Why pre-screen NFT authenticators before the interview
The chain tells you a token exists, who minted it and where it has moved. It does not tell you whether the person who minted it made the artwork, and copied work is minted constantly. That gap is the entire job: verification off chain, against the artist, the original publication and the record. A short screen asks how they confirm the creator, which separates verification from reading a block explorer.
What actually matters when screening NFT Authenticator candidates
- 01
Method and rigour
Check how they verify a token: contract address on Etherscan, tokenURI resolution, IPFS CID pinning checks, ERC-721 versus ERC-1155 mint records, and reverse image searches for copyminting.
- 02
Real casework
Probe actual authentication work: collections reviewed for OpenSea, Magic Eden or Rarible, counterfeit listings flagged, wash trading patterns caught, disputed high-value pieces adjudicated.
- 03
Interpretation and judgement
Assess judgement in grey areas: derivative art versus plagiarism, delegated minting by studios, burned and re-minted tokens, wrapped assets, and unsigned off-chain metadata edits.
- 04
Reporting and testimony
Look for how findings are documented: authentication reports, evidence screenshots with block heights, escalation notes to trust and safety, and support for chargeback or legal disputes.
Pre-screening questions to ask NFT Authenticator candidates
12 questions grouped by what they test. Ask the same set in every screen and score answers on a consistent scale, or send them as an async video screen and compare answers side by side.
Cases they worked
3 questions01Can you provide examples of tokens you have authenticated?
Listen forReal cases with what was verified and what the conclusion was, including ones that failed.
Market knowledge offered in place of casework, or no case they can describe.
02Can you discuss a challenging authentication case and how you resolved it?
Listen forA genuinely ambiguous case, with what evidence resolved it and what remained uncertain.
Every case resolved conclusively, or uncertainty never acknowledged in a finding.
03Do you have experience working with both individual artists and larger platforms?
Listen forDirect artist contact as a routine verification step, with platform processes understood.
Verification done entirely from listings, or artists never contacted.
Creator verified
4 questions04What steps do you take to verify the provenance of a token?
Listen forOn-chain history combined with off-chain evidence such as earlier publication of the work.
Provenance treated as transaction history alone, or no off-chain verification at all.
05How do you confirm that the creator of a token is who they claim to be?
Listen forIdentity verified through channels the artist controls, with signed messages or direct confirmation.
Creator identity taken from a profile or listing, or verification by social media alone.
06What tools do you use to authenticate and evaluate tokens?
Listen forChain analysis combined with reverse image search and marketplace history, used together.
A single platform relied on, or tools named with no method behind them.
07Can you describe your familiarity with the main token standards?
Listen forStandards understood well enough to read a contract and see where the asset actually lives.
Standards named without understanding, or no awareness that artwork may be hosted off chain.
Fraud and disputes
2 questions08How do you handle suspected cases of fraud or forgery?
Listen forEvidence preserved and the finding reported through the right channel without public accusation.
Suspicions published before verification, or evidence not preserved before raising it.
09What is your process for handling disputes or discrepancies?
Listen forA defined process with the evidence set out, and a position held when it is challenged.
Disputes resolved by whoever pushes hardest, or findings changed under commercial pressure.
Findings documented
3 questions10How do you document and report your findings during authentication?
Listen forFindings recorded with the evidence and its limits, so the conclusion survives later scrutiny.
Conclusions issued without stated evidence, or certainty asserted beyond what was checked.
11Are you familiar with the legal implications of this work?
Listen forCopyright and ownership distinguished clearly, with legal questions referred rather than answered.
Token ownership confused with copyright, or legal opinions offered without qualification.
12What ethical guidelines do you follow in this role?
Listen forIndependence actively protected, with no financial position held in the assets being authenticated.
Authentication combined with trading or promotion, or conflicts of interest not recognised.
How to score responses
Score every candidate on the same four criteria immediately after the screen. At this stage you are shortlisting for panel interviews, not making the final call.
Method and rigour
35%5Walks through a repeatable verification sequence tying contract bytecode, mint transaction, metadata hash and creator wallet to a single provenance chain.
Real casework
25%5Cites named collections and case volumes, including a specific forgery or spoofed contract they exposed and what happened to the listing.
Interpretation and judgement
25%5Distinguishes confirmed fraud from ambiguous provenance, states confidence levels, and names the evidence that would change their conclusion.
Reporting and testimony
15%5Produces reports a non-technical reviewer can act on, with transaction hashes cited and conclusions defensible under challenge from collectors.
The chain says who minted a token, not who made the artwork. A one-way video screen asks how they verify the creator.
Try it on HirevireScreening FAQ
Process basics
How long should a pre-screening round for this role take?
Fifteen minutes across eight to ten questions, answered async. Enough to establish cases they worked, test their creator verification, and check how they handle fraud and disputes.
What technical depth is needed?
Enough to read a contract and understand where the asset actually lives. An authenticator who cannot tell on-chain artwork from an external link will miss a common failure.
Evaluating answers
What is the strongest signal when screening this role?
Verification off chain. Authenticators who do this describe contacting artists and checking earlier publication. Anyone whose process is reading a block explorer is confirming a transaction, not authenticity.
What should worry me in an answer?
Mixing authentication with valuation, or holding a financial stake in the assets being authenticated. Both destroy the independence that makes this work worth anything at all.
Go deeper on this role
Sanat has been hiring since 2012 and watching the recruitment industry change up close ever since, and turned that screening process into Hirevire's video screening platform. LinkedIn
