Common Utility:

Currently, the utility that most projects offer rotate around the WEB3/NFT space and no project (to my knowledge) has successfully integrated real-life benefits/utility with NFTs.

In terms of the future of NFTs (or basically long-term longevity of projects), real-life integration is necessary in my opinion as it onboards more people into the market and that's pretty much how the market will grow and move towards mass adoption.

How can NFTs provide real-life utility?

Owning a unique token on the blockchain (NFT) gives you access to exclusivities, these can range from membership & loyalty programs, education, clubs, gym memberships, fashion, etc. These are just some examples where NFTs can easily be integrated, as the market grows we may be able to see more opportunities arise in different industries.

Integrating NFTs within real-life can be explained using an example of a high-end membership club or networking hub. There are many expensive membership clubs where VCs, angel investors, and high-end corporate people pay thousands of dollars yearly to network and learn from others (ofc there are other perks of joining the club as well). NFTs can be substituted for the memberships, this gives power back to the consumer as they would be able to sell the membership down the line and the club would receive royalties as well. Similarly, in fashion we can see brands collab with NFT projects to offer holder benefits like discounts or exclusive items, I saw this for the first time when IF partnered with KITH. In the future, I see NFTs being integrated similar to the use cases shown above in different businesses rather than being exchanged/traded in a single market.

With that being said, it is also important to note that most industries/businesses won't require NFTs but as the use cases of NFTs become common the demand for them would increase amongst the average consumers as NFTs give value back to the consumer while benefiting the source.

Final Words,

Watching the current pattern in the market, it seems like people are starting to identify projects that do not provide any value for holding them and we can see a transition from projects that do not add any value back into the ecosystem to projects with a proven track record (in terms of the team if the project is new). I’ve stated this before as well but this is how I see the market moving therefore if you plan on grinding weeks/months on any project please make sure to do some research and see if that project fits the current market criteria, if they have a proven track record prior to NFTs and if they add value back to the ecosystem. If they meet these requirements, more people would want to hold the NFT long-term and good flips/profits come from projects where people are looking to hold that project rather than exit with a quick flip.