Welcome to the Art Angle, a podcast from Artnet News that delves into the places where the art world meets the real world, bringing each week’s biggest story down to earth. Join us every week for an in-depth look at what matters most in museums, the art market, and much more with input from our own writers and editors as well as artists, curators, and other top experts in the field.

Okay, we did it. 2021 is in the can. We are about to finally make the transition into what is hopefully going to be a great, exciting, and healthy 2022. Here at the Art Angle, we also want to give everybody a bit of a year-end bonus. That’s why we’re throwing it back to an episode that has only become more relevant since its original airing. Enjoy this NFT explainer and use it in awkward cocktail conversation today and beyond. Happy New Year!

As we all now know, NFTs are the talk of the art world these days—they’re everywhere. It’s gotten to the point where you can’t have a simple conversation with someone without them bringing up NFTs, or trying to turn the conversation in that direction.

Due to an unusually hectic few weeks on the work and home fronts, our illustrious host, Andrew Goldstein, has been hunkered down at home with his wife as they prepare to welcome their first baby to the world, and has managed to drown out the oceanic wave of NFT news, and came into this week’s episode cold.

Fortunately, here at Artnet News, we are blessed with an able Virgil to guide our dimwitted Dante through the purgatory of NFTs in the form of art business editor Tim Schneider, who has become something of an expert on the subject. Tim will help break down what exactly an NFT is, why we should care, and what it could mean for the future of the art market.

Listen below and subscribe to the Art Angle on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, or wherever you get your podcasts. (Or catch up on past episodes here on Artnet News.)

Listen to Other Episodes:

The Art Angle Podcast: Our Favorite Episodes of 2021

The Art Angle Podcast: From Handbags to Hard Cash, How Dealers Woo the Artists They Want to Rep

The Art Angle Podcast: A Gossip Columnist Walks Into a Bar at Art Basel Miami Beach

The Art Angle Podcast: Where Do NFTs Go From Here? An Interview With Christie’s Noah Davis

The Art Angle Podcast Re-Air: How High-Tech Van Gogh Became the Biggest Art Phenomenon Ever

The Art Angle Podcast: How an Art Collective Brings Artworks From the Past Back to Life

The Art Angle Podcast: How the CryptoPunk OGs Lit the Fuse for the NFT Boom

The Art Angle Podcast: How a Fiery Breakup Sparked the Biggest Art Auction in Decades