Origins

Foundation originally launched with a curated roster of 50 artists. We’ve since grown to become the largest, creator-first NFT platform in web3.

As more and more communities joined Foundation, our team faced an enormous challenge: how could we possibly curate the creativity emerging from every corner of the internet?

On the one hand, we understood that curation mattered. It’s why Foundation stood out to begin with. On the other hand, we quickly realized that a small, centralized team could never meet the curatorial needs of such an expansive, global community.

We knew the answer to this problem was rooted in the blockchain itself.

Our team spent the better half of 2022 chipping away at the problem. And today, we’re proud to share the results of our extensive design process.

Introducing Worlds

Today, we’re announcing Worlds, a web3-native curation tool.

In a single transaction, curators can launch a World on Foundation, assemble their dream team, and automatically earn ETH whenever an NFT listed in their World sells.

As you’ve come to expect from us, Worlds is grounded in strong, on-chain principles:

• Curators specify who can list in a World through an on-chain allowlist.

• Curators specify the exact fee they want to charge, which is automatically routed to their wallet after every sale.

• Approved sellers can list any NFT they own from any NFT contract.

With Worlds, our community now has the tools to build their own auction houses, their own exhibitions, their own galleries, their own DIY art collectives, and more.

Curation in web3 shouldn’t be thousands of creators vying to be featured on our homepage.

Curation should be a decentralized ecosystem of independent curators vying to represent artists and their work on fair and transparent terms.

With Worlds, that’s now possible.

An emerging ecosystem of independent curators

The beginnings of a decentralized ecosystem are already in place today as we launch with breathtaking Worlds from SomewhereArt, Monolith, and SuperChief.

• Are you an online tastemaker that’s always switched on to the next big thing? SomewhereArt is showing you how Worlds can establish your vision in an emergent genre like AI art.

• Are you a gallery that operates a physical art space? SuperChief is showing you how Worlds can bridge the physical with the digital.

• Are you a prolific collector with a passion for community-building? Chikai Ohazama, founder of Monolith Gallery, is showing you how Worlds can shine a spotlight on work that speaks to you on a personal level.

Worlds not only invites curators to play a critical, new role in the web3 ecosystem — it also opens real avenues of support for the creator community that’s made its home here in web3.

Decentralized curation offers more avenues of support

As the web3 market grows more sophisticated, its demands on creators are growing too.

To stand out and succeed in web3, a creator increasingly needs to wield a wide range of skills, from marketing and branding to social media strategy and collector relations — not to mention staying up-to-date on the latest innovations in smart contracts and marketplace functionality.

If we want more creators to succeed, we need more ways to support them. With Worlds, curators are empowered to step in and provide that support.

The need for social context

The NFT boom of 2021 was distinctly about artist and creator empowerment: the ability to publish work on your own terms, and to be paid fairly and transparently for it through the blockchain.

However, as we navigate a downturn in the market, it’s clear that the social dynamics are what’s buoying the space through economic hardship.

Worlds puts social context front and center. Not anyone can list in a world. A curator has to specify exactly who can participate. And this permissioning is enforced through the blockchain itself.

In that sense, a world is something to be explored and understood from a social perspective. It’s a real community of people, with real connections between them.

Let’s build a new world, together

With Worlds, Foundation is now a global ecosystem of creators, collectors, and as of today — curators.

For creators, new avenues of support are here. Lean on curators to meet new collectors, participate in exhibitions, and plug into powerful networks.

For collectors, discovery on Foundation will never be the same. Lean on curators to discover exceptional work from new perspectives.

For curators, start building your world today. A new world is possible.