ERC721 vs. ERC721A

Maciej Zieliński

29 Mar 2022
ERC721 vs. ERC721A

Technology can be a great solution for many businesses and companies. Unfortunately, one of the unfortunate side effects is the amount of various technical jargon, which may be unintelligible to the average person. For the end-user, NFT often means little more than a decentralized collectors' item or a work of digital art. You can enjoy this industry without understanding how it works. But the trends in blockchain technology can be fascinating even for those who are not involved with creating it. Why are ERC721 and ERC721A so important in NFT? What makes it special and why should we learn about this technology? We're writing about this below!

What is ERC721?

Although blockchain technology is decentralized, we need a common language which will allow us to understand the data contained within it. As such, token standards like ERC721 become essential. It is a standard which works in a similar way to how all ports or plugs on various devices work. It is worth noting, for example, that formats such as PNG i JPEG, which are commonly associated with NFT, are by themselves image standards.
ERC721 is an extremely popular token standard for creating non-fungible tokens – NFT – on blockchains, such as Ethereum and Polygon. The letter ‘E’ in ‘ERC721’ stands for ‘Ethereum’ and is not the NFT standard that runs on blockchains that are incompatible with Ethereum portfolios such as Solana and Tezos.

​What makes ERC721 compliant tokens useful?

Below we outline some of the advantages of this solution:

  • Each token is unique (previously mentioned non-fungibility)
  • Each token can be transferred or sold
  • Owners can authorize other smart contracts to manage tokens

In addition, each of them is crucial to ensuring that NFT markets, such as OpenSea and LooksRare, can operate as intended. It should be pointed out that smart contracts are simply applications that live within blockchain technology. Seems complicated? It can be described in an even simpler way: ERC721 is a standardized way of creating unique blockchain tokens, which can be traded at markets.

​What is ERC721A?

Software developers in crypto typically use existing code libraries to simplify the development process of a project. When you write a code that's in the blockchain, there's even more pressure to use a battle-proven, existing code wherever possible, because blockchain technology prevents any code editing! In the NFT sector, a single open source code was widely accepted in order to enable the use of ERC721. Then there was the “Azuki” project, which quickly gained recognition in the NFT sector. In addition to the NFT issue itself, the project has created a new implementation of ERC721A.
The implementation of ERC721A is not meant to change the token standard. Its main purpose is to fit the token perfectly, but this task requires a number of other standards to be met, as opposed to ERC721 which has been used to date.
This has led to the reduction of the amount of gas needed to mint new NFT (especially those that are minted in batches).
The gas costs incurred in transferring NFT based on ERC721A to other persons at the original owner's prices are slightly higher. Overall, the gas savings that ERC721A can provide compared to ERC721 are excellent, but this solution cannot be implemented everywhere. For example, entities that do not mint NFT in bulk will still spend a significant amount of gas if we consider the transfer costs.

Let us remember that NFT provides many limitless possibilities not only for art, music, or sports. It is important to know and understand ERC721 and ERC721A, as this allows us to understand what NFT really is from its very basics. This makes us more aware of the direction in which this sector is developing. It is worth noting that while both implementations are important, they are neither the first nor last elements of NFT. They are the benchmark to follow.

How does ERC721A work?

ERC721A adopts specific conditions which then affect the smart contract project. This impact makes the following things happen:

  • Token IDs should always grow steadily – starting from zero. Currently, many NFT projects fulfill this condition.
  • The reduction of the gas costs related to minting NFT is the most important part of NFT production.

With these assumptions, ERC721A makes the following optimization of contracts:

  • Reduces the unused space, which is used to store metadata from tokens.
  • Limits ownership to one coin from the entire NFT batch.

Why is ERC721A so important?

Because it allows us to understand how high the gas charges really are, and what they result from! Reducing your work to sending transactions saves energy. At this point, we should emphasize that blockchain generates 2 types of transactions – reads and writes.

  • Write – occurs when we are doing something in a blockchain and its condition changes (for example, we sell NFT).
  • Read – it can be said that this is a review of the transaction file.

Users who use blockchain technology incur higher write costs than read costs. Therefore, if we reduce the pool of write information or transaction transfer requirements, we will reduce the cost of minting NFT.

What risks are involved with using ERC721A contracts for generating multiple NFT transactions?

TransferFrom and safeTransferFrom transactions cost more gas, which means that NFT can cost more from the moment of its minting. We should emphasize that using ERC721A leads to an increase in performance without the need to set owners of particular token ID.

For example, in the picture below there are two calls to mint a batch, one by Marcus to mint chips #100, #101, and #102 in one call, and the other by Brutus to mint chips #103 and #104

The above diagram shows that ERC721A must set up the property metadata twice, instead of 5 times – once for the Marcus package and once for the Brutus package. This is not so easy because by transferring a tokenID that does not have an owner address, the contract must create actions that include all tokenID’s in order to verify the original NFT owner. This is because the original owner has the right to move the token and set it to a new entity. Below we present a graph associated with this:

ERC721

The method of reading this chart is as follows: first move to the x-axis and then to the y-axis, for example:

  • „Mint a batch of 1 NFT, and then transfer tokenID 0”,
  • „Mint a batch 3 of NFT, and then transfer tokenID 1”
  • „Mint a batch 5 of NFT, and then transfer tokenID 4”

The above results indicate that moving token IDs in the middle of a larger mint batch (i.e. t1, t2) costs more than moving token IDs at the end of the batch (i.e. t0, t4).

