Frequently Asked Questions

A Physically-Backed NFT is a digital token representing a physical asset in the real world. The NFT acts as a digital receipt that can be redeemed for the physical asset at any time.

Bringing physical assets onto the blockchain offers many benefits for brands, collectors, and creators. Streamline your transactions, unlock new value with Decentralized Finance (DeFi), and build community with Tokenized Merch.

We currently operate on Ethereum and Polygon.

The 4K Token launch is coming soon. 4K Tokens will support our ecosystem through various incentive mechanisms. Sign up for our Discord, Twitter, and Mailing List for the latest 4K news.

Minting refers to the process of creating an NFT. With 4K Protocol, minting involves submitting information about your item, shipping your item to one of our decentralized storage Guardians, and then receiving the NFT in your crypto wallet. Minting an NFT requires a set amount of cryptocurrency to pay for the transaction's gas fee.

You can mint almost anything as a Physically-Backed NFT. We work with collectors, luxury asset resellers, fashion houses, and major brands to bring their physical assets into Web3.

1.   A funded crypto wallet. Specifically:

     -  Metamask (We currently only support Metamask).

     -  A balance of ETH for gas fees.

     -  A balance of USDC for storage & minting fees.

2.   A compatible desktop web browser. Specifically:

     -  Google Chrome (Right now, we only support Chrome).

3.   A high-quality photo of your item.

4.   A list of item attributes and a description.

1.   Enter the 4K Vault.

2.   From the 4K Vault, click the “Mint (Beta)” button near the top of the page.

     -  Google Chrome (Right now, we only support Chrome).

3.   Follow the instructions, and enter the following information:

     -  Item photo

     -  Item description and attributes 

     -  Storage and insurance information

4.   Preview your NFT.

5.   Ship your item to the Guardian address provided.

Click here for a video tutorial.

As of now, we can only tokenize one item at a time. For example, you can mint a single Pokemon card, but not 300 at once.

We will soon be rolling out functionality to mint multiple items into a collection. Follow us on Twitter, join our Discord, or sign up for out mailing list to keep up with the latest updates.

Fees include minting, on-chain storage/insurance fees, and redemption fees. Standard gas fees also apply to every transaction.

The minting fee is standard based on level of on-chain coverage selected. On-chain storage and insurance fees vary based on the Guardian and coverage cap selected.

The minting fee is upfront once you confirm your transaction in your Metamask wallet. Your total storage fee is paid once your asset has been received and confirmed by the Guardian. This will automatically be deducted from your wallet.

You can preview all minting, redemption, and on-chain storage fees during the minting process when selecting a Guardian.

Minting fees are a one-time fee for making a mint request. These fees cover NFT minting services provided by 4K Protocol.

Vaulting fees cover costs associated with storing your items in a secure Guardian facility. Insurance fees are payments that provide coverage protection for your items while they are vaulted.

Vaulting and insurance fees are set by Guardian class.

As an asset owner, you select the duration of storage when minting and pay Guardian fees upfront for that time period.

You can top up the storage balance on your asset at any time. When your storage fee drops below three months of storage, you must add additional storage balance if you want to complete a transaction or redemption.

Fees are paid from your wallet directly to the Guardian and confirmed via standard Ethereum transaction confirmations.

A gas fee is a blockchain transaction fee that is paid to a network of validators during the minting process. Small gas fees exist for nearly every blockchain transaction in Web3.

1.   Log into 4K.com and connect your Metamask wallet.

2.   Go to My Items under your profile. 

3.   Click on Storage Balance.  

4.   Under storage time under your NFT, it will state the amount of storage time left.

5.   Select the "Storage" tab.

6.   In the 'Guardian Fee Balance' section, click "Top-Up Guardian Fee Balance."

7.   Select your additional storage timeframe and pay a small gas fee.

1.   Enter the 4K Vault and connect the Metamask wallet that holds your 4K NFT.

2.   Click the profile tab dropdown in the upper right corner of the screen. Click "My items." Your items will appear on the page.

3.   Select the asset you wish to redeem and click the "redeem" button.

4.   Fill out a redemption form.

5.   Upon redemption, the Guardian will verify the asset with a no-charge audit.
6.   The Guardian will burn your NFT and ship out the physical asset within 48 hours.

Guardians are responsible for shipping physical assets when a user redeems the Physically-Backed NFT. 4K Protocol implements a secure system of incentives to reduce bad behavior from the Guardian.

