ERC-1155 is a single Ethereum standard that lets you manage fungible tokens, NFTs, and semi-fungible assets in one contract. It slashes gas fees with batch transfers and powers most blockchain games today.
ERC-20 vs ERC-1155: What’s the Real Difference and Why It Matters
When you send a token on Ethereum, you’re using a ERC-20, a standard for creating fungible tokens on the Ethereum blockchain. Also known as Ethereum Request for Comments 20, it’s the reason you can trade USDT, LINK, or UNI like regular currency. But if you’ve ever bought a digital collectible or traded multiple assets in one transaction, you’ve likely interacted with ERC-1155, a more flexible token standard that supports both fungible and non-fungible tokens in a single contract. Also known as Ethereum Request for Comments 1155, it’s what powers games, marketplaces, and complex DeFi systems where one transaction handles dozens of item types.
Here’s the simple truth: ERC-20 is like a digital dollar—every unit is identical and interchangeable. If you send 10 USDC, you’re sending 10 exact copies of the same thing. That works fine for money, staking, or simple rewards. But if you’re running a game where players own swords, shields, and rare skins—all different types of items—ERC-20 forces you to create a separate contract for each. That’s slow, expensive, and messy. ERC-1155 fixes that. It lets you create one contract that holds 100 types of tokens: some fungible (like gold coins), some non-fungible (like a unique dragon sword), and even semi-fungible ones (like 5 identical rare potions). You can send 3 swords and 10 gold coins in one transaction. No extra gas. No extra contracts. Just one clean call.
That’s why big projects like Enjin, OpenSea, and Decentraland moved to ERC-1155. It’s not just a technical upgrade—it’s a cost saver and a scalability win. And while ERC-20 still runs the majority of DeFi apps today, ERC-1155 is quietly becoming the backbone of the next wave of blockchain games, NFT marketplaces, and tokenized real-world assets. If you’re building something with multiple token types, or just trying to understand why some NFTs feel different than others, knowing the difference between these two standards isn’t just useful—it’s essential. Below, you’ll find real examples of how these standards are used (and misused) in the wild.