How to minimize the cost of transferring an entire batch of NFT?

You can minimize costs if you are always minting the maximum allowed number of NFT when releasing an entire batch. In addition – when moving a batch, it is important to start a cycle with tokens of an ODD number in an ascending manner.
Examples of NFT projects using the ERC721A contract
Here is a list of projects, which are currently using the ERC721A contract:

  • @AzukiZen
  • @cerealclubnft
  • @TheLostGlitches
  • @standardweb3
  • @KittyCryptoGang
  • @XRabbitsClub
  • @WhaleTogether
  • @pixelpiracynft
  • @dastardlyducks
  • @MissMetaNFT
  • @StarcatchersNFT
  • @LivesOfAsuna
  • @richsadcatnft
  • @themonkeypoly
  • @womenofcrypto_
  • @TravelToucans
  • @HuhuNFT

Are ERC721A contracts still considered to be NFT transactions?

Of course. ERC721A contracts are NFT. Any contract that implements the ERC721 token standard, or the ERC1155 interfaces is seen as non-fungible or semi-fungible tokens. To put it simply, ERC721A is an extension and optimization of the previous version, the ERC721. The ERC721A contract is a very good idea which allows for saving money on gas in a given community, while at the same time protecting the Ethereum network from unnecessary workload.

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Master UI Component Creation with AI: The Ultimate Guide for Developers

Gracjan Prusik

24 Mar 2025
Master UI Component Creation with AI: The Ultimate Guide for Developers

Introduction

Modern frontend development is evolving rapidly, and creating UI components with AI tools is helping developers save time while enhancing interface quality. With AI, we can not only speed up the creation of UI components but also improve their quality, optimize styles, and ensure better accessibility.

This article explores how creating UI components with AI is transforming frontend development by saving time and improving workflows. Specifically, we will discuss:

  • Generating components from images,
  • AI for style analysis and optimization,
  • Automatic style conversion and code migration,
  • AI in generating UI animations.

Creating UI Components with AI from Images

One of the interesting applications of AI in frontend development is the ability to generate components from an image. AI can recognize the structure of the interface and generate HTML/CSS or JSX code that matches the provided image. One of the most popular tools for UI creation is Lovable.

For testing, let's see how the tool performs in creating a simple contact form from the page you are currently on, which is Nextrope.

Query:

"Recreate the image I've sent you in Next.js using CSS."

Sample image used in the query:

The result received:

Tworzenie komponentów UI - Wygenerowany widok

Lovable did an excellent job transforming the image into code. The view is fully responsive. It’s important to remember that the more precise the request, the better the AI will replicate the expected view. However, even with a simple command, the tool performed surprisingly well.

Of course, AI has its limitations. It still makes quite a few mistakes. The generated code still requires review and fixes from the developer, but in some cases, the entire process is significantly sped up—correcting the code often takes less time than creating the component from scratch.

Optimizing UI Components with AI Tools for Style Improvements

This problem of inaccurate code reproduction by AI can be partially addressed by using it to analyze and improve styles. Tools like ChatGPT, DeepSeek and Claude are capable of not only generating code but also diagnosing CSS errors and suggesting why a particular style might not be working as expected.

Simple example: Why is the div not centered?

Query: "Why is this div not centered?"

AI analyzes the code and provides the following response:

Problem: The parent container does not have a defined width or display: flex.
Solution: Add the appropriate styles to the parent container.

.parent {
  display: flex;
  justify-content: center;
  align-items: center;
  width: 100vw;
  height: 100vh;
}

AI for Automatic Style Conversion and Code Migration in UI Components

AI can assist with style conversion between different technologies, such as transferring code from traditional CSS to Styled Components or Tailwind CSS.

Let's assume we have a style written in traditional CSS:

.button {
  background-color: blue;
  color: white;
  padding: 10px 20px;
  border-radius: 5px;
  transition: background-color 0.3s ease;
}

.button:hover {
  background-color: darkblue;
}

We can use AI for automatic conversion to Styled Components:

import styled from "styled-components";

const Button = styled.button`
  background-color: blue;
  color: white;
  padding: 10px 20px;
  border-radius: 5px;
  transition: background-color 0.3s ease;

  &:hover {
    background-color: darkblue;
  }
`;

export default Button;

AI can also assist in migrating code between frameworks, such as from React to Vue or from CSS to Tailwind.

This makes style migration easier and faster.

How AI Enhances UI Animation Creation

Animations are crucial for enhancing user experience in interfaces, but they are not always provided in the project specification. In such cases, developers have to come up with how the animations should look, which can be time-consuming and require significant creativity. AI, in this context, becomes helpful because it can automatically generate CSS animations or animations using libraries like Framer Motion, saving both time and effort.

