Michael Assis’s research lies at the intersection of digital art history and material culture, science and technology studies, and new media studies. His dissertation, “Decentralized Objects: Non-fungible Tokens in the Age of Web3,” explores philosophical issues and sociopolitical aspects of NFTs. Before entering the metaverse, Assis specialized in European Medieval and Renaissance art. He holds an MA in art history and a BA in philosophy and art history from Tel Aviv University. Beyond academia, Assis has worked with art auction houses, galleries, and dealers from around the world. He is the cofounder of Artistoric, a gallery specializing in decorative arts, and the co-founder of Artfora, a Web3 platform that pairs physical objects with non-fungible tokens.