Among some of the most extensive Ethereum blockchain-based software programs, Art Blocks is a first-of-its-kind platform focused on programmable, on-demand, generative content stored unalterably on the Ethereum Blockchain. Generative art uses code to transform a few constraints into surprising and variable art abstractions, the major benefit being that there can be infinite iterations.

Art Blocks is a small platform dedicated to generative art which transforms hashes, the alphanumeric strings that recognize blocks on the blockchain, into colorful software abstractions. 

The platform launched in November 2020 as a host for generative projects to produce verifiable outputs. The productive script is stored on the Ethereum blockchain for each task and is available for user purchase with an ERC721 compliant “non-fungible” token, also held on the Ethereum blockchain. The ERC721 compliant token contains a unique “seed” that controls the variables within the generative script, which in turn influences the final output and overall operation.

How it Works: An Example

Art Blocks gives an example using the “Chromie Squiggle #0”:

Per Art Block’s wording, “each ‘seed,’ also known as a ‘hash string,’ is a hexadecimal string generated in a pseudo-random manner at the time the token is minted. Each character (0-9, a-f) represents a value from 0-15, and each pair of characters (‘aa’ or ‘f2’) represents a value from 0-255,” they note. “For example, the Y-coordinate of each point in a squiggle is dictated by the value of a hex pair in the seed. Hex pairs in the seed also control the starting color, rate of change of the gradient, number of points in each squiggle, plus some surprise features that make some squiggles rarer than others.”

They continue: “every time a squiggle is drawn using a specific ‘seed’ the result will be identical. This means the project is deterministic. Art Blocks projects are required to have a deterministic initial state. Therefore your token, which represents a specific output of the algorithm stored for that particular project, is guaranteed to be unique.”

After a project is finalized and uploaded on the Art Blocks platform, the artist can modify the script until they are prepared to “lock” the project. Once the project has been locked, attributes like max iterations, hands, project title, artist name, and several hashes generated will be permanently frozen. In the case of adjustments made to accommodate variance in the price of Ethereum, the artist can still modify the description and price per iteration.

While the price of Ethereum fluctuates, and each outputted Art Block design differs from the others, one thing remains: Art Blocks is the groundbreaking platform, held afloat by ambitious crypto-artists and the budding community of NFT-art collectors.

Check out Art Blocks’ curated digital gallery here. 

Interested in learning more about NFTs and blockchain? 

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