A Follow NFT is a non-fungible token (NFT) minted on a blockchain, such as Ethereum, that serves as a verifiable, on-chain record of a social follow or subscription. Unlike a simple database entry on a centralized platform, this token is a unique, ownable digital asset. It was pioneered by protocols like Lens Protocol to decentralize social graph data, allowing users to own and potentially monetize their social relationships. Each time a user follows a profile on such a platform, a distinct Follow NFT is generated and transferred to the follower's wallet, creating a portable social identity.
LABS
Glossary
Follow NFT
A Follow NFT is a non-fungible token minted when a user follows a profile on a protocol like Lens, representing a verifiable social connection.
Chainscore © 2026
definition
SOCIAL FINANCE
What is a Follow NFT?
A Follow NFT is a non-fungible token (NFT) that represents a user's social connection or subscription within a decentralized social media protocol.
The core innovation of a Follow NFT lies in its programmability and utility within a Web3 ecosystem. These tokens can encode specific attributes, such as the follow's chronological number (e.g., "Follower #42"), granting early followers a provable status. This structure enables novel social mechanics: creators can gate access to exclusive content, communities, or token-gated chats based on holding a specific Follow NFT. Furthermore, because the social graph is user-owned, followers can potentially trade these tokens on secondary markets, introducing an economic layer to social capital that was previously locked within walled gardens.
From a technical perspective, a Follow NFT is typically implemented as an ERC-721 standard token with custom extensions. Its metadata often includes a reference to the profile being followed and a serial number. This design allows decentralized applications (dApps) built on the social protocol to permissionlessly read and interact with a user's social connections. For example, a curation dApp could algorithmically surface content based on the collective Follow NFTs held by a user, creating a personalized feed without relying on a central algorithm controlled by a corporate entity.
The economic and governance implications of Follow NFTs are significant. They can function as a proof-of-support mechanism, where holding a creator's Follow NFT might grant voting rights in a community DAO or a share of revenue from collective monetization pools. This model flips the traditional influencer-follower dynamic, aligning incentives by transforming passive followers into stakeholders with tangible assets. It also mitigates platform risk, as a user's social connections persist independently of any single front-end application or company's operational status.
While Follow NFTs are a foundational primitive for decentralized social networks (DeSo), they also present challenges. The potential for financialization could incentivize spam follows or sybil attacks, where users create fake accounts to farm tokens. Protocols counter this with mechanisms like profile minting fees or sybil resistance proofs. Additionally, the user experience of managing many small-value NFTs in a wallet remains a hurdle for mainstream adoption, necessitating improved abstraction layers and gas-efficient transaction bundling.
how-it-works
SOCIAL FINANCE MECHANICS
How Does a Follow NFT Work?
A Follow NFT is a non-fungible token (NFT) that represents a user's subscription or membership within a decentralized social graph, enabling new forms of creator monetization and community governance.
A Follow NFT is a unique, on-chain token minted when a user follows a profile on a protocol like Lens Protocol or Farcaster. Unlike a simple database entry, this token is a transferable digital asset owned by the follower, recorded on a blockchain. It functions as a verifiable, portable record of a social connection, moving the social graph from a platform-controlled silo to user-controlled infrastructure. This foundational shift enables features like provable reputation, secondary market trading of social capital, and programmable utility tied to the follow relationship.
The mechanics begin with a follow action. When initiated, the protocol's smart contract creates an NFT with metadata linking it to the specific follower and followee. This NFT is then transferred to the follower's crypto wallet. The token's metadata can encode details such as the timestamp of the follow, a sequential follow number (e.g., "Follower #342"), and other attributes. Because it resides in the user's wallet, the follower has complete custody and can transfer or sell this NFT on a marketplace, effectively allowing their "slot" in the creator's follower list to be bought and sold, creating a novel social capital market.
For creators and communities, Follow NFTs unlock powerful utilities. Creators can design token-gated experiences accessible only to holders of their Follow NFTs, such as exclusive content, chat groups, or airdrops. They can also implement governance models where voting power in a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) is weighted by Follow NFT ownership, giving earliest supporters more influence. This transforms a passive social graph into an active, programmable social layer where relationships have inherent, composable financial and governance properties that can integrate with the broader DeFi and NFT ecosystem.
key-features
SOCIAL PROTOCOL PRIMITIVES
Key Features of Follow NFTs
Follow NFTs are non-transferable, on-chain tokens that represent a user's subscription to a creator's content stream, enabling new models for reputation, governance, and monetization.
01
Non-Transferable Identity
Unlike standard NFTs, Follow NFTs are soulbound tokens (SBTs) that are permanently linked to the wallet that minted them. This creates a persistent, non-transferable record of a user's social graph and engagement history, forming the basis for on-chain reputation and preventing Sybil attacks.
02
Governance & Access Rights
Holders of a creator's Follow NFT can be granted exclusive permissions, such as:
- Voting on community proposals and content direction.
