NFT News

Justin Bieber's investment in a Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT, purchased for around $1.3 million in early 2022, has significantly depreciated to an estimated value of $12,000. According to NS3.AI, the NFT market has been experiencing a prolonged downturn, affecting floor prices across major collections such as Bored Apes, CryptoPunks, and Pudgy Penguins. Despite the ongoing slump, Yuga Labs continues to innovate, working on new projects including a physical clubhouse and a metaverse game that features their NFT avatars.

The global NFT market has seen its total market value fall below $1.5 billion, returning to levels seen before the industry's boom in 2021. According to PANews, this market adjustment is accompanied by an increasing imbalance between supply and demand for NFTs. Data indicates that by 2025, the number of NFTs in circulation is expected to grow by 25% to nearly 1.3 billion, while total sales are projected to decline by 37% to $5.6 billion, with the average price dropping below $100. This trend suggests that while the barriers to entry for issuing NFTs have decreased, buyer engagement and spending have not kept pace. The contraction in the industry is also evident in the withdrawal of several well-known companies and the shutdown of platforms.

Rodeo, a social NFT marketplace, has announced its closure, becoming the second NFT platform to do so this week due to the challenging market environment for nonfungible tokens. According to Cointelegraph, Rodeo was launched on Apple's iOS store in March last year, aiming to create a social-media-focused NFT collecting platform that emphasized rewarding creators for posting rather than just buying and selling NFTs. The platform incorporated complex crypto and blockchain features to simplify the user experience for mainstream audiences.

Rodeo's CEO and co-founder, Kayvon Tehranian, revealed in a post on X that the platform struggled to scale sufficiently to ensure sustainability. "We believed collecting could be playful and communal—not just transactional. That belief guided every product decision we made," Tehranian stated. However, he acknowledged that Rodeo did not achieve its core objective, as it failed to grow to the necessary scale for long-term sustainability. Consequently, continuing operations is not feasible.

To assist users in transitioning, Rodeo has outlined a plan for asset and data migration to other platforms. Users will be able to transfer media and metadata to the blockchain data storage platform Arweave. Additionally, Rodeo will offer an asset migration assistant to guide users in transferring assets from the platform's smart contract. The platform will operate normally until February 10, after which it will switch to read-only mode, and by March 10, it will be completely shut down.

In a related development, Tehranian announced that ownership of the NFT artist platform and gallery Foundation is being transferred to the digital art platform Blackdove. He noted that the project began as an experiment to ensure fair compensation for artists online, overseeing $230 million in primary sales since its inception. The platform will continue under new leadership committed to its long-term future.

The NFT market has been in decline since the major crash in 2022, with only brief price spikes and no sustained recovery. At its peak in January 2022, Ethereum hosted nearly $5 billion in NFT trading volume, but by January 2026, this had dropped to just $159.2 million, according to CryptoSlam data.

Meanwhile, Nifty Gateway, a prominent marketplace from the early NFT boom in 2021, has updated its winding-down process following community feedback. In a post on X, Nifty Gateway announced it will use Arweave for media and metadata transfers and extended its asset transfer deadline to April 23. The platform is also developing a bulk withdrawal tool for users with multiple NFTs, ensuring ample time for use before the deadline. Initially, Nifty Gateway announced its closure plans without specifying the reasons.

Nifty Gateway, a prominent platform in the NFT sector, has revealed plans to cease operations on February 23, 2026. According to NS3.AI, this decision has sparked apprehension among artists and collectors regarding the withdrawal of assets and the future of digital artworks. Despite the impending shutdown, Nifty Gateway's contributions to the NFT ecosystem are acknowledged for enhancing accessibility and providing opportunities for artists.

Moonbirds has addressed circulating rumors regarding NFT snapshots. According to Odaily, the official statement on X clarified that there are currently no plans to take snapshots of Moonbirds, Mythics, or Oddities NFTs.

On January 24, NFT trading platform Nifty Gateway announced its official closure scheduled for February 23, 2026. According to BlockBeats, the platform has now entered a withdrawal-only mode.

Launched in 2020, Nifty Gateway aimed to revolutionize the digital art sector. Since its inception, the platform has supported the release of numerous innovative works, offering creators new experiences in creation and exhibition. Users who still hold USD, ETH balances, or NFTs on the platform will receive asset migration instructions via email to facilitate the transfer of their assets from Nifty Gateway.

NFTs remain popular among affluent collectors, according to Animoca Brands co-founder Yat Siu. During an interview at the CfC St. Moritz cryptocurrency conference, Siu emphasized the long-term value of NFTs as core assets. According to Foresight News, Siu affirmed that NFTs are still favored by wealthy collectors, drawing parallels to the resonance among Picasso collectors. Despite an 80% decline in his personal NFT portfolio, Siu noted that these assets were never intended for short-term gains.

