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GLOSSARY · BLOCKCHAIN & WEB3

ERC-1155

Hybrid standard that allows both fungible and non-fungible tokens to be created in the same contract.

WHAT IS IT? · FOR DUMMIES

ERC-1155 is like a magic box that holds different types of things. It can have the same coins (such as the chips in a game) and also unique objects (such as special swords or digital art). Everything is in one place and is very practical, especially for video games or platforms with many different NFTs.

WHAT IS IT? · PRO

ERC-1155 is an Ethereum token standard proposed by Enjin in 2018 that introduces an architecture Multitoken, able to manage fungible, non-fungible and semifungible tokens within a single smart contract. Unlike ERC-20 (for fungible tokens) or ERC-721 (for non-fungible tokens), ERC-1155 allows multiple types of assets to be represented under a single contract, reducing gas consumption and improving transaction efficiency. Its optimized structure is ideal for projects that require multiple instances of similar or different tokens, such as video games, marketplaces, digital art, or mixed collections.

Each token is identified by a ID unique, and its behavior (fungible or not) is defined by the logic of the contract. For example, a game can issue 1,000 units of token ID 1 (a fungible currency) and just 1 unit of token ID 2 (a legendary NFT sword), all from the same contract. In addition, ERC-1155 allows batch transfers (BatchTransfer) and efficient approval management (SetApprovalForAll), which dramatically reduces costs when operating multiple assets at the same time. This standard is also compatible with dynamic metadata interfaces, making it ideal for evolutionary NFTs, objects with levels, modifiable attributes, or integrations with external systems.

In short, ERC-1155 combines the flexibility of ERC-721 and ERC-20 in a more powerful, economical and scalable solution, and has established itself as the preferred standard in Web3 games, hybrid collections and platforms that need to handle large volumes of digital assets with efficiency and security.

01 / Key points

  • Allows fungible, non-fungible, and mixed tokens in a single contract
  • Use unique identifiers (ID) to distinguish between different assets
  • Compatible with batch transfers and reduced gas fees
  • Ideal for video games, complex collections and tokenized economies
  • Optimizes performance and reduces the number of contracts deployed

02 / Advantages

  • Higher gas efficiency: Fewer transactions and lower cost for multiple operations
  • Technical flexibility: a single contract can issue many types of tokens
  • Perfect for gaming and metaverses: where there are multiple objects with different properties
  • Batch transfers and single approval: improves usability and automation
  • Operational scalability: ideal for managing large volumes of NFTs or mixed tokens

03 / Disadvantages

  • Increased technical complexity with respect to ERC-721 or ERC-20
  • Requires specific compatibility in marketplaces for proper viewing
  • Difficulty representing unique property if not properly designed
  • Lower adoption than other standards, although rapidly growing
  • More demanding metadata management, especially if they are dynamic or evolutionary