What Is an Example of a Digital Asset? All You Need to Know

In our increasingly digital world, the concept of a digital asset has expanded far beyond the confines of traditional media files. So, what is an example of a digital asset today?

Many different types of digital assets now exist, each carrying its unique value and significance. Whether it’s a cherished family photo or a financial investment in cryptocurrency, digital assets have become integral to our personal lives and business endeavors.

In this article, we will explore the diverse landscape of various assets in a digital form, providing you with a comprehensive understanding of what they are and how they play a vital role in today’s digital age.

What are digital assets?

A digital asset encompasses anything created and stored in digital form, possessing identifiable and discoverable attributes with inherent or potential value.

Their significance has surged alongside technological advancements in personal and professional spheres. Digital assets encompass data, images, video, written content, and more, often entailing ownership rights.

These assets, including intangible entities like a company’s brand, may carry monetary or subjective value. Some, like a cherished family photo, can be precious to an individual, while others hold broader appeal.

Three critical attributes define what is a valuable digital asset. It must:

• Be a digital file owned by an individual or entity
• Provide value
• Be searchable and discoverable, typically through metadata

Examples of digital assets

Digital assets encompass a wide array of items that exist in a digital format and hold intrinsic or potential value.

These assets play various roles in our digital landscape, from personal use to business applications, and they continue to evolve with technological advancements.

Here’s a list of traditional types of digital assets:

• Photos
• Documents
• Videos
• Books
• Music/Audio
• Animations
• Illustrations and other digital images
• Manuscripts
• Emails and email accounts
• Logos
• Metadata
• Content
• Social media accounts
• Gaming accounts

In practice, companies can employ digital marketing assets, like a logo, infographic, film, or electronic book, to increase awareness of their brand and products, and communicate their brand values.

Newer digital assets

The definition of a digital asset is continually evolving as new digital formats emerge in business.

Besides these digital assets, today we have newer digital assets. They are based on blockchain or similar technologies. Some of the examples are cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and asset-backed tokens.

Cryptocurrencies

Cryptocurrencies are the most popular and well-known type of digital assets. Great digital asset examples are Bitcoin and Ethereum which are secured by cryptography via the blockchain.

Those who have access to cryptocurrencies can do various things with them, including spending or investing the funds.

NFTs

Non-fungible token (NFT) is also a digital asset. Its token can be verified as genuine and owner-specific by authentication processes.

Common applications of NFTs include the purchase of works of art or audio/video files formerly unavailable to the general public.

Asset-backed tokens

Asset-backed tokens allow traditional, tangible goods like gold and oil to be tokenized and traded among users on the blockchain.

By tokenizing these assets, they become more accessible to a bigger group of investors and consumers. This situation alleviates liquidity concerns associated with them.

Are digital assets important?

Today, people’s lives are moving more and more rapidly into the digital world, where every part is put together in different file formats.

Our memories are stored in the phone’s gallery, while businesses and governments also store a significant amount of data digitally, each with its value.

The emergence of blockchain and cryptocurrencies in the 2010s added a new dimension to digital assets. Cryptocurrencies, despite their initial purpose, became recognized as valuable digital assets.

In today’s digital landscape, these assets underpin various facets, from marketing and brand promotion to sales generation, employee onboarding, and workflow optimization.

Businesses recognize that efficiently harnessing these assets drives growth, with some favoring Return on Asset (ROA) as the new ROI metric of marketing campaigns.

Investable digital assets, underpinned by blockchain technology, represent a burgeoning opportunity in the financial services sector, with the potential for transformative impact on businesses and assets.

Moreover, there are two more notable factors of digital assets’ importance: decentralized finance (DeFi) and transaction transparency.

Decentralized finance (DeFi)

Decentralized finance (DeFi) is a system that enables individuals to transact in digital assets without involving a centralized bank.

A fundamental feature of digital assets is the use of distributed digital ledgers to keep track of asset ownership and digital asset transactions.

