Frequently asked questions

AerariumChain (AEC) is a cloud-technology-based service designed to help preserve cultural and artistic heritage around the world. Museums, institutions, and private clients can leverage AerariumChain's advanced technology to digitize, preserve, and track artwork. By integrating high-definition 3D scanning, blockchain and artificial intelligence, AerariumChain aims to create new value for all art custodians.The project was conceived by Werea S.r.l., an Italian startup based in Monza.

NFTMicros offer an innovative way to raise funds for museums through the creation of a digital collection of authentic artwork. This initiative not only aims to bring beauty and passion for art into the digital world, but also supports the preservation and restoration of cultural and artistic heritage.

The issued NFTs comply with copyright and image rights regulations and are produced by the museum, which authorizes their sale.

AerariumChain's NFTMicros generate new digital assets that can be easily purchased without compromising property rights. By selling NFTs online, museums can more easily fund the restoration, preservation, and maintenance of their collections while reaching a new audience of digital collectors.

In addition to the main purpose, which is to raise funds, AEC has designed NFTMIcro with special features that we report for completeness:

• be liquid (i.e., easily resaleable);
• not generate fictitious value;
• make it affordable and thus democratic to purchase a single NFT;
• allow the creation of a real secondary market;
• be efficient in terms of transactions;
• ensure the economic sustainability of the museum in the medium to long term;
• be environmentally sustainable.

The NFTMicro generation process begins with artwork monitoring and ends with NFTMicro generation. The following are the main steps:

1. 3D scanning of the artwork at the request of the owner and carried out by certified operators; the operation is performed using high-definition devices (scanners) to acquire information accurate down to 0.05 mm;
2. storage of the 3D scanning files on secure servers, accessible to the owner of the artwork who holds all rights to it;
3. generation in blockchain of an element that uniquely represents the artwork (also called UVI or Virtual Unique Image) with general information about the artwork itself;
4. creation of unique keys for each scan file using specific algorithms: these keys are saved in the UVI permanently; in this way they ensure the immutability of the original file and strengthen the UVI's role as a digital fingerprint of the artwork;
5. processing of different formats of the 3D image that are used first of all for conservation status monitoring activities.

At this point, the generation of NFTMicros is done at the specific request of the owner:

1. the owner of the artwork (or whoever owns its rights) requests the issuance of the NFTMicros of a particular artwork;
2. after a control process performed by the AerariumChain team, the NFTMicros are generated on a digital wallet of the artwork owner;
3. always the artwork owner decides how many NFTMicros to put up for sale at any given time;
4. AerariumChain supports the owner in selling activities on the marketplace.

AerariumChain allows museums to issue NFTMicros with two different types: OER (Only Experience Rights) and FOR (Fractional Ownership of Rights).

• Only Experience Rights (OER): ownership of one or more NFTMicro of this type related to a specific artwork grants access to the experience of the artwork through services based on the 3D file generated on the Unique Virtual Image (UVI) of the artwork. These services can be provided by AerariumChain or other platforms authorized to access the 3D asset. The level of experience is determined by the number of NFTMicros in the user's portfolio and the associated level. All terms are subject to the full agreement. AerariumChain has chosen the "75-20-5" model for NFTMicros (OERs) to generate maximum value from both digital and physical property while avoiding the perception of a "double dip" on the artwork. Under this model, 75% of the fractional artwork remains with the museum, which cannot sell, move, or make any transactions. 20% of the total fractional artwork is available for sale in the primary and secondary markets. The remaining 5% supports the AerariumChain ecosystem and covers operational costs.
• Fractional Ownership of Rights (FOR): ownership of one or more NFTMicros of this type related to particular artwork grants fractional ownership of rights to the artwork in proportion to the number of NFTMicros issued for that artwork. This type of NFT can only be issued if the owner has the ability and willingness to sell the ownership rights to the artwork itself.

Each NFTMicro represents an artwork and is closely related to the UVI of the artwork.

NFTMicros for different artworks are not fungible (i.e., they are not interchangeable with each other). The NFTMicros of the same artwork are fungible to them.

