The Artist

Visual artists are increasingly creating digital artwork, which might not ever have a physical presence. Digital files, however, can be replicated and distributed without the artists’ consent. By registering their work on the blockchain, artists can establish proof of ownership, and therefore a secondary market. Some are even using blockchain technology itself as a canvas. This past February, artist Kevin Abosch sold Forever Rose to a collective of investors for cryptocurrency valued at $1 million. Each buyer received one-tenth of a virtual rose—effectively a string of code—as a token on the blockchain, which they can keep, sell, or give away.