- Access to gated channels, content, or token-gated experiences.
- Eligibility for airdrops or other rewards based on loyalty. This transforms a follower list into a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO)-like structure.
03
Monetization & Value Capture
Follow NFTs enable direct creator-to-fan monetization models. Creators can set a mint fee for new followers or implement recurring subscription logic. The NFT itself can accrue value through fee sharing, where a percentage of a creator's revenue (e.g., from secondary sales of their work) is distributed to their earliest or most loyal followers.
04
Portable Reputation Graph
Because Follow NFTs exist on a public blockchain, the social connections they represent are composable and portable. Any new application can permissionlessly read a user's follow history to bootstrap trust, personalize feeds, or calculate social capital, reducing platform lock-in and enabling cross-protocol identity.
06
Technical Implementation
Typically implemented as ERC-721 or ERC-1155 tokens with a blockTransfer function or similar logic to enforce non-transferability. Key smart contract functions include:
follow(address profileId): Mints the NFT.getFollowersOf(address profileId): Queries the follower set.isFollowing(address follower, address profileId): Checks follow status.
ecosystem-usage
FOLLOW NFT
Protocols & Ecosystem Usage
A Follow NFT is a non-fungible token (NFT) minted on the Lens Protocol that represents a social connection between a profile and a follower, enabling decentralized social graphs and monetization.
01
Core Definition & Purpose
A Follow NFT is a unique, non-fungible token (NFT) automatically minted when a user follows a profile on the Lens Protocol. It serves as a verifiable, on-chain record of a social connection, moving the social graph from centralized databases to user-owned wallets. This tokenization enables composable social data, allowing other decentralized applications (dApps) to programmatically interact with and build upon these connections.
02
Technical Mechanism
The minting process is governed by a Follow Module attached to a Lens Profile. When a follow action is executed, the module's logic runs, and if conditions are met (e.g., no fee, a fee paid, or whitelist check), a new Follow NFT is minted to the follower's address. Key technical attributes include:
- Incremental Token ID: Each Follow NFT for a given profile has a unique, sequential ID.
- Governance Weight: The NFT can be used for weighted voting in profile or community governance, where early followers might have more influence.
- Transferability: By default, Follow NFTs are Soulbound (non-transferable), but the profile owner can configure the module to allow transfers.
03
Use Cases & Utility
Beyond recording a follow, these NFTs unlock several utilities in the web3 social ecosystem:
- Access Control: Acts as a membership pass for gated content, token-gated communities, or exclusive drops from the creator.
- Monetization: Creators can set a fee in the Follow Module, generating revenue directly from new followers.
- Social Provenance: The NFT provides a permanent, portable record of a user's social history and affiliations across dApps.
- Sybil Resistance: The cost or effort to acquire many Follow NFTs makes spam follows more expensive, protecting creator communities.
04
Monetization & Creator Economics
Follow NFTs are a primary tool for creator monetization on Lens. Profile owners can install a Fee Follow Module, which requires a payment (in a cryptocurrency like MATIC or WETH) to complete the follow action. This fee is sent directly to the profile owner's wallet. This model flips the traditional social media dynamic, allowing creators to capture value from their growing audience directly and immediately, without platform intermediaries taking a cut.
05
Governance & Curation
Follow NFTs can function as governance tokens for a creator's community or the protocol itself. For example:
- A creator could allow only their followers (NFT holders) to vote on the topic of their next content piece.
- The Lens Protocol might use a snapshot of Follow NFT holders to weight votes in protocol-wide decisions, giving more power to users with deeper social engagement.
- This transforms followers from a passive metric into an active, curatorial DAO with aligned incentives.
06
Related Concepts
Lens Profile: The foundational NFT that represents a user's identity on Lens; Follow NFTs are minted in relation to these profiles. Follow Module: The smart contract logic that defines the rules (fee, whitelist, etc.) for following a profile and minting the NFT. Social Graph: The network of connections between users; Follow NFTs are the atomic unit building this graph on-chain. Soulbound Token (SBT): A non-transferable NFT representing credentials or affiliations; most Follow NFTs function as SBTs. Collect NFT: Another Lens primitive, minted when someone collects (purchases) a publication, distinct from a Follow NFT.
ARCHITECTURAL COMPARISON
Follow NFT vs. Traditional Social Follow
A technical comparison of the underlying data models and capabilities of on-chain Follow NFTs versus conventional off-platform social follows.
| Feature / Metric | Follow NFT (e.g., Lens Protocol) | Traditional Social Follow (e.g., X/Twitter, Instagram) |
|---|---|---|
Data Ownership & Portability | ||
On-Chain Verifiability | ||
Native Monetization Layer | ||
Programmable Logic (Smart Contracts) | ||
Platform Lock-in Risk | ||
Gas Fee per Action | ~$0.10 - $2.00 | 0 |
Data Structure | Non-Fungible Token (ERC-721/ERC-1155) | Centralized Database Entry |
Interoperability with DeFi & DAOs |
use-cases
FOLLOW NFT
Primary Use Cases & Applications
A Follow NFT is a non-fungible token (NFT) minted on the Lens Protocol when a user follows a profile. It represents a verifiable, on-chain social connection with unique properties.