The NFTMicro for an artwork can be generated only once during the life of the artwork, and this limitation also extends to any similar issues on other platforms.

Only the rights holders of the artwork can apply for the NFTMicro coinage. In relation to what rights are transferred with NFTs, please refer to the FAQs on NFT OER and FOR.

At the time of minting, the face value of the entire NFTMicro for an artwork is equal to the estimated value of the artwork.

NFTMicros are fractionated into 1,000 and multiples of 10 so that their unit issue value in the primary market is included between a minimum of €0.10 and a maximum of €10.00. In the secondary market, the value is determined by the supply/demand mechanism.

The NFTmicro project was not created for speculative purposes but with the specific intent of helping museums in the preservation of their heritage.

However, an NFTmicro may experience a variation in its value on a secondary market. The price of the NFTmicro fractions in a secondary market will be determined by the meeting of supply and demand, and an excess of demand over availability in the primary and secondary markets will lead to an increase in the value of individual fractions. On the other side, an excess of offerings compared to the demand will lower or stabilize the value of fractions on the secondary market.

We would like to point out that AerariumChain is developing specific mechanisms to limit speculative behavior that goes against the spirit of the proposed service.

Choose the work, set how many units you want and pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay: payment is in euro and handled by Stripe. No wallet or cryptocurrency is needed.

After payment the units are assigned to you and held by AerariumChain in your collection. You will receive a confirmation email with the order summary.

Through the purchase of an NFTmicro, the user will first help the museum raise funds to preserve that artwork. In addition, depending on the amount of NFTs of the same artwork he or she purchases, he or she will enjoy an increasingly higher level of 3D definition.

Specifically, depending on the level, the NFT owner will get:

• Bronze level: low definition 3D model, textured with exposed wireframe.
• Silver level: medium definition 3D model, texture without shaders.
• Gold level: high definition 3D model, texture with basic shader.
• Rubin level: high definition 3D model, texture and shader with maximum detail and enhanced lighting.

Artworks have been classified into five bands (called Tiers) based on their actual value, with higher Tiers indicating greater importance to the collector.

Since the cost of a single NFTMicro must be between a minimum of €0.10 and a maximum of €10.00, as the value of the artwork (and thus the Tier) increases, AerariumChain generates more NFTMicros. In this way, the more valuable the artwork, the more NFTMicros will be available.

Here is the number of NFTMicros issued for each artwork as the Tier varies:
TIER 1: 1,000 to 10,000
TIER 2: from 10,000 to 100,000
TIER 3: from 100,000 to 1,000,000
TIER 4: 1,000,000 to 10,000,000
TIER 5: 10,000,000 to 100,000,000

Thus, a TIER 5 artwork has a significantly higher value than a TIER 1 artwork.

Every NFTMicro purchase you make, even a few cents, is very valuable to the museum and makes you in effect a supporter of the artwork.

For those who are willing and able to consistently support the artwork, we have created the roles of Sponsor and Patron whose name is listed in a particular section of each artwork as an honorable mention.

Specifically:

• it is possible to become a Sponsor by purchasing at least 20% of the NFTMicros of a given artwork available for sale in a given period; each artwork can have a minimum of 2 to a maximum of 5 Sponsors.
• it is possible to become a Patron by purchasing at least 51% of the NFTMicros of a given artwork available for sale in a given period; each artwork can have only one Patron.

For Sponsors and Patrons there are additional privileges that we are defining with each individual museum. For users who have achieved the role of Patron on a certain number of artworks, the Patron Club will be launched soon with even more exclusive services to thank them for having contributed significantly to the maintenance of the museum patrimony.

No. The units you buy are held for you by AerariumChain and you see them in your collection. If you have an Algorand wallet (for example Pera Wallet) you can ask at any time to transfer your units to it: from then on you hold them yourself.

From your collection choose the work, enter your Algorand wallet address and send the request. The wallet must have opted in to the work's NFTMicro asset. We email you when the transfer is recorded on the blockchain. Once transferred, the units are no longer held by AerariumChain.

Sign in and open "My collection": for each work you see the units you own, the level you reached and access to the 3D model. If you bought without an account, register with the email used for payment: your purchases will appear in your collection.