Non-Fungible Plants could be the future of decentralised eco-data centres

France – In a ground-breaking intersection of art, technology and nature, artist Cyrus Clarke is growing Non-Fungible Plants (NFPs) – living plants with encoded digital data in their DNA. Positioned as a solution to the carbon footprint of digital infrastructure, NFPs explore the potential of biological computing for sustainable data storage.

NFPs, hosted on the 3D garden website NFP.garden, pioneer a new paradigm for data storage. Clarke envisages a community of ‘gardeners’ supporting this project, addressing the concept of Data Warming and offering a greener alternative to traditional data storage and even energy-intensive decentralised blockchain systems.

The NFP project unfolds in phases, with the ongoing Pre-Seed Round inviting participants to collect digital artworks, fostering awareness and raising funds. The subsequent Seed Round allows collectors to grow unique digital seeds, culminating in the Initial Plant Offering, where participants become part of the world’s first Non-Fungible Plant.

The project not only pushes the boundaries of synthetic biology, but also offers a visionary perspective on addressing climate change challenges.

Cyrus Clarke’s NFPs symbolise a harmonious future where technology will co-exist with nature, offering hope for a planet regenerated through innovative data solutions. In Preserving Digital Legacies, we profiled similar innovators safeguarding data in new kinds of hardware to build a sustainable future where memories can still be owned and cherished.