After creating an account, the first thing you'll do is deploy your first smart contract.
What is a Smart Contract?
A smart contract is essentially a computer program that runs on the blockchain through the ETH network.
The smart contract will allow for the creation of a digital token.
The Manifold Smart Contract
Self deployed Smart Contracts offer the highest level of provenance for creators.
Manifold Creator is a smart contract owned and deployed by you, the creator.
The Manifold Contract allows for:
Authenticity â True provenance for creators, from a self deployed contract
Interoperability â Works with existing ERC-721/1155 NFT platforms
Extensibility â Deploy custom minting mechanics and retention tools
Types of Smart Contracts
For a video explaining the differences, check out this video.
ERC-721
The ERC-721 is the standard for minting 1 of 1s. In other words this standard will allow you to mint tokens that are unique and can have different value than another token from the same smart contract due to age, rarity, other properties, or simply the visual difference of the artwork.
ERC721s are typically used for:
A single token for auction
Numbered editions with the same media/artwork
A collectibles drop (A claim page with a reveal mechanic)
ERC-721 Editions show up as different numbered tokens on OpenSea.
ERC-1155
The ERC-1155 is a dual purpose fungible and non fungible token standard. While you can mint fungible NFTs under the ERC-1155 standard, the most common use cases include applications like open editions of the exact same artwork or photography, situations where minting and managing bulk fungible items can save time and gas.
ERC-1155s are typically used for
Open Editions where one token will have multiple owners
Editions in this standard are not numbered. If you mint 10 editions of the same token on a ERC-1155 contract, these will show on OpenSea as one token that has 10 copies.
What Can I do once I've deployed my Smart Contract?
