Non-Fungible Tokens Based on Immutability, Extended Metadata Structures and Cryptographic Signatures for Decentralized Authentication and Distribution of Art

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are widely used to distribute and authenticate digital artworks, yet minting practices across Ethereum, Solana, and Tezos sometimes diverge from core blockchain objectives, decentralization, immutability, and verifiable on-chain identity, thereby limiting their suitability as long-term certificates of authenticity. This study analyzes the technical, structural, and archival sources of these limitations and introduces a metadata-centric framework in which the metadata file functions as the primary authenticity artifact: it embeds artist identity signals, artwork identification, edition and token-ID semantics, and preservation guidance in a self-sufficient form. The paper further evaluates decentralized storage models relevant to certification-grade use cases, comparing private servers, fully on-chain metadata, Arweave, and IPFS in terms of verifiability, sustainability, and long-horizon stewardship burden. Although Ethereum’s ERC-721 serves as the reference implementation to anchor terminology and verification procedures, the proposed requirements are ecosystem-agnostic in principle. By aligning NFT issuance with established digital-preservation frameworks (OAIS, LOCKSS, InterPARES), this work offers a concrete foundation for future ERC/EIP proposals, preservation policy, and interdisciplinary research on durable, independently verifiable digital-art authenticity.