System and method for creating, trading and splitting SmartNFT

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for creating a SmartNFT for establishing and self-funding startup of a company having a set of non-homogenized tokens (NFTs) associated with a digital or physical asset and a set of voteless shares (NVSs) from the company, the method comprises the steps of: on the computing system: (a.) providing a unique digital identifier (NFTID) for each non-homogenized token (NFT) in the set of NFTs; (b.) providing each voteless share (NVS) of the set of voteless shares with a unique sequence number (NVSID); (c.) defining the number n of NVSs bound with each NFT in a ratio of n: 1, wherein n > = 1; (d.) for each NFT: (i.) binding the n unbound NVSs into an NVS set (NVS collection), and (i.) binding the n unbound NVSs into the NVS collection (NVS collection); (ii.) creating a SmartNFT, the SmartNFT having a unique digital identifier (SmartNFTID) as a smart contract cast on the blockchain network, where the SmartNFT refers to the NVSID of the n NVSs in the NVS set and the NFTID of the NFT assigned to the NVS set, (iii.) creating a SmartNFT, the SmartNFT having a unique digital identifier (SmartNFTID) as a smart contract cast on the blockchain network, where the SmartNFT refers to the NVSID of the n NVSs in the NVS set; (iii.) marking the NVSs processed in steps i) and ii) as bound so as to avoid redundancy; (e.) for each SmartNFT created in step d): (i.) associating the SmartNFT with a blockchain wallet held by the company; (ii.) registering the company as the owner of each bound NVS of the SmartNFT in a digital shareholder list held by the company. The invention also relates to a computer-implemented method for transacting and splitting the SmartNFT.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to systems and methods for creating, trading, and splitting blockchain-based, self-funding corporate tokens. Background Art

[0002] A careful observation and analysis of the usage and market for blockchain-based non-fungible tokens (NFTs) reveals numerous issues: 1. NFTs are frequently subject to hacker attacks and blockchain fork attacks; 2. NFTs are frequently subject to scams and project failures; 3. Founders of NFT-related companies often struggle to communicate and demonstrate good governance mechanisms; 4. NFTs can raise due diligence issues; and 5. For bootstrapped companies, implementing professional and fair NFT valuation methodologies is difficult or nonexistent. One of the primary reasons for these issues facing NFTs and NFT-related companies is that NFTs are currently completely unregulated and not subject to any special requirements.

[0003] Therefore, creating a new company that uses NFTs to protect digital art or other digital assets and sells and trades them based on distributed ledger technology (DLT) is both cumbersome and may be seen as suspicious.

[0004] It can be seen from this that NFT-related companies urgently need a technical solution to improve the security of their NFTs.

[0005] definition:

[0006] A bootstrap company (or self-funded company) is one that is established solely with personal savings (including loans or investments from family members or friends) and initial sales proceeds. A bootstrap business does not rely on traditional financing methods such as investor backing, crowdfunding, or bank loans.

[0007] Blockchain: A blockchain is a distributed ledger that allows participants to write and update records on the ledger, and cryptographic techniques ensure that records cannot be changed once written. Records are written to the ledger in the form of transactions, which are hashed and grouped into blocks. Each block is cryptographically linked to the next. A Merkle tree, or hash tree, is a cryptographic method that ensures that transactions in the blockchain are linked together using mathematical hashes. This ensures that all records cannot be tampered with. Hashing provides an efficient way to verify any transaction on the blockchain. Using this method, records can be verified without having to view all the data stored in the network. [R1]

[0008] Smart Contract: A blockchain-enabled smart contract is a computer program that is continuously executed by a network of mutually untrusted nodes without the need for arbitration by a trusted authority. Smart contracts offer organizations the possibility to collaborate and execute self-enforcing contractual terms within a blockchain network without the involvement of a third party. [R1]