01
On-Chain Social Graph
Follow NFTs create a decentralized social graph where connections are recorded on-chain as verifiable assets. This enables:
- Portable relationships that users own and can take across applications.
- Composable data for developers to build upon, enabling features like trust scores or community discovery.
- Proof of association that is cryptographically secured and not controlled by a central platform.
02
Governance & Voting Power
Follow NFTs can function as governance tokens for decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) or creator communities. They enable:
- Weighted voting where early followers or highly engaged users (with specific NFT traits) may have more influence.
- Sybil resistance as each NFT is a unique, non-transferable (in many implementations) record of a real follow action.
- Proposal creation rights gated by NFT ownership, allowing followers to shape a community's direction.
03
Access Gating & Monetization
Creators and communities use Follow NFTs as access tokens to gate content, experiences, or groups. This facilitates:
- Exclusive content (articles, videos, chats) unlockable only by holders.
- Token-gated communities on platforms like Discord or Telegram.
- Direct monetization through collectible follows, where users pay to mint the Follow NFT, providing revenue to the profile owner.
04
Reputation & Credentialing
The properties of a Follow NFT—such as its mint number, age, and the follower's own social graph—act as on-chain reputation signals. Applications can leverage this for:
- Algorithmic curation, prioritizing content from accounts followed by reputable users.
- Airdrop eligibility, where early followers of a project may qualify for token distributions.
- Verifiable credentials, proving membership in a community or support for a creator over time.
05
Secondary Market Activity
While some Follow NFTs are soulbound (non-transferable), others are tradable, creating a social capital market. This enables:
- Speculation on influence, where users buy Follow NFTs from influential profiles.
- Monetization of early support, allowing early followers to sell their NFT if the profile gains prominence.
- Dynamic value attribution based on the perceived future value of the social connection.
06
Composability & Programmability
As standard ERC-721 tokens, Follow NFTs are composable building blocks within the broader Web3 ecosystem. Developers can integrate them into:
- DeFi protocols for NFT collateralization or lending.
- Cross-protocol applications that read the social graph for personalized experiences.
- Automated systems that trigger actions (e.g., rewards) based on follow duration or rarity traits encoded in the NFT's metadata.
FOLLOW NFT
Technical Details & Standards
Follow NFTs are a core technical primitive for decentralized social graphs, enabling users to own and control their social connections on-chain. This section details their implementation, standards, and key technical considerations.
A Follow NFT is a non-fungible token (NFT) minted to represent a follower relationship within a decentralized social protocol. When a user follows a profile on a platform like Lens Protocol, the protocol's smart contract mints a unique Follow NFT and transfers it to the follower's wallet. This NFT acts as a verifiable, on-chain record of the connection. The token is typically soulbound, meaning it is non-transferable, to prevent the sale of social influence. Its metadata can store attributes like the follow date, and it often serves as a gateway token, granting the holder access to exclusive content or governance rights within the followed profile's community.
FOLLOW NFT
Common Misconceptions
Clarifying widespread misunderstandings about Follow NFTs, their functionality, and their role within the Lens Protocol ecosystem.
No, a Follow NFT is a specialized, non-transferable Soulbound Token (SBT) that represents a social connection, unlike a standard, tradeable NFT. While it uses the ERC-721 standard, its core function is to create a verifiable, on-chain record of a user following a profile on a protocol like Lens. Its non-transferability is a key differentiator, designed to prevent Sybil attacks and ensure the authenticity of a social graph. This makes it a credential of engagement rather than a financial asset.
FOLLOW NFT
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
A Follow NFT is a non-fungible token (NFT) that represents a subscription to a creator's content on the Lens Protocol. This section answers the most common questions about its function, utility, and mechanics.
A Follow NFT is a unique, non-fungible token minted on the Lens Protocol whenever a user follows a profile. It functions as a verifiable, on-chain record of the social connection. The process works as follows: when you follow a creator, the protocol's smart contract mints a new NFT and transfers it to your wallet. This token is stored on the Polygon blockchain, making the follow relationship permanent, portable, and composable. Unlike a simple database entry, the Follow NFT is an asset you own, which can be used to prove your history as an early supporter, participate in token-gated communities, or even be traded, though its primary utility is often tied to the original profile.
ENQUIRY
Get In Touch
today.
Our experts will offer a free quote and a 30min call to discuss your project.
NDA Protected
Confidentiality24h Response
Time to ValueDirectly to Engineering Team
No Sales Fluff10+
Protocols Shipped
$20M+
TVL Overall