The cryptocurrency market posted broad-based gains on Jan. 14, rebounding after consecutive correction sessions, with most major sectors advancing between 3% and 8% over 24 hours, according to data from SoSoValue.The NFT sector led the rally, surging 8.34%, as risk appetite returned across digital assets. The move coincided with a sharp upside breakout in bitcoin, which climbed 4.34% to reclaim the $95,000 level, while ether jumped 7.40% to move above $3,300.NFTs outperform as speculative appetite returnsNFT-linked tokens were the strongest performers on the day. Within the sector:Pudgy Penguins (PENGU) surged 13.36%ApeCoin (APE) gained 13.17%The strength in NFTs came alongside rising volumes in high-beta segments of the market, suggesting renewed speculative positioning rather than isolated token-specific catalysts.Sector-wide gains reflect improving sentimentOther major crypto sectors also recorded solid advances:Meme sector: +7.31%, led by Pepe (PEPE) up 16.06%Real-world assets (RWA): +6.95%, with Keeta (KTA) rising 16.69%Layer 2: +6.92%, as Optimism (OP) climbed 17.21%DeFi: +6.73%, with Ethena (ENA) gaining 13.06%PayFi: +5.35%, driven by Dash (DASH), which surged 42.84%Layer 1: +4.99%, led by Polkadot (DOT) up 9.48%CeFi: +4.55%, with BNB rising 4.81%Crypto sector indices confirm rotation into higher betaSector indices tracking historical performance echoed the rotation into risk:ssiNFT: +8.88%ssiMeme: +7.78%ssiRWA: +7.09%Meanwhile, broader thematic indices also advanced, with MEME.ssi up 9.09%, DEFI.ssi gaining 7.30%, and MAG7.ssi rising 5.84%.Market contextThe rally followed a period of consolidation and declining leverage, setting the stage for a relief-driven rebound as macro conditions stabilized and traders repositioned for higher volatility. Bitcoin’s move above $95,000 appeared to act as a catalyst for capital rotation into altcoins and sector-specific themes, particularly NFTs and memes.Whether the move develops into a sustained trend will depend on follow-through in spot volumes, macro data, and broader risk sentiment in the days ahead.

According to ChainCatcher, the NFT Paris 2026 event, along with RWA Paris, has been canceled due to financial difficulties. The event, which has been held annually since 2022, was called off as the costs of organizing exceeded the revenue from sponsorships and ticket sales. Ticket holders have been promised refunds within two weeks.A sponsor, @serc1n, shared an email stating that non-refundable expenses related to the event surpassed the total sponsorship fees received, making refunds impossible. Another sponsor, Okay Bears founder Kais, confirmed receiving the same information.Sponsors typically pay for exposure at such events, aiming to profit, sell products, acquire users, or enhance brand visibility. With the event's cancellation, these sponsorship fees are now lost. NFT Paris had listed 61 sponsors for the 2026 event, with total sponsorship payments reportedly exceeding 500,000 euros.Additionally, it has been rumored that the core team responsible for operating NFT Paris over the past three years left shortly before this incident, raising concerns about potential misconduct.

According to BlockBeats, data from Blur indicates that the floor price of the Milady NFT series increased by 27.53% within 24 hours, currently standing at 1.07 ETH. This surge is believed to be influenced by Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin's recent change of his X platform avatar to an image styled after the Milady NFT series. Previously, BlockBeats reported that Buterin made this change at 8 a.m. UTC+8 on the 1st.

