# Gradiently Mark vs NFT: is a Mark an NFT? [Canonical HTML page](https://gradiently.design/guide/marks-vs-nfts) Owning a digital look with a numbered certificate sounds like an NFT to many people. It isn't. Here is exactly how Mark ownership works, from claiming to giving one away, and where the record lives. ## The short version - A Gradiently Mark is not an NFT: it involves no blockchain, no token, no crypto wallet and no cryptocurrency. - Mark ownership is a record in the Gradiently registry, with exactly one owner at a time and a numbered certificate of authenticity. - Claiming a Mark makes you its owner, and only the owner can export designs that wear it. - An owner can give a Mark to anyone on Gradiently for free or list it on the Market at a price they set, and the certificate moves to the new owner. - Anyone can check a Mark's code or certificate number at gradiently.design/verify to see who holds it and its full history. On the question of **Gradiently Mark vs NFT**, the answer is simple: a Mark is not an NFT. There is no blockchain, no token, no crypto wallet and no cryptocurrency anywhere in it. Mark ownership is a record kept by the Gradiently registry: each Mark has exactly one owner at a time, a numbered certificate of authenticity, and a public history anyone can check. You claim, keep, give and list Marks with an ordinary Gradiently account. ## Mark vs NFT side by side The two can sound alike because both attach a named owner to something digital. Underneath, they are built and used in completely different ways. | Question | Gradiently Mark | NFT | | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | A living background you design with | A token recorded on a blockchain, usually pointing to a file | | Where ownership is recorded | The Gradiently registry | A public blockchain | | What you need | A Gradiently account | A crypto wallet | | What owning lets you do | Export designs with it; only you can | Depends entirely on the project's terms | | Proof of ownership | A numbered certificate anyone can check without an account | The token's record on the chain | | Is it a trademark | No | No | Both attach a name to a digital thing. That is where the similarity ends. ## What you get when you claim a Mark A Mark is a recipe of colours, up to three stacked materials, light, grain, motion and a type voice that renders live behind everything you design. Marks are crafted by Gradiently, and each one is checked against every other so anything too close is refused. That check is why owning one means something: nobody else is wearing a near copy. More on the object itself is in [what a Mark is](https://gradiently.design/guide/what-is-a-mark). Every Mark has its own public page with its colours, code, creator, current owner and history. - **Your name on its public record**, as its one owner. - **A numbered certificate of authenticity**, such as `GRC-7K2M-9QXA-4TPW`, emailed to you as a PDF. - **Exclusive export.** Anyone can design with an unclaimed Mark for free, but once it is claimed, only the owner can export with it. - **The right to pass it on**, by giving it away or listing it on the Market. - **The first year of keeping included.** After that, keeping is free with Pro, or a yearly fee per Mark without it. Minimal portrait design showing a Mark code and certificate number on a living gradient background A design wearing a claimed Mark. The code names the look; the certificate names who holds it. ## The life of a Mark: claim, keep, give, list 1. **Claim** Find a Mark nobody holds in the [Market](/market) and claim it. Claiming is a one-time payment, and the certificate is issued in your name. 2. **Keep** The first year is included. Then keep it free with Pro, or pay a yearly fee per Mark. If a year goes unpaid there is a grace period, then the Mark returns to the Market. Designs you exported stay yours. 3. **Give** Give a Mark to anyone on Gradiently for free. We email a code to confirm, they have a few days to accept, and the certificate moves into their name. 4. **List** Or list it on the Market at a price you set. When a brand claims it, Stripe pays you and Gradiently keeps a fee. Payouts work in the EEA, UK, Switzerland, US and Canada. There are no auctions yet. Each change of owner issues a new certificate in the new owner's name; the old one stays in the history but no longer shows who holds the Mark today. A Mark's **creator** never changes; its **owner** can. The details of each step are in [how to claim a Mark](https://gradiently.design/guide/how-to-claim-a-mark), [transferring a Mark](https://gradiently.design/guide/transfer-a-mark) and [listing a Mark on the Market](https://gradiently.design/guide/list-a-mark-on-the-market). ## How to check who owns a Mark The registry is public in the way that matters: anyone can look a Mark up, with no account and no sign in. Go to `gradiently.design/verify` and enter a certificate number or a Mark's code. It tells you whether the certificate is genuine and current, who holds the Mark and since when, then its full history. ```text GR·K7Q2·MX Mark code, as printed grk7q2mx same Mark: no dots, any case GRC-7K2M-9QXA-4TPW certificate number ``` Codes work without the dots and in any case, so they are easy to type from a brief or a message. That is the practical answer to what a blockchain promises: a record of who holds what, which a third party can confirm. Here it comes from one registry that issues every certificate, explained field by field in [Mark codes and certificates](https://gradiently.design/guide/mark-codes-and-certificates). ## What a Mark is not ### A Mark is not - An NFT or any kind of token - Stored on a blockchain - Bought or sold with cryptocurrency - A registered trademark - A licence shared with many others ### A Mark is - A living background you design with - Recorded in the Gradiently registry - Claimed through an ordinary account - Held by exactly one owner at a time - Checkable by anyone, with its full history Because a certificate is not a trademark, it does not give legal protection outside Gradiently. If you want that for your brand's look, speak to a trademark professional in your country. For the wider question of what owning any digital asset means, read [digital ownership](https://gradiently.design/guide/brand-ownership-certificate), and for why an exclusive look matters to a brand, [own your look](https://gradiently.design/guide/own-your-look). ## FAQ ### Is a Gradiently Mark an NFT? No. A Mark involves no blockchain, token, wallet or cryptocurrency. Ownership is a record in the Gradiently registry with a numbered certificate. ### Do I need a crypto wallet to claim a Mark? No. You claim a Mark with an ordinary Gradiently account, and nothing is recorded on a blockchain. ### Can I sell a Mark I own? Yes. List it on the Market at a price you set; when a brand claims it, Stripe pays you and Gradiently keeps a fee. You can also give a Mark to anyone on Gradiently for free. ### What happens to my designs if I stop keeping a Mark? After a grace period the Mark returns to the Market, but designs you already exported stay yours. ### Is a Mark certificate a trademark? No. It proves a Mark is an original Gradiently Mark and who holds it on Gradiently. For legal protection, speak to a trademark professional.