This paper explores the humanistic dimensions of nonfungible tokens (NFTs) through an interdisciplinary lens that integrates network analysis with social media data. While much of the current discourse focuses on the financial or technological aspects of NFTs, we examine how NFT ecosystems foster community formation, cultural expression, and identity-building. Using fused on-chain and off-chain data from over a hundred NFT collections, we identify distinct community types – holders, traders, and speculators – and analyze their structural characteristics. Our findings reveal that long-term holders form tightly connected, narrative-rich clusters, while speculative activity leads to fragmented, transactional networks. By mapping these dynamics and correlating them with community discourse, we expose how inclusion, visibility, and bias manifest across NFT spaces. This methodology provides a novel framework for uncovering inequality patterns, particularly among historically underrepresented groups, and highlights the sociotechnical nature of NFTs as emerging sites of cultural production and systemic reflection.

Authors:
Valentina Kuskova, University of Notre Dame, United States
Dmitry Zaytsev, University of Notre Dame, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Dmitry Zaytsev is currently an Associate Professor at the Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society, University of Notre Dame, Indiana, United States.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Monday Schedule

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