NFT minting continued to accelerate in 2025 even as buyer spending declined, pushing the market deeper into a high-volume, low-price dynamic.The global non-fungible token (NFT) market expanded sharply in total supply this year, while sales volumes and average prices fell significantly from 2024 levels, according to data from CryptoSlam.Total NFT supply climbed to more than 1.34 billion tokens in circulation in 2025, up roughly 25% year-on-year from around one billion in 2024. The increase in minted assets occurred alongside a notable contraction in overall market activity.NFT sales drop despite rising mint activityNFT sales totaled approximately $5.63 billion in 2025, representing a 37% decline from the $8.9 billion recorded last year, CryptoSlam data shows. Average sale prices also weakened, falling to $96, down from $124 in 2024.The widening gap between supply and demand highlights a market under pressure, where creator output continues to grow but buyer participation and spending have failed to keep pace. Lower entry barriers, cheaper minting tools, and broader blockchain support have encouraged higher issuance, while liquidity has become increasingly fragmented across a larger number of assets.NFT supply expanded more than 35-fold in four yearsThe expansion in NFT supply has been consistent and steep over the past four years.CryptoSlam data shows that total NFTs in circulation rose from 38 million in 2021 to more than 106 million in 2022, before accelerating further as creators scaled production. By 2023, supply had surpassed 550 million tokens, nearly doubling again in 2024 to reach one billion.As of late 2025, NFT supply stands at 1.34 billion tokens, representing roughly 3,400% growth, or a 35-fold increase, since 2021.While minting activity expanded rapidly, the market’s capacity to absorb new NFTs weakened over the same period. Total sales peaked during the 2021–2022 cycle and have trended lower since.Prices and liquidity continue to compressPricing data reinforces the shift in market structure. Average NFT sale values fell below $100 in 2025, well under the $124 average in 2024 and far below the $400-plus averages seen during the peak years of 2021 and 2022.Market capitalization also deteriorated throughout the year. After a partial recovery to $10.8 billion in December 2024 and holding near $9.2 billion in January 2025, total NFT market capitalization slid steadily, ending 2025 at approximately $2.4 billion.The continued decline underscores how thinner liquidity and falling prices have persisted even as overall supply continued to rise.NFTs shift toward a high-volume, low-price modelThe combination of rising supply, falling total sales, and shrinking average ticket sizes suggests that NFTs are increasingly evolving into a high-volume, low-price market, where competition for buyer attention and liquidity is intensifying.Rather than scarcity-driven speculation, the market is increasingly shaped by utility-based use cases, cultural engagement, and lower-priced mass issuance — a structural shift that continues to redefine how NFTs are created, traded, and valued.NFT market cap remains well below 2022 peakThe broader NFT sector has continued to unwind excess from the previous cycle. Total market capitalization has steadily declined since peaking at around $17 billion in April 2022, reflecting a prolonged correction following the speculative boom.While minting volumes remain elevated, the data suggests that sustained recovery in prices and liquidity will likely depend on renewed demand, stronger utility adoption, and improved capital inflows — rather than continued expansion in supply alone.

According to PANews, recent data from CryptoSlam reveals a 4.72% decrease in NFT market transaction volume over the past week, totaling $63.52 million. Despite this decline, the number of NFT buyers increased by 27.24% to 303,404, while sellers rose by 25.91% to 213,831. However, the number of NFT transactions fell by 7.36%.In terms of network-specific transaction volumes, Ethereum saw a 24.86% drop to $20.41 million. Conversely, Bitcoin's transaction volume surged by 52.64% to $12.02 million. The BNB Chain experienced a 9.78% decrease to $7.8 million, while Polygon's transaction volume increased by 16.18% to $5.65 million.Notable high-value transactions this week included the sale of $X@AI BRC-20 NFT for $1.92 million, equivalent to 21.7344 BTC. Additionally, CryptoPunk #8408 was sold for $118,176.63, or 39 ETH, and CryptoPunk #8476 fetched $110,904.23, or 36.6 ETH.

According to PANews, data from CoinGecko indicates that the NFT market continued its downward trend in December 2025, with the total market value dropping to $2.5 billion, marking the lowest point of the year. This represents a 72% decrease from the January peak of $9.2 billion. During the first three weeks of December, weekly NFT sales did not exceed $70 million, falling below November's levels, and market participation has significantly declined.CryptoSlam data reveals that the number of unique buyers in the first week of December fell from 204,032 at the end of November to 184,302, and further decreased to 135,120 by the third week. The number of unique sellers also dropped by 35.6% during the same period, falling below 100,000 for the first time. Correspondingly, transaction volume decreased, with total transactions in the third week dropping to 800,000 from 1 million at the beginning of the month.Floor prices for blue-chip NFT projects have generally declined, with top projects like CryptoPunks, Bored Ape Yacht Club, and Pudgy Penguins experiencing price drops between 12% and 28% over the past 30 days. However, art-related NFT projects such as Autoglyphs, Fidenza, and Chromie Squiggle have shown relative resilience, recording slight growth. Additionally, Sports Rollbots has emerged as a new entrant in the top ten NFT projects by market value, with a floor price of $5,800 and a total valuation exceeding $58 million, replacing Mutant Ape Yacht Club on the list.

According to PANews, Reddit has officially halted its NFT services, as revealed by Unfungible co-founder Sharbel. The platform is shutting down its in-app wallet, known as 'Vault,' and has removed the feature allowing users to view others' digital collectibles.

According to PANews, the NFT market has seen a 10.18% decrease in trading volume over the past week, amounting to $66.71 million, as reported by Crypto.news. The number of NFT buyers fell by 66.91% to 165,759, while sellers decreased by 70.44% to 120,912. Additionally, the number of NFT transactions dropped by 13.88%.Ethereum network's trading volume reached $24.93 million, marking a 3.02% decline from the previous week. In contrast, the BNB Chain network saw a 45.64% increase in trading volume, reaching $10.83 million, and the Solana network experienced a 48.27% rise, totaling $5.65 million.Notable high-value transactions this week included the sale of CryptoPunks #6615 for $153,356.75 (47.99 ETH), CryptoPunks #309 for $134,530.52 (42 ETH), CryptoPunks #4566 for $123,808.45 (39.9 ETH), and CryptoPunks #4172 for $111,232.08 (33 ETH).

