New Cornell Tech Project Enables NFT Borrowing Without Ownership Transfer

Cornell Tech has unveiled a novel use case for NFTs, presented by Ph.D. student Dani in New York, allowing users to borrow against their NFT assets without giving up ownership.

This innovation may reshape NFT lending by enhancing privacy and ownership control, although it remains in the research phase with no immediate market impact reported yet.

Borrow Against NFTs with Cornell’s Liquifaction

Cornell Tech has introduced the concept of Liquifaction, which allows users to borrow against NFTs, like Bored Apes, while maintaining ownership privacy. The project was presented by Dani, a doctoral candidate, focusing on privacy in blockchain assets.

The method involves applying cryptographic privacy mechanisms, enabling users to retain control over their assets while still accessing loans. Current traditional models require relinquishing asset ownership, a limitation addressed by this research.

NFT Borrowing Enhanced by Privacy Mechanisms

The innovation presents a shift by allowing NFT owners to access necessary liquidity without sacrificing privacy. However, without mainstream deployment, market reactions remain speculative and no funding news or exchange updates have emerged.

Lending protocols, like NFTfi and BendDAO, require asset transfer, making Liquifaction a potentially disruptive model. This innovation promises more secure financial interactions, but depends on successful implementation and regulatory approval for real-world impact.

Historical NFT Lending Transfer Model Challenged

Previously, NFT lending required asset transfer, unlike Liquifaction’s method preserving owner rights even during loans. This development echoes past decentralization advancements in DeFi protocols worldwide.

Experts from Kanalcoin suggest that such innovations could mature the NFT market by balancing liquidity needs with ownership control. Historical trends show that privacy and ownership models in blockchain can significantly affect market evolution if successfully implemented.