NFTs on Monero in 2026: Goodbye Mordinals, Welcome Tari

The Developer's Choice Is Clear

If you've been following the Monero ecosystem, you've probably heard about the controversy surrounding Mordinals — the attempt to bring NFTs to Monero by inscribing data directly onto the blockchain using the tx_extra field.

The Monero community has been vocal about their concerns. Mordinals threaten the very foundation of what makes Monero special: fungibility and privacy. By associating unique data with transaction outputs, they compromise the untraceable nature of the network.

But here's the good news: there's now a better way.
Enter Tari: The Official Solution

Tari is an open-source, privacy-by-default blockchain protocol designed specifically for issuing and exchanging digital assets like NFTs, tickets, loyalty points, and in-game items.

What makes Tari different?
Feature Mordinals Tari
Approach Inscribing data on Monero blockchain Dedicated sidechain designed for digital assets
Privacy Risks compromising fungibility Privacy-by-default with MimbleWimble
Status Controversial, community-hostile Official mainnet launched May 6, 2025
Development Stalled Active — v5.4.0 and beyond
Community Divided Growing — 700,000+ users already mining

Tari was founded by Monero maintainer Riccardo "fluffypony" Spagni and a team of experienced developers. It's structured as a merge-mined sidechain to the Monero network, meaning you can mine Tari tokens (XTM) alongside Monero (XMR) using the same mining power.
The Two-Token Model

Tari uses an elegant dual-token architecture:

Minotari (XTM) — The Layer 1 proof-of-work coin. Anyone with a Mac or PC can download the Tari Universe app and start mining XTM in minutes. No expensive hardware required — it works with consumer-grade computers.

Tari Token (XTR) — The Layer 2 token that powers dApps, DeFi, NFTs, and more on the Tari network. You get XTR by burning 1 XTM to receive 1 XTR, creating a sustainable economic model.

For Developers: Getting Started with Tari NFTs

Tari is built in Rust, a modern systems programming language. The developer experience is designed to be accessible:

1. Smart Contracts = Templates

In Tari, smart contracts are called templates. The core library is tari_template_lib, which provides everything you need to create and manage digital assets.

1. Resource Types

Tari supports multiple resource types natively:
rust

pub enum ResourceType {
Fungible, // Interchangeable tokens
NonFungible, // Unique, indivisible NFTs[reference:25]
Confidential, // Privacy-protected fungible tokens[reference:26]
Stealth, // Highest level of confidentiality[reference:27]
}

1. Creating an NFT Resource

Here's a simplified example using the ResourceManager:
rust

use tari_template_lib::resource::{ResourceManager, ResourceType};
use tari_template_lib::auth::{OwnerRule, ResourceAccessRules};

let mut manager = ResourceManager::get(resource_address);
let (address, bucket) = manager.create(
ResourceType::NonFungible, // NFT collection
owner_rule,
access_rules,
metadata, // Name, description, media URLs
mint_arg // Initial tokens to mint
);

Each NFT is uniquely identifiable within its parent resource and indivisible.

1. Test Without a Live Network

Tari provides a test harness that lets you compile and test templates without running a live network:
rust

use tari_template_test_tooling::TestEngine;

// Initialize engine with built-in faucet
let engine = TestEngine::new();
// Deploy and test your template

Getting Started: Your First Steps

Download Tari Universe — The beautifully simple desktop mining app. Available at tari.com/downloads.

Sync with the mobile wallet — Over 700,000 users are already mining. The mobile app lets you track rewards and manage your portfolio.

Study the documentation:

    Developer Lessons: tari.com/lessons

    API Docs: docs.rs — search for tari_template_lib

    RFCs: rfc.tari.com — includes proposals like "NFT sale using MimbleWimble Invoice"

Join the community — Tari is open-source and community-driven. Contributors include Monero, Rust Lightning, and the Tower project.

What Can You Build?

With Tari, the possibilities are vast:

Private NFTs — Collectibles with real privacy

Event tickets — Secure, transferable, and private

In-game items — Own your gaming assets

Loyalty points — Business-ready digital assets

DeFi applications — On the Tari Layer 2 (the "Ootle")

The Bottom Line

Mordinals are a dead end. The community rejects them, they threaten Monero's privacy, and development is stalled.

Tari is the future. It's built by the people who built Monero, designed from the ground up for digital assets, and it's already live and growing.

The mainnet launched on May 6, 2025. Over 700,000 people are already mining. The developer tools are maturing, and the ecosystem is expanding.

The time to start building on Tari is now.