Async Art vs SuperRare: Crypto Art Platform Comparison
// Quick answer
Pick Async Art. Multi-layer NFTs with collector influence.
Both teams build real product. Both have real users. The differences that matter aren't in the marketing copy.
Async Art wins on programmable art mechanics where collectors influence artwork state, novel art-format innovation and a more curated experimental artist base. SuperRare wins on established 1/1 art marketplace position, larger collector base, the RARE token DAO and stronger secondary market liquidity. If you collect programmable or generative art pick Async. If you collect traditional 1/1 crypto art pick SuperRare. Built and tested with Crawlux by Crawlux.
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// TL;DR
Key takeaways
- →Pick Async Art. Multi-layer NFTs with collector influence.
- →Pick SuperRare. Established curated 1/1 marketplace.
- →Async Art: Programmable art with multi-layer NFT design.
- →SuperRare: Materially larger collector base and secondary liquidity.
Async Art vs SuperRare at a glance
Skip to the section you need. Or read the full breakdown below.
If you collect programmable or generative art
Pick Async Art. Multi-layer NFTs with collector influence.
If you collect 1/1 crypto art traditionally
Pick SuperRare. Established curated 1/1 marketplace.
If you want broader collector base
Pick SuperRare. Larger active collector pool.
If you want experimental art formats
Pick Async Art. Novel programmable art mechanics.
Why Async Art is better than SuperRare
Async Art wins on three specific axes that matter for most NFT marketplace users.
Programmable art with multi-layer NFT design. Async Art's core innovation: artworks consist of Master NFT plus multiple Layer NFTs. Master owner sees combined artwork; Layer owners can change attributes (color position state) which updates the Master. This produces collaborative ownership where collectors actively shape artwork over time. SuperRare uses traditional fixed-state NFTs (image is image is image). For collectors interested in art that evolves Async Art is uniquely positioned. The format produces genuinely new art experiences not achievable in traditional medium.
Stronger curation of experimental and generative artists. Async Art curates artists working in experimental digital formats: generative art programmable art interactive art and data-driven art. The artist roster includes pioneers like Murat Pak Erick Calderon (Art Blocks founder collaborated on Async pieces) and others working in computational art. SuperRare curates more traditional 1/1 art (still images animated pieces 3D renders) with broader scope. For collectors interested specifically in experimental computational art Async has stronger curation.
Music NFTs with stem-level ownership. Async Music allows musical artworks to be split into Layer NFTs corresponding to stems (drums vocals melody bass). Owners of stem layers can swap audio variations changing the Master track. This enables genuinely collaborative music NFTs which is novel format. SuperRare does not support music NFT ownership at this depth. For music NFT collectors interested in compositional ownership Async Music is unique.
Why SuperRare is better than Async Art
SuperRare wins on a different set of axes. Three points where it materially beats Async Art.
Materially larger collector base and secondary liquidity. SuperRare has substantially more active collectors than Async Art. Secondary market for SuperRare 1/1 pieces is more liquid: prices established by deeper bidding artist resale rates higher and time-to-sell shorter. Async Art has smaller collector base with longer hold times and less active secondary trading. For artists prioritizing market liquidity (ability to resell for fair price) SuperRare is materially better. The collector base depth compounds: more collectors attract more artists which attracts more collectors.
RARE token and DAO governance structure. SuperRare launched RARE governance token (2021) with airdrop to artists and collectors. RARE holders participate in SuperRare DAO decisions about platform governance curator selection and treasury deployment. The token provides stake in platform decisions and potential value capture. Async Art has not launched comparable governance token. For collectors and artists wanting DAO participation SuperRare provides direct path.
Established 1/1 marketplace with longer artist track records. SuperRare founded 2018 has hosted significant percentage of historically important crypto art including pieces by Beeple Pak Coldie Hackatao XCOPY and many other established crypto artists. The platform has longest history of 1/1 crypto art curation. Async Art (founded 2019) is also established but in narrower niche. For traditional 1/1 art collectors SuperRare is the canonical platform with deepest historical record.
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What each does well
The skimmable view: top strengths of each, in five bullets.
