Skurpy: The Social NFT Marketplace

As legacy social media platforms continue to decline, a wave of alternatives is emerging, with each claiming to be the next big thing. Yet, many of these platforms feel like mere replicas of the status quo, offering little in the way of true innovation. Others lean too far into catering to specific political interests, adding to the echo chambers already reinforced by today’s algorithms.

Social media should be a space for open expression, where sharing content isn’t limited by gatekeepers. The goal should be to provide global and affordable access for people to exchange ideas, collaborate, and create. The introduction of blockchains like Tezos, for example, open a door for many new ways to improve social media experiences. With NFTs and wallet based log-ins, users can monetize their content in a more independent manner, while building a borderless community along the way.

What if there were a platform that seamlessly combined old and new?
A place where posting content and listing artwork for sale felt intuitive and rewarding? Enter Skurpy, a social media hub and NFT marketplace designed for everyone, offering the tools and functionality today’s users expect, plus much more. Let’s take a closer look at this new platform launching March 13th with its first blockchain integration being powered by Tezos. As we dive into the details please keep in mind that Skurpy is currently in Beta, and going through the process of security reviews.

The Back Story #

Timmy Halaby started Skurpy in his basement with nothing but a credit card and a bold vision. The first version launched in 2021 and attracted over 20,000 users, but it had its limitations. Built on WordPress with no Web3 integration, it lacked the foundation needed to compete in a rapidly evolving social media landscape. A full rebuild was necessary for long-term success.

By actively supporting artists and hosting some of the biggest Twitter Spaces for NFT communities at the time, Timmy grew Skurpy’s following to over 100,000 on X. These massive community experiences also inspired him to create something bigger. Something that went beyond social media, by incorporating blockchain and an NFT marketplace.

With the help of lead developer Shahin, the new iteration of Skurpy is designed to offer the ultimate user experience. A place where people can freely express themselves in posts called “Skurps,” connect through direct messages and group chats, and engage in a tokenized ecosystem that rewards creation and participation. All powered by blockchains like Tezos and the many benefits Web3 technology brings.

Some Platform Features To Look Forward To #

Signing in with a Tezos wallet is seamless, letting users take advantage of low transaction fees and permissionless access, on a blockchain that simply works well.

At its core, Skurpy delivers all the essential features that define a top-tier NFT marketplace, with direct peer-to-peer NFT trading via fixed-price listings and auctions. Plus, it has the ability to create and manage custom collection contracts.

The discovery feed showcases trending collections and even goes an extra step to showcase genesis artworks from artists new to the platform. This balances the spotlight between popular and less known artists using Skurpy.

Another standout feature is honoring on-chain royalties for collections and individual editions. This is a functionality that remains a priority for the Tezos community and ensures artists are compensated for sales of their art on secondary markets.

On the social side, Skurpy fosters real-time engagement with a timeline for posts, personal feeds, direct messaging, and group chats. The platform incorporates gamification by rewarding users with points for unlocking achievements, signing in daily, mining, inviting friends, minting, and collecting. More details on the points and leaderboard system will be revealed as launch day approaches. If you want to keep up with updates, be sure to follow Skurpy on X.

Together, these features create a dynamic hub where creators can thrive and push the boundaries of digital art and social expression.

Other Notable and Upcoming Features #

Skurpy’s profile pages are structured into three sections: Skurps (posts), Created, and Collected. This keeps a clear divide between standard social content and NFTs, a design choice that could help onboard newcomers to Web3 while avoiding confusion.

Another feature that will help with learning curves is the ability to gift and send NFTs to other users on Skurpy with only their usernames. The option will be found under the transfer tab.

There’s also an AI-powered feature in development, though details are still under wraps. Given the direction of the platform, it’s likely this tool will assist with discovery or perhaps even art creation.

A Good UI and UX(User Interface and Experience) #

When it comes to social media, UI and UX can make or break a platform. The average internet user expects certain standards like multiple feeds based on popularity, following, and real-time activity. Skurpy delivers a recognizable yet unique social media experience, refining familiar elements without copying them outright. The layout is intuitive on both desktop and mobile, with continuous improvements in development.

While writing this article, Timmy and Shahin rolled out three significant UI updates in just one week. That kind of hustle gives me confidence that they’re committed to shipping a great product on March 13th and keeping it updated well into the future.

Dark Mode Soon? #

As you can see in the screen shot above, there does appear to be plans for “themes”, which almost always means dark mode. You can also toggle notifications and find your referral codes in the settings. To navigate to settings, click on your name at bottom left and then go to “more…”.

Passionate Builders And Self Funded Development #

Timmy and Shahin are building Skurpy without outside funding, proving that true innovation doesn’t always require venture capital. At launch, there will be no platform fees for creating collections, meaning only blockchain gas and storage fees will apply, and for Tezos, these fees are near zero. Once Skurpy is more established however, a 1–2 tez fee will be introduced for contract creations, to support continued platform development. This approach prioritizes sustainability while keeping costs manageable for artists and rewarding early adopters.

From Founder and CEO, Timmy:
Skurpy is just getting started, and we have some exciting features in the pipeline that will set us apart. We’re here for the long haul, and we can’t wait to grow with this community.

From Developer, Shahin:
Tezos is accelerating Web3 adoption for growing projects like ours by offering a streamlined node infrastructure that requires significantly fewer resources while maintaining near-instant blockchain tracking. This flexibility has allowed us to build Skurpy into a more powerful, scalable, and user-friendly platform.

Let’s All Give It A Try #

On March 13th, 2025, let’s show up as a community and give this platform a shot. I know I’ll be Skurping up a storm, minting some of my own art, and collecting pieces from fellow Tezos artists. Hope to see you all Skurping on the timeline!