In a first of its kind, a couple from Pune have taken their marriage to a next level by conducting it via blockchain technology from the OpenSea platform. Anil Narasipuram and Shruti Nair from Pune got married on the blockchain. In what is being dubbed as 'India's first blockchain wedding', the couple took their vows while seated before their computers and in the presence of a 'digital priest'.
As they exchanged vows while seated before their laptops, their family and friends watching them on Google Meet. The groom, in a Linkedin post said that he and his wife had a registered marriage in a courtroom due to the pandemic on November 15, 2021. Later they decided to immortalise their union by using blockchain technology.
In contrast to traditional Indian weddings that goes on for days, the blockchain ceremony concluded in just 15 minutes. The couple sealed the deal with an Ethereum smart contract that consecrated their commitment to each other in the form of an NFT minted on OpenSea.
To create the one-of-a-kind digital token (NFT) that is permanently linked to a piece, encrypted with the user's signature they used a photo of the bride’s engagement ring with the vows embedded in the image. The special token was named 'ekatvam', which means 'oneness' in Sanskrit.
How the marriage took place
The couple set up Metamask wallets and their digital priest minted the NFT on OpenSea and transferred it to them.
NFT or non-fungible tokens are digital files that serve as digital signatures to certify who owns photos, videos and other online media.
NFTs allow people to buy and sell ownership of unique digital items and keep track of who owns them using the blockchain.
Guests joined in to witness the event on Google Meet. The couple read out their vows after which they received blessings from the digital priest.
The groom then confirmed the transaction to transfer the non-fungible digital token, NFT to his wife's digital wallet.
The bride and groom sat next to each other on their laptops and completed the transaction in a 15-minute ceremony officiated by the priest.
In March 2021, a US couple during their traditional Jewish ceremony exchanged virtual rings (NFTs) using their smartphones.