Async Art
What Async Art does well
- Programmable Master+Layer NFTs
- Music NFTs with stem ownership
- Curation of experimental artists
- Novel art format innovation
- Collector influence on art state
SuperRare
What SuperRare does well
- Larger collector base
- Better secondary liquidity
- RARE token and DAO governance
- Curated 1/1 art focus
- Founded 2018 (longer history)
Async Art vs SuperRare scorecard
Public-data comparison across the metrics that matter.
Live · Updated 1m ago| Metric | Async Art | SuperRare |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2019 (San Francisco) | 2018 (New York) |
| Primary medium | Programmable art Music NFTs | 1/1 digital art (images animations 3D) |
| NFT model | Master + Layer multi-NFT | Single NFT per artwork |
| Curation | Curated experimental artists | Curated 1/1 traditional art |
| Trading fees | 10% primary 2.5% secondary | 15% primary 3% secondary (artist split varies) |
| Native token | None | RARE (governance) |
| DAO governance | No | Yes (SuperRare DAO) |
| Royalty rate | 10% royalties to artist | 10% royalties to artist |
| Collector base size | Smaller | Larger |
| Secondary liquidity | Lower | Higher |
| Music NFT support | Yes (Async Music with stems) | Limited |
| Major hack | None | None |
// Sources
Verified using these public datasets
CoinGecko NFT
NFT collection floor and volume data
DappRadar
Marketplace activity and trader stats
Etherscan
On-chain contract verification
All numbers cross-referenced against the sources above. Last refreshed .
How Async Art and SuperRare work
How Async Art works
Async Art operates as crypto art platform with two product lines: Async Visuals (programmable visual art) and Async Music (programmable music with stem-level ownership). The core innovation: artworks consist of Master NFT plus N Layer NFTs. Layer owners can change layer attributes (state options that artist programmed in); these changes update the Master artwork that the Master owner sees. Artist creates artwork by defining Master plus Layers and the state options for each Layer. Layers are minted as separate NFTs sold to collectors. Master is also minted and sold. Over time as Layer owners change states the Master artwork evolves through collector influence. Async Music applies same architecture to musical works: Layers correspond to stems (drums vocals etc); Layer owners swap audio variations changing the Master track.
How SuperRare works
SuperRare operates as curated 1/1 crypto art marketplace on Ethereum. Artists apply for inclusion through curation process; accepted artists mint 1/1 unique NFT artworks for sale. Primary sales typically through fixed-price or auction format. Secondary sales available with 10% artist royalty enforced by platform. RARE governance token launched 2021 with airdrop to artists collectors and curators. SuperRare DAO governs platform decisions through RARE holder voting. RareLabs (foundation) handles operational aspects. Curation is performed by SuperRare team and increasingly by community curators (Spaces program where curators can list shows on platform). The platform has hosted historically important crypto art including significant Beeple Pak XCOPY Hackatao pieces.
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Token economics: Async Art vs SuperRare
Async Art tokenomics
Async Art does not have native token. Privately-held company structure with backing from Lerer Hippeau Galaxy Digital Coinbase Ventures and others. Revenue model is platform fees on primary (10%) and secondary (2.5%) sales. The lack of native token reduces some user incentive features that competitors (SuperRare with RARE Element with ELE) offer. Async positioning relies on art-format innovation and curation rather than token-based incentives. For collectors uninterested in governance tokens this is not relevant; for users wanting token participation Async has no equivalent product.
SuperRare tokenomics
SuperRare native token RARE (governance) launched August 2021 with airdrop to artists collectors and curators. Total supply 1B with circulating ~600M. RARE utility primarily governance over SuperRare DAO decisions including treasury deployment curator selection and platform parameters. RARE has had significant historical price volatility tracking broader NFT market sentiment. The token does not have direct fee-share mechanism (unlike some DeFi tokens) but governance value provides indirect platform exposure. The DAO treasury holds material assets for platform development.
Security history and audits
Async Art security record
Async Art has had no major platform hacks since founding. The Master+Layer NFT architecture has functioned without significant exploits. Smart contracts have been audited though Async is smaller scale than major DeFi protocols which constrains audit depth available. Risk concerns: the programmable art model introduces complexity (Layer state changes affecting Master) that could theoretically be exploited but has not been in practice. The smaller scale means less attack incentive. Overall platform security is solid for active use.