[0009] Non-fungible tokens (NFTs): NFTs are unique digital identifiers that cannot be copied, replaced, or divided, and are recorded on a blockchain to prove authenticity and ownership. NFT ownership is recorded on the blockchain and can be transferred by the owner, allowing NFTs to be sold or traded. NFTs can be associated with specific digital or physical assets, including but not limited to artwork and a license to use that asset for a specific purpose. NFTs function similarly to cryptographic tokens, but unlike cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum, NFTs are not interchangeable and are therefore non-fungible. [R2]

[0010] Know Your Customer (KYC): KYC is the process of identifying and continuously verifying customers in business relationships with (financial or non-financial) institutions, with the primary goal of complying with a range of regulatory requirements. KYC processes can use physical or digital channels and are sometimes referred to as eKYC. [R3]

[0011] Minting: Minting is the process of creating or producing something. In the context of blockchain, minting means verifying information, creating new blocks, and recording this information on the blockchain network. For example, someone can mint an NFT or mint new cryptocurrency.

[0012] Destruction: The process of invalidating an object in a blockchain network to abolish all functionality.

[0013] Non-Voting Shares (NVS): NVS (sometimes called participation certificates) are shares that do not entitle the holder to vote in corporate matters, such as board elections or mergers. These shares are typically offered to individual investors who wish to invest in a company's earnings and growth prospects but voluntarily forgo a vote on its operational decisions.

[0014] Blockchain Wallet: A blockchain wallet, or crypto wallet, is software or hardware that allows users to store and use cryptocurrencies or NFTs. The wallet stores the location of the user's private and public keys on the blockchain. Using this combination of public and private keys, a crypto wallet enables secure operations such as verifying balances and sending and receiving cryptocurrency transactions.

[0015] Custodial / Non-custodial Wallets: A custodial wallet means that the user's private keys are held by a third party. In contrast, a non-custodial wallet holds the private keys entirely within the user's control. This means that the user has full control over their funds. The third party is excluded, but this also means that the user is solely responsible for the safekeeping of their keys.

[0016] GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation): The General Data Protection Regulation (EU) (GDPR) is a piece of EU law governing data protection and privacy in the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA). The GDPR is an important component of EU privacy and human rights law. The main objectives of the GDPR are to strengthen individuals' control and rights over their personal data and to simplify the regulatory environment for international business. GDPR compliance refers to processes that comply with the GDPR. [R4]

[0017] Citing documents:

[0018] [R1] Udokwu et al., The State of the Art for Blockchain-Enabled Smart-Contract Applications in the Organization, Conference Paper, November 2018, DOI: 10.1109 / ISPRAS.2018.00029.

[0019] [R2]https: / / en.wikipedia.org / wiki / Non-fungible_token,visited November 2022.

[0020] [R3]Moreno et al.,A Survey of KYC / AML for CryptocurrenciesTransactions,2021,DOI:10.4018 / 978-1-7998-5728-0.ch002.

[0021] [R4]REGULATION(EU)2016 / 679 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THECOUNCIL of 27 April 2016. Summary of the Invention

[0022] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a technical tool for establishing and bootstrapping a company that owns a set of non-fungible tokens associated with digital or physical assets and to solve at least some of the problems associated with the lack of regulation of NFTs.

[0023] At least one object of the present invention is achieved by the following methods: a computer-implemented method according to claim 1 to create a unique SmartNFT, a computer-implemented method according to claim 7 to trade a SmartNFT, and a computer-implemented method according to claim 10 to split a SmartNFT.

[0024] A computer-implemented method for creating a unique SmartNFT for establishing and bootstrapping a company that owns a set of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) associated with digital or physical assets and a set of non-voting shares (NVS) from the company comprises the following steps: on a computing system: (a.) providing a unique digital identifier (NFT_ID) for each non-fungible token (NFT) in the set of NFTs; (b.) providing a unique serial number (NVS_ID) for each non-voting share (NVS) in the set of non-voting shares; (c.) defining the number n of NVSs bound to each NFT in an n:1 ratio, where n ≥ 1; (d.) for each NFT: (i.) binding the n unbound NVSs into an NVS collection (NVS_collection); tion); (ii.) creating a SmartNFT having a unique digital identifier (SmartNFT_ID) as a smart contract minted on a blockchain network, wherein the SmartNFT refers to the NVS_IDs of the n NVSs in the NVS set and the NFT_ID of the NFT assigned to the NVS set; (iii.) marking the NVSs processed in steps i) and ii) as bound to avoid redundancy; (e.) for each SmartNFT created in step (d.): (i.) associating the SmartNFT with a blockchain wallet held by the company; (ii.) registering the company as the owner of each bound NVS of the SmartNFT in a digital shareholder register held by the company. In other words, the method can create tokenized, asset-titled shares of a company.

