DALLAS — You can create generational wealth through real estate, investing in the stock market or creating a successful business. Passing assets down for years to come is something many people desire. More Black and brown families are finding ways in the digital space to do just that. 

Temi Coker, who lives in Dallas, is the creative force who helps to design some of your favorite commercial ads. Big brands like Google, Pizza Hut, and more recently the Academy Awards are some of his clients.

“It's a way for me to tell stories, to spark emotions, and spark conversations with people,” said Coker of his Afrocentric artwork. 

Whether his projects are inside a local gallery or on your TV screen, he says the type of money he gets paid for his creations is good, but limitations still come. Galleries will take a percentage of the profit he makes, and big-time corporations will set boundaries on his creative ability. Things change for Coker, creatively and financially, when he sells his art as an NFT, or non-fungible token. 

“I believe in legacy and being an immigrant coming to America and us not having a lot, now I'm in a space where I could kind of provide a better future for my future family and kids,” said Coker. 

An NFT is one-of-a-kind digital content that can be collected, traded, or sold using the blockchain. The blockchain is a system that proves the authenticity of an NFT such as who made it, when it was made, and how much it sold for. Coker says he made 15 Ethereum selling NFTS for the first time at a pop-up shop held at the Dallas Muesuem of Art. That much Ethereum, which is a form of crypto, translates to almost $50,000.

“It’s a faster way to build wealth,” he added. 

Brenda Gentry lives in San Antonio and is a former banker who claims she’s been able to leave her regular job of 16 years and retire her parents after going into crypto full time. 

"Data shows that Black and Latinx communities are leading mainstream adaption in crypto," said Cleve Mesidor, a public policy adviser for the Blockchain Association. 

Mesidor believes Black and brown people are seeing big gains because they are not being left out of the conversation or playing from behind compared to other sectors. She also wants you to know that you don't have to be filthy rich to get involved. 

"This is not financial advice. This is not financial advice. This is not financial advice," Mesidor declared. "Cash App, Paypal and Robinhood easily allow you to buy $10 [worth] of cryptocurrency in two minutes," she said of the money transfer and investment apps. 

If this is all confusing, don't feel bad because you’re not alone. Coker says he is still learning himself, even after selling his NFTs.

"With owning NFT, if you think about the Metaverse, people are literally buying houses in the Metaverse. My mind is still...I don't even understand. People are buying house for $500K! I'm like, you can't live in it," Coker said while laughing.