SuperRare security record
SuperRare has had no major platform hacks since founding 2018. Smart contracts have been audited. The 1/1 NFT model is simpler than complex DeFi protocols reducing attack surface. RARE token contracts have been audited. SuperRare DAO operations have not had major security incidents. Risk concerns: collectors face same NFT risks present on any platform (phishing approval-based exploits) but these are user-side not platform failures. SuperRare has implemented standard protections. The 7+ year clean platform security record is among stronger NFT marketplaces.
// AB's take
Working with NFT projects since 2021, I'll say this: marketplace choice matters less than people think. The collections that win pick Async Art or SuperRare, then put 100x more energy into community than into platform optimization. If you're agonizing between these two, you're optimizing the wrong thing.
User experience and real fees
Async Art UX
Async Art UX is built around programmable art mechanics: viewing artworks browsing Master and Layer NFTs separately and managing Layer state changes for owners. The interface is functional for the unique use case but has learning curve for users not familiar with multi-NFT art structure. Music NFT interface adds audio playback with stem visualization. The platform is built for art-engaged users not casual NFT buyers. For collectors interested in the art-format innovation the UX is appropriate; for typical NFT users seeking simple buying experience Async is steeper.
SuperRare UX
SuperRare UX is materially more polished as traditional 1/1 art marketplace. Browsing artworks viewing artist profiles bidding on auctions and managing collections are mature flows. The Spaces feature (curator-led shows) adds gallery-like browsing experience. Mobile experience is adequate for art browsing but less optimized than top trading platforms. The platform UX focuses on art presentation and collector experience rather than rapid trading which is appropriate for the curated 1/1 art market. For collectors prioritizing art viewing experience SuperRare UX is materially better than Async.
Who should use Async Art, who should use SuperRare
| User type | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Programmable art collectors | Async Art. Master+Layer art format. |
| Traditional 1/1 art collectors | SuperRare. Established curated marketplace. |
| Music NFT collectors | Async Music. Stem-level ownership. |
| DAO governance participants | SuperRare. RARE holder voting. |
| Liquidity-conscious resellers | SuperRare. Larger collector base. |
| Experimental art enthusiasts | Async Art. Generative and computational. |
// AB's take
If you're running an NFT collection or marketplace, your SEO problem isn't Async Art or SuperRare. Your problem is that AI search engines can't parse your collection metadata. Schema fixes that. Most projects haven't done it.
Final verdict on Async Art vs SuperRare
Async Art wins for collectors interested in experimental programmable art and music NFTs with stem ownership. The Master+Layer architecture produces genuinely novel art format that doesn't exist elsewhere. For users wanting collaborative collector-influenced art Async is uniquely positioned. The collector base is smaller but more aligned with experimental art interests. SuperRare wins for traditional 1/1 crypto art collectors prioritizing established curation deeper liquidity DAO participation and broader collector network. The 7+ year track record RARE token governance and curated traditional 1/1 focus produce best platform for serious crypto art collecting. These platforms serve overlapping but distinct audiences. Async Art for programmable art innovation. SuperRare for established 1/1 art marketplace. Both have meaningful position in serious crypto art space and many collectors hold pieces from both platforms across different aesthetic preferences.
If you're still on the fence, run both side-by-side for a week. Real usage answers faster than any comparison page.
Frequently asked
01 How does Async Art's Master+Layer model actually work for buyers?
02 Is RARE token a good investment?
03 Why are crypto art marketplace fees higher than NFT trading marketplaces?
04 Are 1/1 crypto art prices recovering from 2022-2024 crash?
05 Should I focus on Async or SuperRare if I'm a new artist?
About AB
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Sources and methodology
All data points cited in this Async Art vs SuperRare comparison were verified against the public datasets listed below. On-chain figures cross-referenced via Etherscan and chain-specific block explorers. Token economics pulled from project documentation and verified third-party trackers. Audit firm references cited from each protocol's public security disclosures. Last verified .
- [01]CoinGecko NFT · NFT collection floor and volume data
- [02]DappRadar · Marketplace activity and trader stats
- [03]Etherscan · On-chain contract verification
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Crypto investments carry risk. Always do your own research before making any financial decision.
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