[0025] To raise or increase capital for innovative projects, any joint-stock company can, in the traditional manner, issue a portion of its authorized shares in the total capital in the form of non-voting shares (NVS). Switzerland was the first country to recognize the need for legislative changes to foster the development of new, innovative companies based on distributed ledger technology (DLT). In 2021, the first law allowing the storage, issuance, and trading of shares on a blockchain came into force. Swiss and European Union institutions are currently collaborating closely, and similar legislation is expected to be enacted in EU countries soon. Consequently, the legal requirements for issuing and trading digital shares are strictly regulated, and companies are subject to financial oversight.

[0026] The present invention leverages the regulation of digital shares and overcomes the problems previously associated with the unregulated NFT market by linking them to non-fungible tokens, both based on DLT technology. Simultaneously, this allows SmartNFT buyers to participate in the growth of self-funded company capital.

[0027] The legal form adopted by the company ensures that it can issue and repurchase a sufficient number of non-voting shares (NVS) from customers in accordance with the laws of the country in which it is established. The company also owns physical or digital assets, such as artworks, which are authenticated by a digital NFT certificate and one or more NVSs in a ratio of 1:n, where n>=1. Each NFT has a unique digital identifier (NFT_ID). Each NVS has a unique serial number (NVS_ID), and n NVSs (n≥1) are bound to an NVS collection. NFTs are assigned to an NVS collection to create SmartNFTs, allowing customers to participate in the company's operating performance through NVS. Therefore, SmartNFTs are a new type of token that is based on the contractual binding of NFTs (for example, linked to artworks) to the company's NVS collection and is implemented using methods for implementing smart contracts on blockchain infrastructure (such as Ethereum). Therefore, the blockchain network or blockchain infrastructure must support smart contracts.

[0028] Each NVS can be associated with only one NVS collection. Each NFT can be associated with only one NVS collection to create a SmartNFT. Therefore, when the NFT:NVS ratio is 1:n, the total number of NFTs and NVS collections is equal to the total number of SmartNFTs created.

[0029] Therefore, SmartNFTs allow companies to allow purchasers of SmartNFTs to participate in the growth of the company's capital. Therefore, upon meeting conditions set by the initial issuing self-financing company, such as paying the last owner of the SmartNFT the current value of the NVS pool, SmartNFTs can also be traded, and even decomposed into separate NFTs and separate NVS through split transactions.

[0030] At the time of trading, all payment transactions are processed through the blockchain network selected by the self-funded company. Therefore, all participants will receive a blockchain wallet of the self-funded company, which can be topped up via cryptocurrency transfers from another blockchain wallet or by exchanging fiat money for cryptocurrency.

[0031] In some embodiments of the method, a digital storage system, preferably held by a company, may be provided on a computing system for storing private data related to NFTs, NVSs, and / or SmartNFTs. NFT-related information may include at least one of the following: the total number of NFTs, a list of all NFT_IDs, the status of NVSs assigned to SmartNFTs, detailed information on the legal person who owns the NFTs, the blockchain wallet address of the legal person who owns the NFTs, digital assets, and their information. NVS-related information may include at least one of the following: the total number of NVSs, a list of all NVS_IDs, the status of NVSs assigned to SmartNFTs, detailed information on the legal person who owns the NVSs, and the blockchain wallet address of the legal person who owns the NVSs. SmartNFT-related information may include at least one of the following: the total number of SmartNFTs, a list of all SmartNFT_IDs, detailed information on the legal person who owns the SmartNFTs, and the blockchain wallet address of the legal person who owns the SmartNFTs. The legal person may be a natural person or a company. For natural persons, the details of a legal person may include: first name, last name, title, street name, street number, postal code, place of residence, country, ID number, blockchain wallet address, and email address; for companies, these may include: company name, business registration (ID) number, street name, street number, postal code, place of registration, country, blockchain wallet address, email address, and a list of natural persons representing the company. All details regarding the registered legal person may be subject to a digitally implemented KYC process (Know Your Customer) to verify the integrity of the information and to provide a qualified digital signature for the registered natural person.

