- Highlight, backed by Haun Ventures, has launched the first-ever “open access” generative art NFT platform on the Ethereum blockchain, aiming to remove barriers to entry in the generative art ecosystem.
- Unlike its competitors, Highlight will not charge artists a creator fee. Revenue will instead come from a minor fee charged to buyers.
As a blockchain connoisseur, I can confidently present to you the debut of a new platform that is set to transform the landscape of the digital art world: Highlight. Supported by Haun Ventures, this digital art marketplace and artist tool suite is launching as the first-ever “open access” generative art platform on Ethereum.
Generative art, or digital works that emerge from computer code and find their final form through randomized generation at the point of minting, has seen a resurgence in the last year. Until now, the market has largely been driven by boutique, curatorial collectives such as Art Blocks and global experiential collections like Bright Moments. These platforms have leveraged their curatorial authority and exclusivity to draw attention and generate success. However, Highlight is ready to disrupt this trend.
Generative Art Goes Democratized
Highlight aims to democratize the generative art ecosystem by removing the barriers to entry. As Highlight’s co-founder and CEO, Nathaniel Emodi, explains, other platforms have varying levels of curation or gatekeeping that limit access. Highlight presents a new opportunity by offering an entirely free-to-use platform open to the public.
This approach contrasts with Art Blocks, which carefully curates its artists and collections. Simon De Mai, an artist who has worked on both platforms, commends Highlight for its open-access model that provides artists with a more autonomous and less financially risky approach.
Another unique proposition from Highlight is its decision not to charge artists a creator fee, a common practice among leading generative art platforms. This policy allows artists to keep 100% of their primary NFT sales, with the platform generating revenue from a small fee charged to buyers.
Highlight goes a step further by offering users a suite of tools designed to streamline the creation of generative artworks. These tools simplify a technical and time-consuming process, reducing the time needed to create a piece from weeks or months to mere minutes.
Along with the Ethereum mainnet, Highlight also supports scaling networks that generally enable cheaper transactions—such as Polygon, Arbitrum, OP Mainnet (or Optimism), Zora Network, and Coinbase’s upcoming Base.
Highlight’s first project is “Sum” by artist Duane King, also the startup’s creative director. The generated works draw their colors and characteristics from the minter’s Ethereum wallet address string and other on-chain details, making each piece truly unique.
Despite its populistic ethos, Highlight isn’t turning away established generative artists. It is partnering with numerous renowned artists who will debut their new collections on the site over the summer. Their input was sought during the platform’s construction, ensuring that Highlight is truly tailored to the needs of the generative art community.
In a promising step for the advancement of the genre, artists on the Highlight platform will be able to experiment with different media forms not yet mainstream in generative art. This freedom will propel the definition of generative art forward, marking a healthy evolution for the industry.
