# Background While NFTs are not a new concept, in their most current form they have risen from an obscure Ethereum blockchain standard to a crypto-mainstream expression of digitally tradable assets. They are used to trade everything from digital ‘punks’, breeds of cats, to one-off pieces of digital and sometimes physical art and assets. NFTs are based on a series of robust token standards and enable a multitude of functionality to be exchanged by users in the crypto ecosystem. They have risen nearly overnight to a USD 2.5 billion[\[1\]](https://www.reuters.com/technology/nft-sales-volume-surges-25-bln-2021-first-half-2021-07-05/) industry in just the first quarter of 2021, with sales topping USD 208 million in August alone the highest ever recorded[\[2\]](https://www.reuters.com/technology/nft-sales-volume-surges-25-bln-2021-first-half-2021-07-05/https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/nft-sales-volume-record-highs-nonfungible-token-price-crypto-markets-2021-8). --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.lovelace.world/background.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.