[0032] In some embodiments of the method, the digital storage system may be a GDPR compliant secure digital storage system.

[0033] In some embodiments of the method, the digital shareholder register can be implemented on a blockchain network. In some jurisdictions, legal compliance may require that the shareholder register be deployed on a blockchain network.

[0034] In some embodiments of the method, only the SmartNFT_ID and the associated NFT_ID and NVS_ID are stored in the blockchain infrastructure and are publicly accessible. All other information may be stored in a digital storage system and is only accessible to the company and the owners of the SmartNFT, NFT, and NVS.

[0035] Typically, at least part of the method used to create a SmartNFT is implemented as a smart contract on a blockchain network.

[0036] The present invention also relates to a computer-implemented method implemented as a smart contract on a blockchain network to trade SmartNFTs created according to the above method, wherein the SmartNFT is associated with the blockchain wallet of the owner (usually the company is the first owner after the SmartNFT is created) and is traded on a digital market provided by the company. The transaction method includes the following steps: (a.) creating an offer by the owner to the purchaser of the SmartNFT; (b.) if the purchaser of the SmartNFT accepts the offer on the digital market, generating a transfer document for transferring the SmartNFT, the transfer document involving at least one transfer condition; (c.) obtaining qualified digital signatures of the digital transfer document from the owner and the purchaser, and storing the digitally signed transfer document in a digital storage system in a secure and tamper-proof manner; (d) if the signed transfer document is stored in the digital storage system and all of the at least one transfer condition are met, the smart contract performs the following steps to transfer the SmartNFT: (i.) transferring the holding right of the SmartNFT from the blockchain wallet of the holder to the blockchain wallet of the purchaser, for example by (ii.) registering the purchaser as the holder of all NVSs in the NVS set associated with the transferred SmartNFT in the digital shareholder register; (e.) if one of the at least one transfer condition is not met, the transfer document and smart contract for transferring the SmartNFT are invalidated.

[0037] The first purchaser first acquires a combination of NVS shares and NFTs (SmartNFTs) from a self-financed company, which is recorded in a first transfer document (also known as a purchase document) and registered in the company's (blockchain-based) shareholder register. Subsequent transactions, such as transactions between the first purchaser (such as an investor) and other purchasers, will also be recorded in the digital shareholder register and additionally recorded in other transfer documents (also known as cession documents, which meet the legal requirements for share transfers). The transfer document involves the terms and conditions to be accepted and is qualified digitally signed by the seller and the purchaser. These purchase contracts are stored in a digital storage system (compliant with GDPR) in a secure and tamper-proof manner. The transfer document is a contract between the owner and the purchaser of the SmartNFT.

[0038] The initial value of an NFT can be determined through a valuation process by comparing the prices of competitors with similar asset structures. The initial value of an NVS is determined in the company's certificate of incorporation.

[0039] When a SmartNFT is created, the NFT and NVS remain owned by the self-funded company (either by itself or outsourced to a bank as a custodian if the company has the appropriate licenses) until the split process is executed. Only ownership and usage rights (which are stipulated in the terms and conditions and must be explicitly agreed to by the actual actors) are transferred from the previous owner to the next purchaser through qualified digital signatures from both parties in the purchase document. Subsequently, ownership of the SmartNFT involving the NFT and NVS is transferred to the new owner.

