ERC-8060: IERC721Value — Embedding native ETH inside ERC-721 tokens

ERCs
1

Hello everyone :wave:

This is an early-stage concept I’ve been developing called TEN.IO, which proposes a way for ERC-721 tokens to embed native ETH value directly within their logic.

I’m sharing it here to open a technical discussion about its potential standardization and implications for Ethereum’s cultural and economic layers.

:brick: Overview

The idea extends the current ERC-721 standard by introducing an interface called IERC721Value.

Each NFT can hold a verifiable ETH balance within the contract itself, not through wrapping or delegation.
The embedded value is transparent, withdrawable (via burn()), and fully on-chain — linking artistic, cultural, or symbolic data with real ETH collateral.

This enables new forms of digital assets that act as reservoirs of ETH-backed culture, where each fragment of art or code carries intrinsic, measurable value.

:gear: Interface draft (simplified)

interface IERC721Value is IERC721 {
    function valueOf(uint256 tokenId) external view returns (uint256);
    function mint(address to) external payable returns (uint256 tokenId);
    function burn(uint256 tokenId) external returns (uint256 refunded);
}

:globe_with_meridians: Use cases

  • Art and media fragments that embed verifiable ETH reserves
  • NFTs representing cultural or educational works with intrinsic liquidity
  • Tokenized archives where each asset holds its own collateral
  • Long-term storage of symbolic value directly on-chain

:jigsaw: Key difference

Unlike ERC-20 or wrapped models, the ETH never leaves the NFT contract.
The token itself is the vault — an autonomous unit of value and meaning.

:brain: Motivation

This proposal aims to bridge Ethereum’s financial layer with its cultural layer, giving each creative output measurable economic weight without intermediaries.

:mag: Next steps

I’d love to hear thoughts on:

  • Possible integration paths with ERC-721 extensions
  • Security considerations for ETH holding per token
  • Whether this could evolve into a formal ERC standard

:package: Full reference

Test implementation (Sepolia):
Deployed and verified as part of the TEN.IO system.

IPFS video demonstration:
:movie_camera: https://ipfs.io/ipfs/bafybeifyzmymkdjkovo25z4kglt6bglcmy5ajpjpw5qjvhctnkcquwi4la

:coin: Summary

ERC-721 tokens capable of holding native ETH —
transforming NFTs from representations of value into containers of value.

:eight_spoked_asterisk: Author

TEN.IO
@ten_io_meta on X
ENS: tenio.eth
Website: https://tenio.eth.limo

:white_check_mark: Category: Magicians › Primordial Soup
:white_check_mark: Tags: ERC721, ETH, NFT, protocol, value

2

Open for community feedback.
Looking forward to hearing thoughts from other ERC authors and protocol engineers.

3

I had an earlier proposal of taking this a step further and turn an NFT into a smart wallet

4

Thanks for the recent discussion about ERC-6551 and ERC-7978 — both are great references.

Just to clarify, ERC-8060 goes one step further: it allows native ETH to be embedded directly inside an ERC-721 token, so the NFT itself can hold and release real ETH value without needing a separate registry or external account abstraction.

In that sense, it turns the NFT into a self-contained smart wallet.

I’d really appreciate any feedback on interoperability with 6551 or 7978, or suggestions for maintaining ERC-721 compliance while embedding value.

5

Thanks for the reference — the concept of NFTs acting as smart wallets is indeed an interesting direction.

In fact, ERC-8060 starts exactly from that premise: by embedding native ETH directly inside the token, the NFT itself becomes the wallet, maintaining its own balance without relying on an external account or wrapper contract.

The goal is to simplify the abstraction layer — merging value (ETH) and identity (NFT) into a single on-chain entity.

6

Update — Value clarification + live implementation

Quick clarification regarding value units inside the current implementation:

  • Fragment 0 (El Umbral) mints at 0.012 ETH
    and keeps 0.010 ETH embedded as native collateral.
  • Future fragments (songs / chapters) will follow the structure of
    mint 0.12 ETH → hold 0.10 ETH as collateral,
    but the current early fragment uses a lower value since it acts as the “entry threshold” of the system.

Website (ENS): https://tenio.eth.limo

The goal remains the same:

The NFT itself becomes the vault — a self-contained unit of value + meaning.

Happy to receive feedback on:

  • compatibility with existing ERC-721 extensions,
  • security trade-offs holding ETH per token,
  • whether embedding native ETH should evolve into a formal ERC.
7

Hi everyone :wave:

Just a quick follow-up — the ERC-8060 PR (#1315) has passed all checks and is now waiting for editorial assignment.
The reference implementation is already live on Sepolia and Mainnet, following the same structure used in TEN.IO (mint 0.012 ETH → holds 0.010 ETH as native collateral).

Would appreciate any thoughts or feedback on how native ETH embedding compares to related discussions like ERC-6551 or ERC-6909.
Thanks for keeping the standards process alive and open :pray: