NFT today is often seen as a joke — or even a scam.
But in 2016, long before the hype, I built something that today would clearly be called an NFT.
At that time, I was working as a CTO at PT Tulpar Asia Digital, where I explored deeply into Blockchain and early-stage AI systems.
Not for art.
Not for speculation.
But to solve a real problem:
Land ownership disputes.
The Context That Triggered the Idea
Around 2015, there was a widely discussed public issue involving Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok), who at the time was serving as the Governor of Jakarta.
The discussion highlighted how complex land ownership systems can be — especially when it comes to state-owned land, authority, and legal interpretation.
One thing became clear:
Land ownership systems are not always transparent, and can be open to interpretation, conflict, or mistrust.
At the same time, this wasn’t just something I observed.
My extended family went through a land dispute case:
- Our land certificate was challenged and effectively taken over by another party
- We had to go through a legal battle to reclaim it
- We eventually won in court
But the cost was significant:
- Legal fees
- Time
- Emotional stress
Even when you are right, proving ownership can still be expensive and exhausting.
These two realities — one public, one personal — led me to a realization:
The problem is not just ownership.
The problem is trust, verification, and immutability of records.
The Idea: Digital Ownership That Cannot Be Manipulated
During my time as CTO, I explored how blockchain could be used beyond cryptocurrency.
We designed a system where:
- A piece of land could be represented digitally
- Each ownership record was unique
- It could not be duplicated or forged
- Ownership history was permanently recorded
- Transfers were transparent and traceable
In short, we were building a blockchain-based land certificate system.
Today, this aligns perfectly with what we call an NFT.
Before the World Called It NFT
Back then:
- We didn’t call it NFT
- We didn’t think about marketplaces
- We didn’t think about speculation
We were solving a real-world problem:
How to reduce disputes and eliminate ambiguity in ownership.
When NFT Became a Joke
At some point, NFT stopped being about ownership.
It became:
- Overpriced images
- Speculative trading
- Hype without substance
To many people today, NFT feels like a scam.
And honestly — it’s not hard to see why.
But here’s the truth:
NFT is not the scam.
The way people used it is.
NFT Was Never About Images
NFT is not about images.
It is about:
- Ownership
- Uniqueness
- Transparency
- Trust without intermediaries
The Real Future: From Speculation to Infrastructure
Today, the industry is slowly returning to its original direction:
- Real World Assets (RWA)
- Tokenized property
- Digital certificates
- Financial instruments on-chain
NFT is evolving into a foundational layer for ownership in the digital economy.
Looking Back
What started as both a public observation and a personal experience became a deep technical exploration.
Long before founding "PT Ide Brilian Digital", I was already trying to solve:
How to replace trust with verifiable systems.
What we built in 2016 was not hype.
It was an early attempt to fix trust in ownership systems.
Closing Thought
NFT didn’t lose its value.
It lost its meaning — temporarily.
The real question is not:
“Are NFTs still relevant?”
But:
“Are we ready to use them to solve real problems?”
About the Author
The author is a technology founder with over a decade of experience in software engineering, Blockchain, and AI.
Before founding PT Ide Brilian Digital, he served as CTO at PT Tulpar Asia Digital, where he explored early implementations of blockchain for real-world use cases.
Let’s Build Something Real
If you are exploring:
- Blockchain for real-world assets (RWA)
- Digital ownership systems
- AI-powered business intelligence
We can help you design and build it.
👉 Visit: https://www.idbrilian.com
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