[0040] Other terms and conditions may apply to an NFT, NVS, or SmartNFT, which may be written into a digital term sheet and stored in a digital storage system. Such a term sheet may include, for example, copyright terms related to the digital artwork associated with the NFT.

[0041] In some embodiments of the transaction method, the purchaser may be approved and registered through a digitally implemented KYC process, and the purchaser's approved details may be stored in a digital storage system. Thus, all necessary data of the prospective purchaser may be verified through the KYC process and stored in the digital storage system to legally comply with the requirements of the respective jurisdiction.

[0042] In some embodiments, at least one condition defined in the transfer document for transferring a SmartNFT is selected from: the price of the SmartNFT, the price of the NVS associated with the SmartNFT, the price of the NFT associated with the SmartNFT, the payment amount, the payment deadline, the type of digital signature, the deadline for obtaining the digital signature, the address of the purchaser's blockchain wallet, the address of the owner's blockchain wallet, the deadline for fulfillment of the selected condition, and the signing of a term sheet for the NFT, NVS and / or SmartNFT.

[0043] Initial investment packages of, for example, 50, 500, and 5,000 SmartNFTs can be offered to a group of investors who are selected and verified through a KYC process (Know Your Customer) and whitelisted through the issuing self-funded company. Alternatively, in addition, a certain proportion of all SmartNFTs can be offered separately to the general public (also verified through a KYC process) for investment, in accordance with applicable regulatory laws.

[0044] The KYC process (Know Your Customer) can be implemented digitally to meet the legal requirements of the country where self-funded companies are registered for digital share exchanges.

[0045] For accounting purposes of digitally managed NVS within SmartNFT, a digital shareholder register of each NVS ownership is maintained, which can be implemented using blockchain technology to comply with legal regulations. Purchase contracts for commercial transactions are securely stored in a digital storage system, which is preferably GDPR-compliant.

[0046] The present invention also relates to a computer-implemented method implemented as a smart contract on a blockchain network to split a SmartNFT created or traded according to the above method, wherein the SmartNFT is associated with the owner's blockchain wallet. The splitting method includes the following steps: (a.) separating the NFT associated with the SmartNFT and transferring ownership of the separated NFT from the company to the owner of the SmartNFT; (b.) registering the company as the owner of each NVS of the NVS set associated with the SmartNFT in the digital shareholder register; (c.) destroying the SmartNFT.

[0047] In some embodiments, execution of the method for splitting a SmartNFT can be associated with at least one condition defined in a smart contract for splitting the SmartNFT, wherein the at least one condition is selected from: an NVS price associated with the SmartNFT, an NFT price associated with the SmartNFT, a payment amount, a payment term, a deadline for fulfilling the selected condition, and the earliest time after the SmartNFT is created until the split can be performed, and wherein the method for splitting the SmartNFT is executed only when the at least one selected condition is met.

[0048] Split transactions may be subject to additional conditions specified in the term sheet for the NFT, NVS, and / or smart contract. Such conditions could be set by the self-funded company, for example: (a) all SmartNFTs are sold, i.e., transferred to the purchaser at least once; (b) a specified minimum valuation of the asset associated with the NFT is reached; or (c) a predetermined time span is exceeded. Such conditions could be imposed on the smart contract used to split the SmartNFT.

[0049] After the split process is executed, ownership of all NVS will be legally transferred back to the self-funded company. Ownership of the NFTs involved in the SmartNFT will be transferred to the wallet of the SmartNFT owner. The SmartNFT will eventually be destroyed (deactivated).