Example: Automatically Generated Button Animation

Suppose we need to add a subtle scaling animation to a button but don't have a ready-made animation design. Instead of creating it from scratch, AI can generate the code that meets our needs.

Code generated by AI:

import { motion } from "framer-motion";

const AnimatedButton = () => (
  <motion.button
    whileHover={{ scale: 1.1 }}
    whileTap={{ scale: 0.9 }}
    className="bg-blue-500 text-white px-4 py-2 rounded-lg"
  >
    Press me
  </motion.button>
);

In this way, AI accelerates the animation creation process, providing developers with a simple and quick option to achieve the desired effect without the need to manually design animations from scratch.

Summary

AI significantly accelerates the creation of UI components. We can generate ready-made components from images, optimize styles, transform code between technologies, and create animations in just a few seconds. Tools like ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Claude and Lovable are a huge help for frontend developers, enabling faster and more efficient work.

In the next part of the series, we will take a look at:

If you want to learn more about how AI is impacting the entire automation of frontend processes and changing the role of developers, check out our blog article: AI in Frontend Automation – How It's Changing the Developer's Job?

Follow us to stay updated!

AI in Real Estate: How Does It Support the Housing Market?

Miłosz Mach

18 Mar 2025
AI in Real Estate: How Does It Support the Housing Market?

The digital transformation is reshaping numerous sectors of the economy, and real estate is no exception. By 2025, AI will no longer be a mere gadget but a powerful tool that facilitates customer interactions, streamlines decision-making processes, and optimizes sales operations. Simultaneously, blockchain technology ensures security, transparency, and scalability in transactions. With this article, we launch a series of publications exploring AI in business, focusing today on the application of artificial intelligence within the real estate industry.

AI vs. Tradition: Key Implementations of AI in Real Estate

Designing, selling, and managing properties—traditional methods are increasingly giving way to data-driven decision-making.

Breakthroughs in Customer Service

AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants are revolutionizing how companies interact with their customers. These tools handle hundreds of inquiries simultaneously, personalize offers, and guide clients through the purchasing process. Implementing AI agents can lead to higher-quality leads for developers and automate responses to most standard customer queries. However, technical challenges in deploying such systems include:

  • Integration with existing real estate databases: Chatbots must have access to up-to-date listings, prices, and availability.
  • Personalization of communication: Systems must adapt their interactions to individual customer needs.
  • Management of industry-specific knowledge: Chatbots require specialized expertise about local real estate markets.

Advanced Data Analysis

Cognitive AI systems utilize deep learning to analyze complex relationships within the real estate market, such as macroeconomic trends, local zoning plans, and user behavior on social media platforms. Deploying such solutions necessitates:

  • Collecting high-quality historical data.
  • Building infrastructure for real-time data processing.
  • Developing appropriate machine learning models.
  • Continuously monitoring and updating models based on new data.

Intelligent Design

Generative artificial intelligence is revolutionizing architectural design. These advanced algorithms can produce dozens of building design variants that account for site constraints, legal requirements, energy efficiency considerations, and aesthetic preferences.

Optimizing Building Energy Efficiency

Smart building management systems (BMS) leverage AI to optimize energy consumption while maintaining resident comfort. Reinforcement learning algorithms analyze data from temperature, humidity, and air quality sensors to adjust heating, cooling, and ventilation parameters effectively.

Integration of AI with Blockchain in Real Estate

The convergence of AI with blockchain technology opens up new possibilities for the real estate sector. Blockchain is a distributed database where information is stored in immutable "blocks." It ensures transaction security and data transparency while AI analyzes these data points to derive actionable insights. In practice, this means that ownership histories, all transactions, and property modifications are recorded in an unalterable format, with AI aiding in interpreting these records and informing decision-making processes.

AI has the potential to bring significant value to the real estate sector—estimated between $110 billion and $180 billion by experts at McKinsey & Company.

Key development directions over the coming years include:

  • Autonomous negotiation systems: AI agents equipped with game theory strategies capable of conducting complex negotiations.
  • AI in urban planning: Algorithms designed to plan city development and optimize spatial allocation.
  • Property tokenization: Leveraging blockchain technology to divide properties into digital tokens that enable fractional investment opportunities.

Conclusion

For companies today, the question is no longer "if" but "how" to implement AI to maximize benefits and enhance competitiveness. A strategic approach begins with identifying specific business challenges followed by selecting appropriate technologies.

What values could AI potentially bring to your organization?
  • Reduction of operational costs through automation
  • Enhanced customer experience and shorter transaction times
  • Increased accuracy in forecasts and valuations, minimizing business risks
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Want to implement AI in your real estate business?

Nextrope specializes in implementing AI and blockchain solutions tailored to specific business needs. Our expertise allows us to:

  • Create intelligent chatbots that serve customers 24/7
  • Implement analytical systems for property valuation
  • Build secure blockchain solutions for real estate transactions
Schedule a free consultation

Or check out other articles from the "AI in Business" series