Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs)

NFTs are unique digital assets, and similar to the ERC-721 standard on Ethereum, the CosmWasm ecosystem uses the CW721 standard. XION supports this NFT standard, with several ready-to-use contracts available in the cw-nfts repository. These contracts enable teams to deploy NFT collections with minimal customization while benefiting from enhanced security and reliability.

Reusing these contracts without modification may reduce or eliminate the need for a security audit before deploying to XION Mainnet.

Available CW721 Contract Variants

Contract	Transferable	On-Chain Metadata	Updatable Metadata	Use Case Examples
cw721-base	Yes	No	No	Basic NFT collections with off-chain metadata
cw721-updatable	Yes	No	Yes	Dynamic NFTs (e.g., avatars that evolve, gaming NFTs)
cw721-metadata-onchain	Yes	Yes	No	Fully on-chain generative art, digital collectibles
cw721-soulbound	No	No	No	Identity badges, certificates, proof-of-participation
cw721-expiration	Yes	No	Yes (via expiration)	Subscription NFTs, time-limited memberships
cw721-fixed-price	Yes	No (usually off-chain)	Yes (price config)	Simple marketplaces with fixed price sales
cw721-non-transferable	No	No	No	Achievements, diplomas, SBTs (Soulbound Tokens)
cw721-receiver-tester	Yes	No	No	Utility contract used for testing receive hooks
cw2981-royalties	Yes	Yes	No	Royalty-enabled NFTs for artists and creators

1. cw721-base

The standard implementation of the CW721 specification. Features:

• Minting, transferring, burning

• Token-level ownership and metadata

• Approved operators

Ideal for: Basic NFT collections with off-chain metadata

📦 Repo: cw721-base

2. cw721-updatable

An extension of cw721-base that allows metadata to be updated after minting. Features:

• All cw721-base features

• Supports updating token metadata

Ideal for: Dynamic NFTs such as evolving avatars, game characters, or NFTs that change over time

📦 Repo: cw721-updatable

3. cw721-metadata-onchain

A variant of cw721-base where full metadata is stored directly on-chain. Features:

• All cw721-base features

• Stores metadata (name, description, image) directly in state

Ideal for: NFTs where immutability and decentralization of metadata are critical (e.g., generative art, collectibles)

📦 Repo: cw721-metadata-onchain

4. cw721-soulbound

Implements non-transferable NFTs, often referred to as Soulbound Tokens (SBTs). Features:

• Minting only

• Disables transfer and approval functionality

Ideal for: Credentials, identity, certifications, badges, or non-transferable memberships

📦 Repo: cw721-soulbound

5. cw721-expiration

Extends cw721-base with support for setting expiration times on NFTs. Features:

• All cw721-base features

• Optional expiration timestamp per token

• Hooks for expiration-based behavior

Ideal for: Time-based NFTs such as subscriptions, memberships, or event passes

📦 Repo: cw721-expiration

6. cw721-fixed-price

A contract combining NFT minting with a built-in fixed-price marketplace. Features:

• Minting and transferring

• Price configuration per token

• Direct buy functionality

Ideal for: Launching NFT collections with fixed-price sales without needing a separate marketplace contract

📦 Repo: cw721-fixed-price

7. cw721-non-transferable

A stricter soulbound implementation with enforced immutability. Features:

• No transferring or burning

• Tokens are permanent and non-movable once minted

Ideal for: Highly permanent identity artifacts such as diplomas, licenses, or irreversible credentials

📦 Repo: cw721-non-transferable

8. cw721-receiver-tester

A testing utility contract for verifying the cw721 Receive hook functionality. Features:

• Implements cw721::Receiver interface

• Logs or validates token reception

Ideal for: Testing and verifying behavior of contracts that send or receive NFTs

📦 Repo: cw721-receiver-tester

9. cw2981-royalties

Implements the CW2981 royalty standard for NFT creators. Features:

• Attaches royalty info to CW721 tokens

• Royalty enforcement during sales (via marketplaces)

Ideal for: NFT collections where artists or creators want automatic royalty support 📦 Repo: cw2981-royalties