[0050] The present invention also relates to a computing system for implementing the above-described method to create, trade, and split SmartNFTs. The system comprises: a digital shareholder register associated with a company, a blockchain wallet associated with the company, at least one blockchain wallet associated with a purchaser, and a digital storage system, preferably one that complies with GDPR. The digital shareholder register can be implemented on a blockchain network. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0052] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the objects and relationships associated with SmartNFT creation;

[0053] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the objects and relationships related to SmartNFT transactions;

[0054] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of objects and relationships related to SmartNFT splits. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0055] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of objects and relationships related to a method or system for establishing and bootstrapping Company 1 by creating SmartNFTs 5 is shown. To this end, Company 1 owns a set of non-voting shares 2 (NVS). Each NVS 2 in this set of NVS has a unique serial number (NVS_ID). The NVS 2 and NVS_ID are stored in a digital shareholder register 11 held by Company 1, which is preferably implemented on a blockchain network. Company 1 also holds digital or physical assets 4. These digital or physical assets 4 are titled by a set of non-fungible tokens 3 (NFTs) created by Company 1. Each NFT 3 in this set of NFTs has a unique digital identifier (NFT_ID).

[0056] The SmartNFT created by Company 1 is a smart contract created on the blockchain network and has a unique digital identifier (SmartNFT_ID). SmartNFT 5 links the NFT to one or more NVS and therefore involves an NFT_ID and one or more NVS_IDs (NVS_collection). The SmartNFT is associated with or stored in Company 1's blockchain wallet 10.

[0057] Example of creating NVS_collection:

[0058] An NVS_collection with a consecutive number #NVS_col can be constructed from linearly numbered NVSs (starting from 1 to the total number of NVSs) as follows: Assuming #assets is the total number of all NFTs and C_size is the selected number of NVSs to be bound in the collection, then in the collection with number #NVS_col, NVSs with numbers (#NVS_col-1)*C_size+j are bound, where j is from 1 to C_size. To achieve this binding, a portion of non-voting shares in the company's capital stock must be reserved for NVSs in a proportion that complies with legal requirements. If #assets is the number of NFTs, then the minimum number of NVSs must be greater than or equal to #assets*C_size.

[0059] The system also includes a digital storage system 12, which is preferably a GDPR-compliant digital storage system. Data 6 related to NFTs, NVSs, and SmartNFTs, particularly private data, is stored in the digital storage system 12. Only SmartNFT_ID, NFT_ID, and NVS_ID are stored in a publicly accessible blockchain in the blockchain infrastructure.

[0060] The initial creation of SmartNFTs is usually completed by a self-funded company before listing them on a trading market for initial investors to trade SmartNFTs.

[0061] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of objects and relationships associated with a method or system for trading SmartNFT 5 is shown. Before executing the first transaction, a SmartNFT previously created by Company 1 is associated with a wallet held by that company (the wallet of Owner 10'). The NVS 2 associated with the SmartNFT 5 is registered in Digital Shareholder Register 11. The owner of the SmartNFT 5 is registered in Digital Shareholder Register 11 as the owner of the NVS 2 associated with that SmartNFT 5.

[0062] To trade SmartNFT 5, Company 1 provides a digital marketplace where owners can create an offer for SmartNFT 5 to potential buyers of SmartNFT 5. If the offer is accepted by the buyer of SmartNFT 5, a digital transfer document 7 is created and stored in Company 1's digital storage system. Transfer document 7 contains all relevant information related to the transaction and the conditions that must be met to execute the transfer of ownership of SmartNFT 5. The first acquisition of SmartNFT 5 (i.e., the combination of NVS and NFT) from the company is recorded in the first digital transfer document (also called the purchase document). Each subsequent acquisition of a SmartNFT is recorded in another digital transfer document called a transfer instrument, which complies with the legal requirements of the jurisdiction where the transaction occurs.

[0063] If all conditions are met, the ownership of the SmartNFT 5 is transferred from the owner's blockchain wallet 10' (i.e., the company in the case of the first transaction) to the purchaser's blockchain wallet 10", and the purchaser becomes the new owner. At the same time, the purchaser is registered in the digital shareholder register 11 as the (new) owner of all NVS2 of the NVS set associated with the transferred SmartNFT 5.

[0064] When a SmartNFT 5 is traded, the NFT 3 and NVS 2 involved in the SmartNFT 5 will generally remain owned by the self-funded company until the spin-off process is initiated (see below). Only ownership and usage rights are transferred from the previous owner to the last purchaser of the SmartNFT through the qualified digital signatures in the transfer document 7 and the association of the SmartNFT with the purchaser's wallet 10".

