How NFT Metadata Stores Provenance Information

When you buy an NFT, you’re not just buying a picture. You’re buying a digital certificate that says you own this specific version of something - whether it’s art, music, or a virtual sneaker. But here’s the problem: if the image disappears, or the website hosting it goes down, does your ownership still mean anything? That’s where NFT metadata comes in. It’s the hidden layer that keeps the story of who owned what, when, and how - alive, even when the platform vanishes.

What Exactly Is NFT Metadata?

NFT metadata is just data - plain text in JSON format - that describes what the NFT actually is. Think of it like a digital birth certificate. It includes the name, description, and image file link. But the most important part? It records the history. Who created it? When was it first minted? Who owned it before you?

This info isn’t stored directly on the blockchain. That’s too expensive. Ethereum charges about $1,200 per MB to store data on-chain. Instead, the blockchain holds a link - a pointer - to where the metadata lives. That link is called a tokenURI. It’s like a URL, but it’s designed to be tamper-proof. If someone changes the metadata file, the link breaks, and the blockchain knows something’s off.

How Provenance Gets Written Into the Metadata

Provenance means the full ownership history. A good NFT metadata file doesn’t just say, “This was made by X.” It says, “This was made by X on March 12, 2023. It was sold to Y on April 5, 2023. Then to Z on June 18, 2024.”

Most NFTs use the ERC-721 standard, which doesn’t force creators to include provenance fields. So many skip it. But the ones that matter - the ones you want to hold onto - include a history field. Some newer standards, like Hedera’s HIP-412, make it mandatory. They require creators to list the original artist, creation date, and a log of every transfer. That’s how you know it’s not a copy.

And here’s the key: the blockchain records every transfer. The metadata just tells you what was transferred. Together, they form a complete story. Without metadata, you have a transaction record with no context. With metadata, you have a verified, unchangeable timeline.

Where Is the Metadata Stored? (And Why It Matters)

There are three main places NFT metadata lives:

• Centralized servers - like Amazon Web Services or Cloudflare. Used by 63% of NFT projects because it’s easy. But if the company shuts down or gets sued, the art vanishes. In April 2025, Nike’s CloneX collection lost access to its images because Cloudflare blocked their server. The NFTs still existed on the blockchain - but the pictures? Gone. Provenance? Broken.
• IPFS (InterPlanetary File System) - a decentralized network. Used by 32% of collections. Files are stored across thousands of computers. Each file gets a unique hash (CID) based on its content. If someone changes the image, the hash changes. The blockchain link breaks. That’s how you know it’s been tampered with. But here’s the catch: if no one “pins” the file (keeps a copy alive), it can disappear in six months. 47% of unpinned IPFS files vanish within that time.
• Arweave - pays once, stores forever. Used by 5% of projects. You pay a one-time fee (around $0.03 per MB) and the file is stored permanently. No pinning needed. But it’s not widely supported yet, so not all wallets or marketplaces can read it.
• On-chain - stored directly on the blockchain. Only 0.3% of NFTs use this. CryptoPunks are the most famous example. It’s bulletproof - no link to break, no server to fail. But you can only fit about 4,000 characters. That’s enough for a simple SVG image, not a 10MB JPEG.

The best practice? Store the actual file on IPFS or Arweave, and put the hash of that file on-chain. That way, you can prove the file hasn’t changed. The 0N1 Force collection does this perfectly. Their metadata includes the exact hash of the image. Anyone can check it against the blockchain. If they match? The asset is real.

The Big Risk: Mutable Metadata

Here’s the scary part: 41% of NFT collections allow the creator to change the metadata after minting. That means the artist can swap out the image, delete the history, or even rename the NFT. Suddenly, your Bored Ape looks like a monkey holding a banana. And the blockchain has no way to stop it.

This isn’t theoretical. On Reddit, users posted about their NFTs losing their original art because the metadata was updated. One user’s $50,000 NFT became a low-res blurry image. The blockchain still showed him as the owner - but the asset he bought? Gone.

That’s why trusted collections lock their metadata. Once minted, it can’t be changed. That’s what makes it truly verifiable. If you’re buying an NFT, check if the metadata is immutable. If it’s not, you’re not buying ownership - you’re buying a promise that might disappear tomorrow.

What’s Changing in 2025?

The industry is waking up. In June 2024, the Ethereum Name Service (ENS) launched its Provenance Protocol. It embeds cryptographic proof of metadata integrity directly into NFTs. Now, you can verify not just that you own the token, but that the file it points to hasn’t been altered since minting.

NFT.Storage, which handled 2.7 million uploads in Q2 2024, now integrates with the Filecoin Virtual Machine. This lets smart contracts check if the file is still stored properly - no manual checks needed. That’s a huge step toward automation and trust.

Experts agree: the future is decentralized storage with on-chain verification. Vitalik Buterin said in early 2024, “NFTs without persistent metadata are just pointers to potentially ephemeral content.” Dieter Shirley from Dapper Labs warned that 60-70% of NFTs from 2021-2022 are already at risk because they rely on centralized servers.

By 2027, 95% of high-value NFTs are expected to use decentralized storage, according to Protocol Labs. But right now, 40-60% of NFTs created before 2023 could lose their provenance in five years if nothing changes.

What Should You Do?

If you’re collecting NFTs:

1. Check the metadata source. Is it on IPFS or Arweave? Look up the CID in a browser like ipfs.io (you can paste the CID there). If it loads, it’s live.
2. Verify the metadata is immutable. Look for a lock icon or a note from the project saying “metadata locked.” If it says “creator can update,” walk away.
3. Don’t trust marketplaces alone. OpenSea or Blur might show your NFT fine today. But if they go down, your access vanishes. Only the blockchain and the metadata file matter.
4. For high-value NFTs, download the metadata and image yourself. Save the JSON file and the image in two places. You never know when a platform will disappear.

If you’re creating NFTs:

1. Use IPFS or Arweave. Don’t use centralized servers.
2. Lock your metadata. Once it’s live, don’t give yourself the power to change it.
3. Include provenance fields: creator, creationDate, and history. Even if it’s not required, it builds trust.
4. Put the file hash on-chain. That’s your proof of authenticity.

Frequently Asked Questions