Metaplex is Solana's decentralized NFT infrastructure aiming to create the “World’s NFT Protocol” by providing NFT communities with development tools and open standards for digital asset issuance and ownership on-chain. The protocol consists of four smart contracts that make up a “contract ecosystem”, namely: Token Metadata (attaches metadata to an NFT), Token Vault (escrows tokens in a “safety deposit box”), Auction (tracks participant activity and collects money from auction winners), and Metaplex (disburses NFTs to auction winners and handles all royalty payments).