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- Phygitals
Asset type
Own the piece, or part of it
A phygital pairs a physical piece with a digital asset that records who owns it. Own a whole piece and have it shipped when you want, or own units of one piece or of a collection. The piece stays with its custodian while the digital asset changes hands.
Planned design, shown with demo figures. No asset has been issued yet; issuance awaits regulatory approval. Terms
A fictional bronze sculpture
- Type
- Whole, 1 of 1
- Custodian
- A gallery, named by the issuer
- ARK Shard
- Paired with the piece
- Ship it home
- Any time
- Collateral
- Designed to be usable
A fictional collection of 10 works
- Type
- Collection of 10 works
- Units
- 1,000
- Each unit
- 0.1% of every work
- In this wallet
- 10 units, 1% of each
- Ship it home
- Only with the entire set
Demo record for fictional pieces. Not a real asset or an offer.
Three ways to own
A whole piece, or units of one
Every phygital starts the same way: a physical piece, the custodian who holds it and a digital asset that records who owns it. What changes is how much of it you hold.
Whole
One digital asset for one physical piece, and a claim on that piece. Leave the piece with its custodian and sell the digital asset without moving it, or redeem it and have the piece shipped to you. A whole piece is designed to be usable as collateral.
Collections Coming soon
A set of pieces held and managed together, for example ten works, which can include upcoming pieces. Each unit is a share of every piece in the set, so no piece ships on its own, unless one holder owns the entire collection.
| At a glance | Whole | Shares | Collections |
|---|---|---|---|
| You own | The entire piece | Units of one piece, 0.1% each | Units of a set, a share of every piece |
| Units | 1 | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| Ship it home | Any time | With all 1,000 units | With the entire collection |
| Sell it | On the marketplace, without moving the piece | On the marketplace | On the marketplace |
| Sale of the whole | Your decision | A 60% holder vote | Set in the collection’s terms |
| Physical side | The piece and its ARK Shard | An ARK Shard plaque can represent your units | The pieces stay with their custodian |
| On ARKHIVE | Planned | Coming soon | Coming soon |
Moving between types
Split, recombine, redeem
As designed, a piece can change form without leaving its custodian, and every move is recorded with its history.
- Win
- A raffle for a piece gives the winner the whole piece. See Raffles.
- Split
- The holder of a whole piece can split it into 1,000 units and offer them on the marketplace.
- Recombine
- Whoever gathers all 1,000 units holds the whole piece again, and can redeem it.
- Redeem
- The holder of a whole piece, or of an entire collection, has it shipped. The digital asset is retired, and the piece keeps its history and its ARK Shard.
- Re-vault
- A shipped piece can come back. It is checked again and keeps its history.
Before you buy
What stands behind a phygital
Every phygital is designed to show who holds the piece, how it is kept and how it was appraised, before you buy.
- Custodian
- Named by the issuer for every piece: a gallery, a vault or the owner keeping it personally. Each listing says who holds the piece and how it is kept.
- Record
- Each piece is designed to carry a public record: appraisal, condition reports, photos and custody history.
- ARK Shard
- An engraved NFC plaque paired with the piece, or with units of it. Tap it with a phone to see the piece, its digital asset and who holds it.
- Deal Room
- The piece’s terms and documents, for buyers to read before they buy.
- ARK Score
- Designed to take custody into account, so how a piece is kept shows in its rating.
- Fees
- Fees apply. They are set for each issuance.
Examples
Three pieces, three ways
A collector buys a signed print held by a gallery.
Demo figures for explanation only. They describe no real asset, offer or result, and no payout is promised. Fees apply and are set for each issuance.
A collection of 10 works, appraised at $1,000,000 in total, is split into 1,000 units.
Demo figures for explanation only. They describe no real asset, offer or result, and no payout is promised.
For artists, galleries and collectors
Bring a piece to ARKHIVE
Apply
Tell us about the piece, its value and who holds it, through the Launchpad.
Choose the type
Whole, Shares or a Collection, and the custodian that keeps the piece.
Check and record
The piece is appraised and documented, and an ARK Shard is paired with it.
Issue
Once issuance is approved, the digital assets go on sale on the marketplace.
Questions
About Phygitals
Can I ship one unit home?
No. A unit is 0.1% of a piece. A piece ships only to someone who holds all of it: the whole piece, all 1,000 units, or an entire collection.
Who holds the piece?
The custodian the issuer names: a gallery, a vault or the owner keeping it personally. Each listing says who it is and how the piece is kept.
What happens to the digital asset when a piece ships?
It is retired and stops trading. The piece’s history stays on record, and its ARK Shard stays with it.
Can a shipped piece come back?
As designed, yes. It is checked again, and its history continues.
What does the ARK Shard do?
It is an engraved NFC plaque. Tap it with a phone to check the piece and who holds it. For Shares, a plaque can represent your units.
Can I borrow against a phygital?
A whole piece is designed to be usable as collateral with lending partners. None is named yet.
What fees apply?
Fees apply, and they are set for each issuance.
What happened to Art Shares?
Art Shares are now the Shares type of Phygitals: one piece, 1,000 units, and a 60% holder vote on an offer for the whole piece.
Launch list
Hear when Phygitals open
We email you when the first phygitals are available on ARKHIVE.
Bring a piece to ARKHIVE
Artists, galleries and collectors will issue phygitals through the Launchpad once issuance is approved.