Where the confusion comes from
Both NFTs and certificates of authenticity get described as 'proof' attached to art, so it's easy to assume they do the same job. They don't. One is a tradable token on a blockchain; the other is a statement that a specific artwork is genuine and by the artist named.
What an NFT is
An NFT is a non-fungible token: an entry on a public blockchain that points to some item, usually bought and sold. Owning the token proves you own that blockchain entry. It does not, by itself, prove anything about a physical artwork's authorship, condition, or history — and it often refers to a digital file rather than a physical piece.
What a certificate of authenticity is
A certificate of authenticity is a statement about a real artwork: who made it, that it's genuine, and enough detail to identify it. A verifiable certificate is cryptographically signed and tied to the work's documented history, so anyone can confirm it hasn't been forged or altered.
The key differences
- Purpose: an NFT records token ownership; a certificate documents an artwork's authenticity and history.
- Subject: an NFT usually stands in for a digital item; a certificate describes a physical work.
- Cost to check: verifying a certificate is free and needs no account; interacting with a token generally involves a wallet.
- What it proves: a token proves you hold the token; a certificate, verified, proves the record is genuine and unaltered.
Why 'the blockchain proves it's real' is misleading
A blockchain can prove that a particular entry was made at a particular time. It cannot verify that the thing the entry points to is authentic, or that whoever minted it had the right to. For physical art, authenticity still rests on provenance and expert judgement — a token doesn't change that.
What Attesian does instead
Attesian borrows the one genuinely useful idea — tamper-evidence — and leaves out the token, the wallet, and the speculation. Certificates are signed and anchored so they can be verified by anyone for free, and the record documents a real work owned by its artist. There's nothing to buy in order to check that a piece is what it claims to be.