Horizon Protocol is a brand new DeFi platform that provides on-chain exchange of synthetic assets that mimic traditional assets. HZN is the utility token that fuels the Horizon protocol structure. It functions as collateral for on-chain derivatives and synthetic assets. In addition to that, HZN enables investors to fractionalize NFTs (non-fungible tokens). Let’s first understand the origins and concept of fractional NFTs.
Fractional Non-Fungible Tokens: The Latest Buzzword
The concept of fractional ownership is not really new. It was associated with private jets and real estate earlier since they are possessions that are expensive to purchase. With the emergence of NFTs, a new category of fractional ownership is rising and it’s opening new doors to cryptocurrency investors.
NFTs are known for tokenizing virtual assets like digital artwork, collectibles, music and video content. The next quantum leap of NFTs enables investors to tokenize real world assets. Paintings, real estate, vintage vehicles, gold and silver are next in line to join the blockchain.
As a new investment approach, fractionalized NFTs lower acquisition cost and provide a liquid and balanced NFT market. Retail investors get exposure to a new class of cryptocurrency investment. DeFi will go parabolic with every tokenization of physical assets. The average price of NFTs will explode.
Fractionalized NFTs enable decentralized ownership. Each co-owner receives revenue and benefits of the asset in an equal and distributed manner. The use case of the fractionalized token is equally available for all co-owner.
The Process of Fractionalizing NFTs
To fractionalize non-fungible tokens, Horizon Protocol provides two methods: a process for the original owner that locks the asset/s and divides them into equal parts, or by creating a synthetic version of the asset/NFT and fractionalizing it.
For example, an owner of a Cryptokittie may lock the NFT into a Horizon Protocol smart contract and produce fungible tokens that represent parts of the original asset. The owner utilizes the smart contract to determine the maximum supply of the newly minted tokens.
In the case of physical assets, the smart contract converts the asset into a synthetic version (zAsset). After that, zAsset is divided into fungible tokens. For example, an owner of a house provides a HZN collateral equal to the house value. The collateral is then locked into the smart contract and fungible tokens are produced.
The fractionalized asset is backed by a debt pool. Oracles provide a real time price feed of each and every fractional NFT. This gives NFTs and real world assets liquidity and a more active price gauge of its value instead of sporadic buy/sell prices that have long gaps between them. Horizon Protocol is investigating a new DeFi layer that enables staking, borrowing and lending of fractionalized NFTs.
Instead of rarely buying and selling NFTs as a whole, Horizon Protocol provides NFT owners the ability to fractionalize NFTs to provide liquidity and better price gauges the asset.
Conclusion
Fractionalized NFTs still have a long journey ahead of them before they can fully become the future of fractional ownership. HZN could become the token that can provide a highly useful solution to the world of fractional ownership.