[0065] If one of the transfer conditions is not met, the transfer document 7 and the smart contract for transferring the SmartNFT 5 are invalidated.

[0066] When a SmartNFT is traded (the owner accepts an offer from another investor), the attached conditions must be controlled and the actions taken in the transaction must be executed. It can be assumed that all the necessary data of the potential buyer is available and verified through the KYC process.

[0067] In some embodiments of the transaction method, the purchaser may be approved and registered through a digitally implemented KYC process, and the purchaser's approved details may be stored in a digital storage system. Thus, all necessary data of the prospective purchaser may be verified through a KYC process and stored in a digital storage system to legally comply with the requirements of the respective jurisdiction.

[0068] Therefore, when trading a SmartNFT, the following steps occur: 1. The interested owner makes an offer to a potential buyer of the SmartNFT; 2. The buyer accepts the offer, which initiates the creation of a contract note digitally signed by the owner in the form of a digital transfer document between the owner (seller) and the buyer; 3. The buyer digitally signs the contract note; 4. The buyer sends cryptocurrency to the owner's (seller's) wallet within a predetermined timeframe; 5. When the cryptocurrency arrives in the owner's (seller's) wallet within the predefined timeframe, ownership of the SmartNFT is registered in the buyer's wallet. The buyer can now see the new digital asset in their wallet's SmartNFT asset list. If the cryptocurrency does not arrive in time, the offer and purchase of the SmartNFT will no longer be valid, meaning the owner (seller) is no longer bound by the offer.

[0069] The purchase of SmartNFTs involving at least one NVS is always recorded in the digital shareholder register of the self-funded company. Therefore, the self-funded company knows the data of the last purchaser and seller as defined above, which not only meets legal requirements but also enables the execution of the unbundling process described below.

[0070] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of objects and relationships associated with a method or system for trading a SmartNFT 5 is shown. Prior to the split, the SmartNFT 5 is owned by a previous purchaser who is not Company 1, and ownership of the SmartNFT 5 is associated with the owner's blockchain wallet 10". Therefore, the owner of the SmartNFT 5 is registered in the digital shareholder register 11 as the legal owner of the NVS 2 associated with the SmartNFT 5. When certain conditions are met (set by the company and addressed in the term sheet for the SmartNFT, NFT and / or NVS), the company can initiate a split process. When the split process is initiated, the NFT associated with the SmartNFT is separated and ownership of the separated NFT is transferred from the company to the owner of the SmartNFT. Ownership is recorded in the owner's wallet 10". At the same time, the company is registered in the digital shareholder register as the owner of each NVS associated with the split SmartNFT. After the ownership of the NVS and NFT is transferred, the SmartNFT is destroyed, i.e., no longer has any functionality.

[0071] Typically, the split process is subject to conditions defined in the smart contract used to split the SmartNFT. These conditions can be, for example, the price of NVS and the amount the company pays the owner for the NVS.

[0072] Reference numerals

[0073] 1. Self-financing company (BC)

[0074] 2 non-voting shares (NVS)

[0075] 3. Non-fungible tokens (NFTs)