Each respective Guardian is responsible for shipping a redeemed Physically-Backed NFT. Items lost or damaged during a redeemed shipment from a Guardian will be protected up to the amount of the user's selected Guardian insurance plan.

Users are responsible for coordinating transit to and from their chosen Guardian when first minting a Physically-Backed NFT. Upon completing the minting process, a shipping address will be presented to the user along with a unique reference number. Please also add [email protected] to the email notifications when creating your shipping label if possible.

To send in your item, take it to a trusted delivery service, such as UPS or FedEx. Provide them with the shipping information, and they can help you with the final shipping process.

Users assume the full risk for losses or damages in the initial transit to the Guardian facility. For that reason, we recommend users secure adequate shipping insurance when creating their shipping label.

We recommend you purchase tracking from the shipping vendor on any items you send to a Guardian.  Upon receipt of the item, the Guardian will verify the contents of the package and the Physically-Backed NFT will be shipped to your wallet. 

If your item is rejected by the Guardian, it will be returned to the same address it was sent from at the sender's expense. Items will be rejected if they do not match the description provided during the minting process, or if they are a prohibited item.

Your delivery service provider will walk you through the packaging selection that will best protect your item in transit. We recommend you speak with someone at the shipping facility to choose the right option for your item.

Below we've outlined best practices for sending your items:

1. 

   Box quality. We highly recommend thick and sturdy boxes. Avoid using flimsy boxes. Use smaller boxes for heavier items as they're easier to handle and less likely to shift inside during transit.

2. 

   Packing. The safest way to package your item(s) is to apply either packing paper, foam, styrofoam peanuts, bubble wrap, or towels to cushion the bottom of the box.

3. 

   Warning Signs. If your item is fragile, clearly label the box with a 'fragile' sticker or sign and add arrows with a 'This side up' sign.

4K Protocol's vaulting insurance kicks in once the Guardian receives the physical asset. When shipping, it is up to the asset owner to purchase the appropriate insurance for their asset.

You can choose your level of insurance coverage and pay for it upon minting your asset.

Upon generation of your shipping label, you will be a given a tracking number. You can follow the progress of your package in shipment and confirm that is has been delivered. Upon receipt of the item, the Guardian will verify the contents of the package and the Physically-Backed NFT will be sent to your wallet. 

You now have access to select Decentralized Finance (DeFi) protocols. Visit our friends at Arcade.xyz to see how we leveraged an NFT’ed Rolex Daytona with Arcade.

Physically-Backed NFTs are accepted by DeFi protocols at their own discretion.

As the Web3 ecosystem continues to grow and become more composable, new options in fractionalization, gaming, Metaverse interoperability, and merchandising will emerge.

You can sell or transfer your NFT through 4K Vault, between Metamask wallets or NFT Marketplaces such as Opensea or LooksRare. Be sure to have enough tokens in your wallet to pay for any gas fees.

Adding royalties is one of the benefits of Physically-Backed NFTs for brands and creatives. We've implemented the EIP 2981 NFT royalty standard into our tokens. Since every exchange uses its own contracts, there is no guaranteed way to enforce royalties everywhere. Users must set their exchange fees on the individual exchange chosen.

Guardians are required to stake tokens in insurance liquidity pools as means to cover losses and damages to stored items. Upon notice of any suspicious activity, Guardians may have their liquidity pools slashed by the amount equal to the price of the asset in question.

These slashed tokens will be automatically paid out users in case of dispute.

Your assets are stored in a high-security storage facility, with state-of-the-art cameras, detailed security protocols, and the most reliable vaults in the world.

4K Guardians offer climate-controlled and fire-protected facilities with 24/7 security monitoring. Users are also covered by the insurance that was selected upon minting.

In addition, 4K Guardians capture unboxing videos and photos, so you can be sure that Guardians are fully transparent and accountable when dealing with your items.

Our high-security storage facility offers the following:

• 

  Electronic security alarm system with magnetic contacts, motion, glass break, and water detection sensors, and CCTV

• 

  Live 24/7 system monitoring to provide immediate security response 

• 

  Digitally recorded video monitoring and AI-enabled camera systems

• 

  Fire alarm system with in-house audible alarms that alert an approved central station

• 

  Integrated inventory management system 

• 

  Dust-free environment

Unfortunately, much like losing your private crypto keys, losing your NFT may mean losing possession of the physical asset it represents.

Unfortunately, once you send your physically-backed NFT to the wrong address, the transaction's content is unrecoverable.