It is in contrast to conventional assets, which are documented in an off-the-books ledger managed by a third party. This shift exemplifies decentralized finance.

Transaction transparency

Blockchain technology and decentralized finance enable transactions recorded on the digital ledger to be accessible to anyone.

Although there is a degree of privacy in blockchain and digital asset transactions, this transparent framework can enhance visibility and provide clarity regarding the parties involved in a transaction.

Managing different digital assets

Using a wide variety of digital assets in numerous file types is crucial for executing successful multi-channel marketing campaigns.

A digital asset’s worth is determined by how easily it can be accessed. Therefore, searching for relevant digital materials that have been dispersed randomly over the cloud is a time-consuming and expensive luxury in the marketing world.

Fortunately, the constant use of digital asset management platforms, metadata, and taxonomy can help accomplish this.

Digital asset management (DAM)

Digital Asset Management (DAM) systems offer businesses robust security measures, ensuring safe storage, organization, and swift retrieval of their digital assets.

These systems provide control over digital assets and facilitate instant access to authorized users, making them indispensable. Moreover, it simplifies the process of locating, utilizing, and reusing a wide range of digital assets.

A top-tier digital asset management solution effectively handles various digital assets like images, videos, logos, and illustrations. Businesses gain a competitive edge in optimizing their digital asset management processes by adopting such a system.

Metadata

Metadata essentially means “data about data”. It is a fundamental component of effective asset management, providing essential details beyond basic file names.

There are two primary categories of metadata:

1. Technical metadata: Automatically generated, it includes information such as resolution, photographer’s name, dimensions, and file size.
2. Descriptive metadata: This type of metadata serves the purpose of resource discovery and encompasses elements like titles, descriptions, and keywords.

While many associate metadata primarily with keywords, it serves a broader role. Keywords are instrumental in facilitating asset searches and allow you to label assets in a way that aligns with your specific business requirements.

For example, you manage a library of marketing materials, and each digital image contains metadata specifying the campaign name, target audience, and publication date.

This metadata not only aids in efficient categorization but also enables you to swiftly locate the precise marketing material you need, eliminating the need to sift through a multitude of files.

Taxonomy

A taxonomy is a hierarchical structure that makes it easier to categorize and classify assets and navigate and show links between assets.

When using taxonomy, it is easier for users to browse assets in a digital asset management system. It especially applies if they are unsure of what they are looking for.

Even though you can create taxonomy and metadata internally, many businesses find that having an asset management system offers several benefits.

This kind of technology streamlines asset management procedures by giving users true control over digital assets and rapid access to those who need them.

FAQ

What is the most important digital asset?

The question is quite tricky. Some say that the most important digital asset is Bitcoin. However, from the long-term perspective, user online identity is, and will continue to be, the Internet’s most important asset.

Are digital assets and cryptocurrencies the same?

Digital assets comprise a wide range of digital forms with value and ownership, including as cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether, and Solana, which frequently use blockchain technology to record transactions.

The term “digital assets” is not limited to cryptocurrencies. It also includes NFTs, digital works of art, digital music, virtual land, and other such things.

Therefore, you can say that all cryptocurrencies are digital assets, but not all digital assets are cryptocurrencies.

How to tokenize digital assets for your marketplace?

Tokenization is a common method for online marketplaces to digitize formerly tangible assets.

In the first step, the value of the physical asset that will be tokenized is determined by an evaluation and analysis.

The following step is to establish the cost of digital stock. The asset’s physical form must have a well-established market value for this to be possible.

After determining the asset’s worth, it is then divided into a fixed number of shares. Individually, these shares have a digital value that approximates the asset’s real-world worth. In this step, you establish the total number of shares for sale.

Is Bitcoin a digital asset?

Indeed, Bitcoin fits the definition of a digital asset. It’s a decentralized digital currency that can only be used online.

What types of files are considered digital assets?

A wide variety of file types are considered digital assets. They include but are not limited to photographs, video files, audio files, graphics, PDFs, presentations, design files, and even 3D models.