Our gratitude goes to the Nexa community for their efforts in participating and improving the platform. The community event, followed by the latest update to NiftyArt, brings exactly that: a sweeping backend overhaul centered on a new PostgreSQL-powered database, along with a range of front-end fixes, performance enhancements, and important guidance for users managing NFTs on the platform.
Most critically, this update introduces a new database schema, which means all existing NFTs must be re-listed. This ensures data consistency and allows the new system to properly index and display assets within the upgraded marketplace. If you’re a creator, collector or seller on NiftyArt, we highly recommend reviewing the changes below and taking a moment to re-list your NFTs to maintain visibility and sale readiness.
A New Foundation: Migrating to PostgreSQL
At the heart of this update is the transition from SQLite to PostgreSQL, a move that significantly improves scalability and long-term maintainability for NiftyArt. PostgreSQL brings advanced features like robust concurrency handling, optimized queries, and better integration with error monitoring systems like Sentry, which has now been fully implemented to capture and report backend issues in real time.
Key changes in database architecture:
-
Replaced legacy SQLite backend with Postgres
-
Introduced a new connection configuration format for managing database environments
-
Updated README and config templates to guide deployment
-
Added safety features like default values and warnings for misconfigurations
-
Preserved MySQL compatibility where necessary, aligning with previous partial support
These architectural changes enhance performance and lay the groundwork for more dynamic NFT features in the future.
Important Note: Please Re-list Your NFTs
With the database overhaul, existing NFT entries stored under the prior structure are no longer valid in the current system. This means that creators and sellers must manually re-list their NFTs in order for them to appear in the updated marketplace.
The re-listing process remains simple and intuitive, and is crucial to ensure your assets continue to appear in search results, recommendations, and shuffle views. Failure to re-list will result in assets being invisible to buyers.
UX Enhancements and Front-End Improvements
While the backend has undergone major changes, the frontend has received equal attention, thanks to user feedback loops and QA testing. These changes streamline the browsing and listing experience, particularly for mobile users, and improve visual clarity across the platform.
Major UI/UX updates include:
-
Visual consistency: Adjustments to padding, spacing, and hierarchy across all views
-
Improved NFT discovery: A new shuffle button allows users to explore NFTs with a randomized seed per site load
-
Deterministic randomness: Seed logic ensures consistent pagination and discovery flow
-
Search reliability: Resolved race conditions between search input and backend queries
-
Better error handling: Clear toasts and feedback for failed listing attempts
-
Mobile optimization: Redesigned asset and checkout interfaces to improve usability on smaller screens
-
Progress indicators: Loading bars and empty-state components improve navigation feedback
These enhancements ensure that creators can manage listings more intuitively, while buyers enjoy a smoother and more engaging browsing experience.
Improved Validation and Listing Logic
A previously overlooked file-naming bug caused by case sensitivity during validation has been fixed, this corrects issues where filenames failed to match server expectations, particularly on Linux environments. Developers have also added more descriptive error messages during NFT upload and validation, helping creators quickly understand and resolve issues.
Additional safeguards have also been introduced for price inputs, now enforcing boundaries between 0.01 and 21 trillion Nexa, to prevent mislistings or accidental pricing errors.
Deployment and Developer Tools
For teams and builders using NiftyArt under custom deployments, this update simplifies setup and maintenance:
-
Gradle support added: You can now build the web app with ./gradlew distZip without needing to load the project in an IDE like IntelliJ
-
Token authority setup: Deployment instructions have been clarified,wallets must be funded for token creation and transfer to complete successfully
-
Config example fixes: Updated default parameters for smoother deployment, including Vue Nuxt path defaults
To Sum Up
This update marks a significant milestone for NiftyArt, both under the hood and on the surface. With the transition to PostgreSQL and a wide range of improvements in both frontend usability and backend stability, the platform is now better equipped to handle scale, reliability, and evolving user needs.
If you’re an artist, collector, or marketplace participant, the most important step is to log in and re-list your assets to ensure they remain visible in the marketplace. This small step helps sync your NFT data with the new database and ensures your listings benefit from all the new enhancements.
As always, the NiftyArt team thanks you for your continued support and feedback. We look forward to bringing you even more improvements as we continue building the future of NFT marketplaces on Nexa.
and I’m absolutely looking forward to the next NiftyArt community event 
