What Is ERC-1155?
ERC-1155 is a later Ethereum token standard that lets one contract manage many token IDs, some unique, some with a supply of millions. Games love it: gold coins and a legendary sword can live in the same contract, and you can transfer a batch in one transaction. It is the hybrid of ERC-20 and ERC-721.
How It Actually Works
- balanceOf takes both an address and an ID. IDs with supply 1 behave like NFTs. IDs with large supply behave like game currency.
- Batch transfers save gas when a game moves a pile of items at once.
- Marketplaces have to support 1155 explicitly. Most large ones do. Tiny ones sometimes display them badly.
Risks and Common Mistakes
- Assuming a game item is yours if the studio can freeze, mint more, or turn the servers off. The token standard is not a terms-of-service override. Same lesson as abandoned projects.
- Approving an operator for the whole contract, every ID included. Scope matters.
When It Matters
Game assets, some ticket and membership systems, and any "multi-token" pitch. For one-of-one art, 721 is still the default dialect.
Related Terms
Glossary · Learn · Resource Library · Return to Official Home Page
Copyright © 2026 Crypto Guidance Inc.