Nigerian ArtTech Startup Atsur  Secures Art Through Blockchain Technology

For decades, the art world has struggled with issues of provenance, authenticity, and transparency. Without trusted systems, collectors hesitate, artists lose income, and original African art becomes undervalued. If buyers can’t confirm who created a piece or where it came from, they’re unlikely to invest, hurting not just individual creatives but also threatening Africa’s cultural legacy and global visibility.

Forgery is a billion-dollar global problem, and African art is particularly vulnerable. Without reliable documentation, counterfeits circulate easily, and artists lose control once their work changes hands.

Take Nigerian master Ben Enwonwu. His iconic painting Tutu, often called the “African Mona Lisa,” was lost for decades before resurfacing in a London apartment in 2017. The owners had no idea it was worth over £1 million. Like many African artists, Enwonwu never earned a cent from its resale.

Traditional methods, paper certificates, and gallery records are outdated and easy to manipulate. Even top global art markets have faced major scandals, including a $80 million forgery case. There’s an urgent need for a secure, decentralised way to verify art and protect creators.

Enter Atsur, a Nigerian art-tech startup using blockchain and AI to bring trust and transparency to African art.

Blockchain acts as a digital passport, permanently recording an artwork’s origin, creator, and sales history. Once an artist uploads their work, Atsur generates a unique digital signature linked to high-resolution images or 3D scans. After verification, a blockchain-backed certificate of authenticity is issued, and the artwork is tokenised, turned into a digital asset tied to a smart contract.

These smart contracts automate royalty payments. If a sculpture sells today for $50,000 and again in five years for $100,000, the artist automatically earns a share of both sales—instantly, with no middlemen. It’s financial autonomy in action.

To further safeguard authenticity, Atsur uses AI tools that analyse brushstrokes, colours, patterns, and textures, creating a kind of digital fingerprint that helps detect forgeries and reinforce trust.

Atsur is already gaining traction. It has onboarded a growing community of African artists and recently partnered with Nigeria’s National Gallery to digitise over 3,000 national masterpieces. The startup is also engaging with regulators to shape policy, build long-term infrastructure, and increase adoption.

Atsur is helping African artists gain global exposure and long-overdue recognition by creating verified digital archives and integrating with international marketplaces. 

Atsur is also empowering everyone within the ecosystem, from emerging artists, independent galleries, and collectors, to protect, verify, and trade art with confidence.

“Atsur is not just a platform,” says founder Ada. “It’s a movement to safeguard African art’s legacy while empowering artists with financial autonomy.”

Getting started is easy; register on the Atsur platform, upload your artwork for blockchain verification, trade securely and transparently, and earn royalties on every resale.
Atsur invites artists, collectors, and galleries to help build a future where African art is protected, respected, and profitable.