According to Cointelegraph, the non-fungible token (NFT) market has experienced a substantial decline, reaching its lowest monthly sales volume this year. Digital collectibles have seen a significant drop in market capitalization, falling over 66% from their January highs. Data from CryptoSlam reveals that NFT sales plummeted to $320 million in November, a stark contrast to the $629 million recorded in October. This decline has brought monthly volumes back to levels not seen since September 2024, when sales hit $312 million.

Further analysis shows that between December 1 and 7, NFTs generated $62 million in sales, marking the weakest weekly total of 2025. This slow start to December indicates that the downturn may continue throughout the month as NFT momentum wanes. The downward trend is part of a broader decline in NFT valuations. CoinGecko reports that the sector's overall market cap stands at $3.1 billion, a 66% decrease from its peak of $9.2 billion in January.

CoinGecko data also highlights that most top NFT collections have mirrored the broader market decline. CryptoPunks, the largest by market cap, fell 12% over the last 30 days. Bored Ape Yacht Club slipped 8.5%, while Pudgy Penguins dropped 10.6% during the same period, continuing a pullback across dominant NFT assets. Art-driven blue-chip collections were not spared either, with Chromie Squiggle sliding 5.6%, Fidenza falling 14.6%, Moonbirds dropping 17.9%, and Mutant Ape Yacht Club down 13.4% in the last month. Hypurr experienced the largest decline among the top 10 NFT collections, shedding 48%.

Despite the overall downturn, two major collections posted gains in the last 30 days, defying the trend. Infinex Patrons, currently the second-largest NFT collection by market cap, saw a 14.9% increase, while Autoglyphs outperformed the entire top 10 leaderboard with a 20.9% surge. The latest decline comes amid a turbulent quarter for the NFT market. As previously reported by Cointelegraph, NFTs recorded a sharp drop in valuation from October to November, with digital collections falling from $6.6 billion to $3.5 billion, representing a 46% drop in just 30 days.

This weakness was followed by a brief rebound on November 11, when the NFT market cap recovered from $3.5 billion to $3.9 billion, reflecting renewed interest alongside a memecoin rally. However, the recovery was short-lived, as CoinGecko data shows the NFT market cap is now at $3.1 billion, down 53% from October.

According to PANews, the NFT market has seen a notable decrease in activity over the past week, with transaction volumes dropping by 9.22% to $85.31 million. The number of NFT buyers fell sharply by 96.75%, reaching 20,349 individuals, while sellers decreased by 95.05% to 23,241. Additionally, the number of transactions declined by 4.21%, totaling 1,405,561.The Ethereum network recorded a transaction volume of $33.42 million, marking a 14.97% decrease from the previous week. The Base network saw its transaction volume fall by 27.35% to $7.25 million, and the Mythos Chain network experienced an 11.3% decline, reaching $7 million.Among the high-value transactions this week were several CryptoPunks sales: CryptoPunks #8295 sold for $196,275.14 (54.69 ETH), CryptoPunks #5361 for $173,369.70 (45 ETH), CryptoPunks #5295 for $165,743.73 (49.99 ETH), CryptoPunks #9537 for $160,023.86 (41.5 ETH), and CryptoPunks #2845 for $151,059.23 (39 ETH).

According to PANews, the NFT market experienced a notable decrease in trading volume over the past week, with a 30.73% drop to $95.8 million, as reported by Crypto.news. Despite this decline, the number of NFT buyers increased by 22.82%, reaching 626,234, while the number of sellers rose by 13.54% to 469,316. However, the total number of NFT transactions fell by 5.08%, totaling 1,458,311.In terms of network-specific performance, the Ethereum network saw a 12.94% increase in trading volume, reaching $40.28 million. Conversely, the Bitcoin network experienced a 12.12% decrease, with trading volume falling to $11.52 million. The Base network recorded an 8.73% increase, with a trading volume of $10.09 million.This week, several high-value NFT transactions were noted. CryptoPunks #8407 was sold for $413,469.94 (100 ETH), Bored Ape Yacht Club #3105 fetched $359,769.63 (90 ETH), and V1 Cryptopunks Wrapped #4350 was sold for $248,839.14 (62.9 ETH). Additionally, Autoglyphs #256 sold for $222,558.91 (59 WETH), and CryptoPunks #7378 was purchased for $212,360.44 (51 ETH).

According to PANews, the NFT project Pudgy Penguins has announced a collaboration with DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda. This partnership marks a significant development in the NFT space, bringing together a popular digital collectible project and a renowned animation franchise.