[0076] 4Physical / Digital Assets

[0077] 5SmartNFT

[0078] 6Private Data

[0079] 7. Transfer Documents

[0080] 10, 10', 10" blockchain wallet

[0081] 11 Digital shareholder register

[0082] 12 Digital Storage System

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for creating a SmartNFT for establishing and bootstrapping a company that owns a set of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) associated with digital or physical assets and a set of non-voting shares (NVS) from the company, the method comprising the following steps: On the computing system: a. Provide a unique digital identifier (NFT_ID) for each non-fungible token (NFT) in the set of NFTs; b. providing a unique serial number (NVS_ID) for each non-voting share (NVS) in the set of non-voting shares; c. Define the number n of NVS bound to each NFT in a ratio of n:1, where n ≥ 1; d. For each NFT: i. Bind n unbound NVSs into an NVS collection (NVS_collection); ii. Creating a SmartNFT having a unique digital identifier (SmartNFT_ID) as a smart contract minted on a blockchain network, wherein the SmartNFT refers to the NVS_IDs of the n NVSs in the NVS set and the NFT_ID of the NFT assigned to the NVS set; iii. Mark the NVS processed in steps i) and ii) as bound to avoid redundancy; e. For each SmartNFT created in step d): i. linking the SmartNFT to a blockchain wallet held by the Company; ii. Registering the Company as the owner of each bound NVS of the SmartNFT in a digital shareholder register held by the Company.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein a digital storage system is provided on the computing system, wherein the digital storage system is used to store private data related to the NFT, NVS and / or SmartNFT.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the digital storage system is a GDPR compliant secure digital storage system.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the digital shareholder register is implemented on a blockchain network.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein only the SmartNFT_ID and the associated NFT_ID and NVS_ID are stored in the blockchain infrastructure and can be accessed.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein at least a part of the method is implemented as a smart contract on a blockchain network.

7. A computer-implemented method implemented as a smart contract on a blockchain network to trade a SmartNFT created according to the method of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the SmartNFT is associated with an owner's blockchain wallet and traded on a digital marketplace provided by a company, the method comprising the following steps: a. Creation of an offer by the owner to a purchaser of the SmartNFT; b. if the purchaser of the SmartNFT accepts the offer on the digital marketplace, generating a digital transfer document for transferring the SmartNFT, the digital transfer document involving at least one transfer condition; c. obtaining qualified digital signatures of the digital transfer document from the owner and the purchaser, and storing the digitally signed transfer document in a secure and tamper-proof manner in the digital storage system; d. If the signed transfer document is stored in the digital storage system and all of the at least one transfer conditions are met, the smart contract performs the following steps to transfer the SmartNFT: i. Transferring ownership of the SmartNFT from the owner’s blockchain wallet to the purchaser’s blockchain wallet; ii. registering the purchaser in the digital shareholder register as the owner of all NVS in the NVS collection associated with the transferred SmartNFT; e. If one of the at least one transfer condition is not met, the transfer document and smart contract used to transfer the SmartNFT are invalidated.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the purchaser is approved and registered through a digitally implemented KYC process and the approved details of the purchaser are stored in the digital storage system.

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein at least one condition for transferring the SmartNFT defined in the transfer document is selected from the following: the price of the SmartNFT, the price of the NVS associated with the SmartNFT, the price of the NFT associated with the SmartNFT, the payment amount, the payment period, the type of digital signature, the period for obtaining the digital signature, the address of the blockchain wallet of the purchaser, the address of the blockchain wallet of the owner, and the period for fulfilling the selected condition.

10. A computer-implemented method implemented as a smart contract on a blockchain network to split a SmartNFT created or traded according to the method of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the SmartNFT is associated with an owner's blockchain wallet, the method comprising the following steps: a. Separate the NFT associated with the SmartNFT and transfer ownership of the separated NFT from the Company to the owner of the SmartNFT; b. registering the company as the owner of each NVS in the NVS collection associated with the SmartNFT in the digital shareholder register; c. Destroy the SmartNFT.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the execution of the method for splitting the SmartNFT is associated with at least one condition defined in the smart contract for splitting the SmartNFT, wherein the at least one condition is selected from the following: the price of the NVS associated with the SmartNFT, the price of the NFT associated with the SmartNFT, the payment amount, the payment period, the fulfillment period of the selected condition, the earliest time after the creation of the SmartNFT until the split is allowed to be performed, and wherein the method for splitting the SmartNFT is only executed when the at least one selected condition is met.

12. A computing system for executing the method according to any one of the preceding claims, the computing system comprising: A digital shareholder register associated with a company, a blockchain wallet associated with the company, at least one blockchain wallet associated with a purchaser, and a digital storage system, preferably a GDPR compliant digital storage system.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the digital shareholder register is implemented on a blockchain network.

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