Indonesia’s state-owned postal service, Pos Indonesia, has announced the release of its first-ever postage stamp that features a non-fungible token (NFT) counterpart. This move marks a significant intersection of traditional philately and blockchain technology.
The inaugural NFT stamp, named “Cenderawasih,” which translates to “bird of paradise,” will be available in both physical and digital formats, along with a collectible booklet.
This initiative aligns with Indonesia’s growing interest in Web3 technologies, which includes plans announced by financial authorities in March 2023 to establish a regulatory sandbox for crypto assets by early 2025. This regulatory framework aims to mitigate fraud in the evolving digital landscape.
However, the launch comes at a challenging time for the NFT market. September 2023 recorded the lowest monthly sales volume for NFTs since January 2021, with total sales dropping to $296 million, a decline of 20% from August and an 81% decrease from March’s peak of $1.6 billion.
Additionally, NFT transactions fell from 7.3 million in August to 4.9 million in September, representing a 32% drop.
The concept of NFT postage stamps is not entirely new; various organizations globally have experimented with similar approaches in recent years.
Notable efforts include the United Arab Emirates’ launch of a gold-infused stamp with an NFT version in 2022, as well as initiatives from Austria and the Netherlands aimed at revitalizing stamp collecting through blockchain technology.
