketplace Have?
As you’ll discover in this Known Origin review, the purpose of this marketplace is to offer the ability to create, buy, and sell NFTs. With its high level of usability, getting a Known Origin NFT is actually quite easy.
However, getting on board as an artist is not. That being said, this does make this site one of the more exclusive ones, offering a wide array of top-quality artwork.
Regular NFT marketplace users will need to note that Known Origin doesn’t tend to use the same category system as other sites. Instead of art types, you can search for Latest, Oldest, Lowest Price, Highest Price, Upcoming Sales, 24hr reserve auctions, and Genesis Art.
It’s also possible to further filter the options using a second filter box that includes options such as All, 1 of 1, Rare 1/10, and Offers only. All these options mean that you can whittle down the selection.
Furthermore, for each NFT, as our Known Origin review shows, there is a wide array of stats in place. For instance, you can check out the highest-priced NFTs, what’s trending, which are the latest artists, and even sign up to their email for info on the latest Drops.
Unlike other platforms, this isn’t necessarily for everyday use, as the art is carefully selected. This means you’re less likely to find common or cheap NFTs here. But, it’s still a really great place to browse.
It’s also very exclusive in that it only offers ETH as a transaction option. Additionally, it has some of the highest fees in the industry so, as we advise in this Known Origin review, this platform is really for knowledgeable users.
What Wallets Does Known Origin Support?
Our Known Origin review found that you can use the following wallets:
With your wallet connected, you’re ready to get started with buying, bidding, or even minting NFTs across the marketplace.
Currently, as our Known Origin review shows, this platform doesn’t offer that many wallets to use. However, all those available are known to be among the best out there.
This is in terms of their security level, support systems, and, of course, their crypto trading abilities. Without a secure wallet, you run the risk of getting hacked and even losing your crypto or NFTs.
It’s also a great idea to utilize a hardware wallet alongside one of the five eWallet options. This is simply to boost your safety.
Excitingly for some, our Known Origin review also found that the platform has added a new payment method into the mix. That’s right, you can now Pay With Funds and use your debit or credit cards to pay for items on Known Origin.
However, you will still need a wallet connected to the platform in order to be able to receive your NFT.
How Can I Link My Wallet to Known Origin?
As our Known Origin review has shown, you can’t actually get anywhere on the platform without linking a wallet to it. This is because these wallets give you the ability to actually hold all your digital assets including your crypto and NFTs.
Doing so is easy though, as the site only accepts ETH and no other currencies at all.
The process for linking your wallet is pretty simple. Just click on the ‘Connect wallet’ button at the top of the page.
Then simply choose from one of the five different wallets. We do like Metamask as our preferred option in this Known Origin review.
With your wallet connected, you will then need to request approval and confirm that you want your wallet to actually connect to Known Origin. After this all goes through, just fill out your information including a username, email, and so on.
Now, you’re connected! It’s time to get browsing, buy, or create on Known Origin!
How Do I Buy NFTs at Known Origin?
So, now that you’ve got your wallet set up and connected to Known Origin, what happens next? Well, you can start browsing and buying your favorite NFTs.
To help your out, in this Known Origin review we will go through the process carefully.
Step-by-step guide to buying
Once you’ve signed in, you can use the search tab to manually browse. Alternatively, look at the Drops to see which of the latest hot Known Origin NFTs are available. It’s really all up to you.
When you’ve found the item you want to buy, just choose it. Usually, at this point, you can opt to pay the specific listed asking price as set out by the artist, or you can opt to bid on it at a slightly lower price.
If you do decide to make an offer on the NFT, then you will need to join an auction, especially if there are other users vying for the art. If this is the case, you should ensure you follow the auction carefully as you may need to up your bid to win.
Once you’re the winner, or you’ve agreed on the sale with the artist or owner of the NFT, you then need to actually process the transaction. You will need to check the terms of service box too.
