4K Protocol now makes it easier than ever to bridge your collectibles, merchandise, and luxury assets into Web3.

Our new Self-Serve Minting Request workflow allows anyone to mint real world items as Physically-Backed NFTs, including things like:

• A vintage Rolex

• A Lionel Messi Jersey

• Classic Air Jordans

• First Edition Comic Books

• Rare Magic the Gathering cards

Bringing your physical assets on-chain unlocks new opportunities for DeFi, Merchandising, and Community Engagement. See how we tokenized a Rolex and secured a loan against it using DeFi lending protocol Arcade.xyz.

Self-Serve Minting Requests are currently a beta feature. More robust functionality will roll out over the coming weeks, including minting collections of multiple items, 4K NFT management features, and more.

Getting Started

Submitting your first minting request is easy, and only takes a few minutes. Just follow the on-screen prompts and we’ll walk you through the entire process.

Make sure you are using a Metamask wallet, Google Chrome, and have enough ETH and USDC to complete your minting transaction before getting started.

Click here to view a video tutorial of the minting process, or follow the instructions written below.

For additional questions, check out our FAQ.

1. Enter the 4K Vault

The 4K Vault is your home for managing Physically-Backed NFTs. You can view collections, browse items, and access key minting features.

2. Connect your Wallet

Click on the “Connect Wallet” button to connect your Metamask wallet to the 4K Vault.

3. Click the Mint Button

Once connected to the Vault, click “Mint” to begin a new Minting Request.

4. Choose a collection in which to mint your NFT

Currently, you can only mint to the “4K Community Ethereum Collection.”

New collections can be created by sending us an email at hello@4k.com. Soon, we’ll be rolling out self-serve functionality to create new collections in which you can mint multiple items at the same time.

5. Choose an image for your NFT

Pick a high-quality image that showcases your item with as much detail as possible. This will be the main image used for the NFT, so make sure it looks professional. It cannot be changed once the Minting Request is complete.

6. Enter your NFT Details

Choose a name and a description for your NFT. This information will be tied to your NFT, so make sure to be as descriptive as possible.

Make sure to select the quantity and category of your item on this page as well. If you have multiple identical items, we can mint them as semi-fungible tokens.

7. Enter your NFT Attributes

Attributes are unique identifiers on your NFT. Attributes make your NFT easily searchable and sortable across various marketplaces.

Some examples of attributes include brand, size, material, and color.

8. Choose Storage Type

This step shows a sliding scale of the available Guardians in which to store your items. Different Guardians have different storage fees and on-chain loss/damage protection coverage amounts. Choose the Guardian that best fits your needs.

9. Review Details of your Minting Request

Make sure the data you entered is accurate. You will not be able to change the NFT details once you make your Minting Request.

10. Submit Minting Request

Once you’re on the Submit Minting Request page, select the duration of storage you want for your item, review associated fees, and check 4K’s Terms & Conditions. You are now ready to submit your Minting Request.

Upon submission, you will be prompted to give 4K access to the USDC in your wallet. You will then be asked to confirm your transaction on Metamask.

11. Send in your items

After your request has been processed, you will be given instructions on how and where to send in your item. Make sure to write down the shipping address. For each item minted, please securely pack your item in one box and ship it to the address listed.

We strongly recommend adding shipping insurance to your items while in transit.

Please also include the unique reference number generated at the bottom of the page on your shipping label.

11. Preview your NFT

The final screen allows you to preview your NFT in the 4K Vault. This is how your final NFT will look once it is minted.

Next Steps

Once you’re done with the Minting Request process and have sent in your item, your NFT will be minted within a few days. The NFT will be sent to your wallet after a Guardian receives and securely stores your item.

When you have the final NFT, you can use it however you would like.

• Collateralize your NFT and unlock liquidity with Arcade.xyz

• Sell your physically-backed NFT on leading exchanges like Opensea.io

• Leverage tokenized merchandise to build an engaged community on Discord.com

• Add diversity to your DAO treasury with Physically-Backed NFTs

• Plug into Web3’s composable ecosystem in new, imaginative ways

And as always, you can redeem the 4K NFT for the physical asset at anytime.

Stay in Touch

Follow us on Twitter and Discord for the latest 4K news.

And be sure to check out the latest 4K NFT listings here!