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ADR 43: NFT Module

Changelog

05.05.2021: Initial Draft

Status

DRAFT

Abstract

This ADR defines a generic NFT module of x/nft which supports NFTs as a proto.Any and contains NFT as the default implementation.

Context

`` NFTs are more digital assets than only crypto arts, which is very helpful for accruing value to ATOM. As a result, Cosmos Hub should implement NFT functions and enable a unified mechanism for storing and sending the ownership representative of NFTs as discussed in https://github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/discussions/9065.

As was discussed in #9065, several potential solutions can be considered:

irismod/nft and modules/incubator/nft
CW721
DID NFTs
interNFT

Since NFTs functions/use cases are tightly connected with their logic, it is almost impossible to support all the NFTs' use cases in one Cosmos SDK module by defining and implementing different transaction types.

Considering generic usage and compatibility of interchain protocols including IBC and Gravity Bridge, it is preferred to have a very simple NFT module design which only stores NFTs by id and owner.

This design idea can enable composability that application-specific functions should be managed by other modules on Cosmos Hub or on other Zones by importing the NFT module.

For example, NFTs can be grouped into collections in a collectibles module to define the behaviors such as minting, burning, transferring, etc.

The current design is based on the work done by IRISnet team and an older implementation in the Cosmos repository.

Decision

We will create a module x/nft which only stores NFTs by id and owner.

The interface for the x/nft module:

// NFT is an interface used to store NFTs at a given id.
type NFT interface {
    GetId() string // define a simple identifier for the NFT 
    GetOwner() sdk.AccAddress // the current owner's address
    GetData() string // specialized metadata to accompany the nft
    Validate() error 
}

The NFT conforms to the following specifications:

The Id is an immutable field used as a unique identifier. NFT identifiers don't currently have a naming convention but can be used in association with existing Hub attributes, e.g., defining an NFT's identifier as an immutable Hub address allows its integration into existing Hub account management modules. We envision that identifiers can accommodate mint and transfer actions.
Owner: This mutable field represents the current account owner (on the Hub) of the NFT, i.e., the account that will have authorization to perform various activities in the future. This can be a user, a module account, or potentially a future NFT module that adds capabilities.
Data: This mutable field allows for attaching pertinent metadata to the NFT, e.g., to record special parameter change upon transferring or criteria being met. The data field is used to maintain special information, such as name and URI. Currently, there is no convention for the data placed into this field, however, best practices recommend defining clear specifications that apply to each specific NFT type.

We will also create NFT as the default implementation of the NFT interface:

message BaseNFT {
  option (gogoproto.equal) = true;

  string id    = 1;
  string owner = 2;
  string data  = 3;
}

The query service methods for the x/nft module are:

service Query {

  // NFT queries NFT details based on id.
  rpc NFT(QueryNFTRequest) returns (QueryNFTResponse) {
    option (google.api.http).get = "/cosmos/nft/v1beta1/nfts/{id}";
  }

  // NFTs queries all proposals based on the optional onwer.
  rpc NFTs(QueryNFTsRequest) returns (QueryNFTsResponse) {
    option (google.api.http).get = "/cosmos/nft/v1beta1/nfts";
  }
}

// QueryNFTRequest is the request type for the Query/NFT RPC method
message QueryNFTRequest {
  string id = 1;
}

// QueryNFTResponse is the response type for the Query/NFT RPC method
message QueryNFTResponse {
  google.protobuf.Any nft = 1 [(cosmos_proto.accepts_interface) = "NFT", (gogoproto.customname) = "NFT"];
}

// QueryNFTsRequest is the request type for the Query/NFTs RPC method
message QueryNFTsRequest {
  string                                 owner      = 1;
  cosmos.base.query.v1beta1.PageResponse pagination = 2;
}

// QueryNFTsResponse is the response type for the Query/NFTs RPC method
message QueryNFTsResponse {
  repeated google.protobuf.Any nfts = 1 [(cosmos_proto.accepts_interface) = "NFT", (gogoproto.customname) = "NFTs"];
  cosmos.base.query.v1beta1.PageResponse pagination = 2;
}

Consequences

Backward Compatibility

No backward incompatibilities.

Forward Compatibility

This specification conforms to the ERC-721 smart contract specification for NFT identifiers. Note that ERC-721 defines uniqueness based on (contract address, uint256 tokenId), and we conform to this implicitly because a single module is currently aimed to track NFT identifiers. Note: use of the (mutable) data field to determine uniqueness is not safe.

Positive

NFT identifiers available on Cosmos Hub
Ability to build different NFT modules for the Cosmos Hub, e.g., ERC-721.
NFT module which supports interoperability with IBC and other cross-chain infrastructures like Gravity Bridge

Negative

Currently, no methods are defined for this module except to store and retrieve data.

Neutral

Other functions need more modules. For example, a custody module is needed for NFT trading function, a collectible module is needed for defining NFT properties

Further Discussions

For other kinds of applications on the Hub, more app-specific modules can be developed in the future:

x/nft/collectibles: grouping NFTs into collections and defining properties of NFTs such as minting, burning and transferring, etc.
x/nft/custody: custody of NFTs to support trading functionality
x/nft/marketplace: selling and buying NFTs using sdk.Coins

Other networks in the Cosmos ecosystem could design and implement their own NFT modules for specific NFT applications and use cases.

References

Initial discussion: https://github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/discussions/9065
x/nft: initialize module: https://github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/pull/9174

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