Importantly, the time it takes for your NFT to appear in your wallet will vary. So, if you have chosen to pay the asking price, the NFT will be in your wallet as soon as the transaction is complete — you don’t need to wait for the artist to confirm.
But, if you’re participating in an auction or making an offer, then the process can take longer. That being said, once the sale is finalized, the NFT is in your wallet instantly too.
Fees
Bear in mind though that if you are buying items at the listed price, you’ll need to pay gas fees. So, what are these?
We touched on gas fees earlier in our Known Origin review. Gas fees are paid to the Ethereum blockchain.
Depending on which part of the process you are in, different users will need to pay these fees. So, both sellers and artists will need to pay some gas fees, but we will cover those in the selling section of this Known Origin review.
As with most marketplaces, once you have made a purchase, you can do a quick check to ensure everything has gone to plan. All you need to do is check your account profile, and you will find all of your NFTs laid out neatly.
How Do I Sell NFTs on the Known Origin marketplace?
When it comes to selling NFTs on Known Origin you can do this as an artist or as a seller. If you want to join as an artist to sell your own work, there’s a short sign-up process you will need to go through.
Signing up as an artist
To apply, you do need to fill out a form, although often the application portal is closed. You’ll also need to submit a portfolio with at least five artworks, a summary of your work, and why it would be good to show it on Known Origin.
If you meet the requirements, you’ll hear back from the platform within a month. If you’re successful, you can get selling, or choose to reapply at a later date if you’re not accepted.
But if you are accepted, it’s now time to reap the rewards from all your hard work and get your collection listed online. To do this, you will need to have your NFTs online to sell.
Selling your NFTs
They need to be in your wallet linked to your Known Origin account. Then, simply go through those NFTs selecting the ones you want to sell.
Now you can set a price, being careful not to miss out any zeros as we mentioned earlier in this Known Origin review. You can then schedule your listing.
Depending on how you choose to sell, there are three different ways to put your work up:
- Offers — this is where buyers can actually create an offer, which you can accept or reject at your discretion.
- Instant / fixed price — You set the price for your NFT and if the buyer is happy and clicks on this, the sale can go through immediately.
- Auctions — you can create auctions for your NFTs encouraging buyers to bid against one another. Regardless of the final price, the highest bid wins.
Importantly, as our Known Origin review has touched on, there are fees attached even for sellers. These are as follows:
- Minting — as an artist, you will have to pay a gas fee when minting (i.e. creating) a new token.
- Accepting offer — if you, as the seller, accept an offer, you will need to pay the gas fee for this transaction. This is set at 15% of the final price.
But, similar to other platforms, as the original artist, you will get a 10% royalty on each NFT. These royalties need to be paid back to the original artist if you have bought this work and are selling it on again though. So that’s something to bear in mind and an important factor to highlight in this Known Origin review.
Known Origin Review Conclusion
And here ends our Known Origin review. As we’ve outlined, Known Origin is a top-quality marketplace.
One of the main things about this site is the fact that it’s very careful in its selection of artists and their NFTs. However, once on the platform, creating, minting, buying, and selling is incredibly easy.
Though it’s not the biggest platform out there, it’s easy to see why it’s growing so quickly due to this focus on quality, rare work. Because of this though, it’s not necessarily the best place to start as you’re less likely to find cheap NFTs. Rather, this is a place for serious investors and collectors.
But as you can see all the NFTs without making an account or syncing a wallet, it’s worth having a browse before you make a final decision.
No matter whether you’re a creator or a collector, this marketplace has an incredible selection of stunning art. All of it is easily accessible in a convenient layout.
Better still, as we’ve already mentioned in our Known Origin review, the site supports several payment options including debit and credit card options. This makes it incredibly easy to start purchasing.
Why not take a look at what’s on offer right now. There’s no doubt that you will find something that appeals.
But, make sure that you remember those fees we’ve mentioned in our Known Origin review when it comes to making a purchase. After all, you don’t want to get caught out.