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Getting started4 min read

What is crypto? Coins and collectibles

Coins, stablecoins and NFTs, in plain words: where each comes from, what a price means, and where KURV's pieces and USDC fit.

KURV teamAlso in Español, Português (Brasil)

Three things side by side on the floor: a plain yellow coin, a coin with a dollar sign, and a framed Max Cat card.
On this page13 sections

“Crypto” is one word for several very different things. Sorting them out takes five minutes and saves a lot of confusion, especially when you start seeing prices, coins and pieces side by side on KURV.

The basic idea

A crypto asset is a record on a blockchain saying that a wallet holds something. Whoever controls the wallet can move it. There is no bank account behind it: the record is the asset.

Coins that come with a chain

A coin can be built into a chain. Bitcoin has BTC, Ethereum has ETH, Solana has SOL. Those coins keep their networks running. On Base, ETH is the native coin.

Coins a contract issues

A contract on a chain can also issue a coin. Anyone can create one, with any name and logo. That is useful, because it lets an app create its own coin, and risky, because copies and traps are everywhere.

Stablecoins

A stablecoin is a coin designed to track a regular currency. USDC tracks the US dollar, and on Base it is the default coin KURV collections are priced in. One USDC is meant to stay worth about one dollar, which makes prices easy to read. What is USDC, and why are KURV prices in it? goes deeper.

NFTs

NFTs are pieces where every one is different, each with its own ID. One piece is not interchangeable with another, the same way two original drawings are not. Every collection launched on KURV is made of NFTs.

A concrete example: one KURV wallet

After a few weeks on KURV, a wallet might hold:

  1. Some USDC, used to mint and buy pieces priced in USDC.
  2. A piece from a cat collection, minted on launch day.
  3. A piece from a pixel collection, bought on the market.
  4. Maybe another coin on Base, if a creator priced their collection in something other than USDC. On Solana, a collection is priced in SOL or another Solana coin.

The USDC is interchangeable: one unit is the same as another. Each piece is one of a kind.

Where value comes from

  • Coins that come with a chain are needed to use that network.
  • Stablecoins depend on whatever the issuer holds to back them, and on the issuer honoring redemptions.
  • Other contract-issued coins are worth whatever people will pay, often tied to what they do in an app.
  • NFTs are worth what someone wants to pay for that particular piece: the art, the creator, the community around it.

None of this is fixed or promised. On KURV, “every price, return and buyer is up to the market.”

Prices move

Many crypto assets trade freely and can move a lot. A collection’s pieces can sell for more or less than they minted for. KURV also shows separate numbers for each collection, like the Market Floor (the cheapest piece on sale) and the Vault’s figures, and none of them is a promise. The Vault, explained simply covers those numbers.

Getting started, step by step

  1. Log in on KURV at testnet.kurv.fun with Google, Apple, email, Base, X or Telegram. A wallet is made for you.
  2. Look around Explore without spending anything.
  3. Learn the difference between the price you pay, the Market Floor and the Vault numbers.
  4. Only spend what you are fine losing if you decide to mint or buy. On testnet, coins and pieces have no value, so this step is practice.

What crypto is used for on KURV

On KURV, crypto shows up in three places:

  • The collections themselves. Every piece is an NFT with its own ID, recorded on Base or Solana.
  • The price coin. Each collection is priced in one coin. On Base that is USDC by default, or another coin on Base. On Solana it is SOL, or another Solana coin. Minting and buying use that coin.
  • The Vault. Every collection launched on KURV has its own Vault, and it can hold $0. When it holds some of the collection’s coin, it can buy pieces back from holders.

Outside KURV, people use crypto to send value across borders, to use apps built on smart contracts, and to hold digital items with a public ownership record. KURV is the art-and-collections corner of that world.

Reading prices on KURV

Prices on a collection page are in that collection’s coin. If a collection is priced in USDC, a price of 10 means about ten dollars. If it is priced in another coin, the dollar figure moves with that coin’s price. Check which coin a collection uses before minting.

Common mistakes

  • Identifying assets by name or logo. Only the official page and contract tell you what is real.
  • Assuming a stablecoin cannot lose value. It is designed to track the dollar. That is not a guarantee.
  • Mixing up chains. An asset on Base is not automatically on any other chain.
  • Treating a piece’s past price as its future price.
  • Calling every contract-issued coin by the chain’s native name. USDC is not ETH.

FAQ

Do I need to buy crypto to use KURV? You can look around without any. To mint or buy, you need the collection’s coin, usually USDC on Base. On testnet, Get test funds adds free test coins that have no value.

Does KURV have a coin of its own? No.

Is USDC the same as dollars? It is a stablecoin designed to track the dollar. It is not a bank deposit.

What is the difference between a chain’s coin and a piece? ETH comes with Base. A piece is an NFT issued by a collection’s contract. The next guide explains why the contract address is the part that matters.

Where to go next

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