NFT Standards: ERC-721 vs. ERC-1155

Overview

Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) revolutionized digital ownership by enabling verifiable, unique assets on the blockchain. The two primary Ethereum standards for NFTs are ERC-721 and ERC-1155. While both enable the creation of NFTs, they differ significantly in terms of structure, flexibility, and use cases:

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/p>h4>Examples of Each Standard/h4>p>ERC-721:

ERC-1155:

/p>h4>Pros & Cons/h4>p>Pros of ERC-721:

Cons of ERC-721:

Pros of ERC-1155:

Cons of ERC-1155:

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/p>h4>Evolution of Both Standards/h4>p>2017: ERC-721 Introduced

2018–2019: ERC-1155 Proposed by Enjin

2021–2023: Market Matures

2024–Present: Coexistence and Specialization

Market Sentiment

The NFT space recognizes ERC-721 as the go-to for high-value, unique assets, while ERC-1155 is increasingly seen as the smart choice for scalable, utility-driven projects. As adoption grows, ERC-1155’s efficiency and flexibility continue to gain favor, especially in gaming and multi-item environments.

/p>p>

/p>h4>Conclusion/h4>p>Both ERC-721 and ERC-1155 have carved out important roles in the NFT ecosystem. While ERC-721 remains king in terms of unique, collectible assets, ERC-1155 opens the door to mass efficiency and multi-token environments. The future of NFTs will likely involve both standards working in tandem, depending on the project’s needs.

By Alejandro Silva Ramírez, Crypto Analyst & Columnist

• ERC-721 introduced the first standard for NFTs, where each token is completely unique and stored separately.
• ERC-1155 is a more advanced, multi-token standard that allows both fungible and non-fungible tokens within a single smart contract.

• CryptoKitties: The original NFT game that popularized unique, breedable collectibles.
• Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC): Profile picture NFTs where each ape is a unique asset.
• Decentraland Land Parcels: Each plot is an individual token.

• Gods Unchained: A blockchain trading card game where cards can be fungible or non-fungible.
• The Sandbox Assets: Includes multiple item types (wearables, props, lands) in one contract.
• Enjin-powered games: Used to issue both items and currencies in a single framework.

• Simpler to understand and widely supported by NFT marketplaces.
• Designed specifically for true 1-of-1 ownership.
• Great for projects focused on uniqueness and scarcity.

• Inefficient for minting large batches (each NFT requires its own contract call).
• Higher gas fees for batch transfers.
• No support for fungible tokens or shared metadata structures.

• Supports both fungible and non-fungible tokens in one smart contract.
• Lower gas costs for batch mints, transfers, and burns.
• More efficient storage and metadata handling.

• Slightly more complex for developers to implement.
• Not as universally supported on older platforms or tools.
• Difficult for users to distinguish between fungible and non-fungible tokens at a glance.

• CryptoKitties launches and causes Ethereum congestion, leading to the official proposal of ERC-721 as a standard.
• Becomes the default choice for most NFT projects, especially collectibles.

• Created to solve the inefficiencies of ERC-721 in gaming and batch operations.
• Gains popularity in blockchain gaming and metaverse applications.

• ERC-721 dominates profile picture (PFP) projects and high-value art NFTs.
• ERC-1155 gains traction in gaming, event ticketing, and multiverse economies.

• Both standards coexist with distinct use cases.
• Developers choose based on whether they need uniqueness (ERC-721) or versatility and scale (ERC-1155).
• Multi-standard marketplaces like OpenSea support both natively.