Weekly NFT Sales Climb 24% to $47M Amid Mixed Market Signals
By Darren Smith
October 18, 2026
Global non-fungible token sales reached $47,138,650 in the seven days ending October 17, 2026, according to data from CryptoSlam, marking a 24.57% increase from the preceding rolling period. Buyer addresses jumped 252.23% to 107,061 while seller addresses rose 192.38% to 89,117. Transactions, however, declined 32.35% to 507,562. These figures come from a rolling seven-day snapshot and should not be treated as a strict week-over-week comparison, as prior updates covered slightly different windows. The data, widely reported by outlets including TokenPost and crypto.news, points to a market where fewer trades are carrying higher average values and more unique addresses are participating.
Ethereum retained its lead among blockchains with $19,590,513 in sales, up 18.48% and representing roughly 41.6% of the global total. Polygon ranked second at $8,377,559, down 1.99%. Bitcoin placed third with $8,252,706, a 132.05% surge driven largely by a single high-value transaction. BNB Chain followed at approximately $4.1 million, up more than 100%. The top six networks together accounted for about $44.75 million, or 94.9% of worldwide sales. Wash trading volumes were noted separately, particularly elevated on Polygon.
| Blockchain | Weekly Sales | Change | Buyer Addresses (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethereum | $19,590,513 | +18.48% | 15,371 |
| Polygon | $8,377,559 | -1.99% | 27,419 |
| Bitcoin | $8,252,706 | +132.05% | 4,594 |
| BNB Chain | $4,100,527 | +116.91% | 4,857 |
| Immutable | $2,546,683 | -5.19% | 2,774 |
| Base | $1,883,050 | -7.33% | 1,185 |
The largest individual sale was an $8888 BRC-20 inscription that changed hands for $2,968,838.11, or 36.3755 BTC, roughly two days before the snapshot. This single trade represented about 36% of Bitcoin’s entire weekly NFT volume. Other notable sales included additional BRC-20 inscriptions and an Uniswap V3 position NFT settled in USDC. “One outsized Bitcoin sale can dominate a weekly ranking and create the appearance of broader strength that may not yet exist across the rest of the market,” observed analysts reviewing the CryptoSlam dashboard.
Collection rankings were led by Courtyard, a Polygon-based project that generated $7,682,847, up 1.65% across more than 133,000 transactions. The collection focuses on tokenized physical collectibles held in vaults, with owners able to request delivery. It was followed by the single $8888 BRC-20 sale category, then Ethereum-based Argonauts at roughly $2.75 million (up more than 100%), and Pudgy Penguins at about $2.56 million (up 77%). CryptoPunks recorded approximately $1.34 million, down more than 45% from the prior period.
| Collection | Weekly Sales | Change | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| Courtyard | $7,682,847 | +1.65% | Polygon |
| $8888 BRC-20 | $2,968,838 | +807% | Bitcoin |
| Argonauts | $2,750,332 | +104.7% | Ethereum |
| Pudgy Penguins | $2,564,945 | +77.0% | Ethereum |
| $ATMC BRC-20 | $1,426,998 | +156.9% | Bitcoin |
| Guild of Guardians Heroes | $1,411,807 | +4.9% | Immutable |
Blue-chip Ethereum collections remain far below their peaks. As of mid-October data tracked by CoinGecko and reported by outlets such as KuCoin, CryptoPunks floor prices hovered near 31.3 ETH (approximately $78,000–$79,000), still about 75% below the August 2021 all-time high floor of 125 ETH. Bored Ape Yacht Club traded around 5.12 ETH (roughly $12,900), down 97% from its 2022 peak near 154 ETH. Pudgy Penguins, Mutant Apes, Azuki, and Moonbirds sit 90–99% below their respective highs. These levels reflect a multi-year drawdown that has compressed average sale prices dramatically compared with the 2021–2022 cycle.
The marketplace landscape continues to contract. On October 12, Blur announced it would shut down its blur.io frontend on November 12, 2026, while leaving the underlying Ethereum marketplace contracts operational and under BLUR token governance for any future fee switch. Blend, its NFT lending service, will stop matching new loans on the same date, requiring borrowers to repay or default by then. The move follows a collapse in volume from roughly $1.43 billion in March 2023 to under $7 million by March 2026. Coverage from Decrypt and CoinDesk framed the closure as part of a broader retreat that has left only a fraction of early marketplaces still active.
Longer-term context underscores the scale of the decline. Monthly NFT sales reached about $167.2 million in September 2026 according to CryptoSlam figures cited across reports, down sharply from $554.8 million a year earlier and $1.78 billion in December 2023. Annualized trading remains a fraction of peak levels even as certain utility-focused segments, including tokenized physical collectibles and on-chain trading cards, show pockets of resilience. Courtyard’s consistent leadership reflects demand for assets with real-world redemption options rather than pure profile-picture speculation. Bitcoin Ordinals and BRC-20 inscriptions continue to generate occasional large individual sales that can swing weekly totals.
“The combination of rising address counts and falling transaction numbers, alongside a few very large Bitcoin trades, produces an uneven recovery signal that is difficult to extrapolate,” noted market observers citing the latest CryptoSlam snapshot. Forecasts from research firms vary widely. Some project the broader NFT economy expanding into the tens of billions over the coming years on the back of gaming, loyalty, and real-world asset tokenization, while others highlight persistent low revenue relative to the hype cycle peak. Statista has projected NFT market revenue near $318 million for 2026, essentially flat with the prior year and far below earlier highs.
Participation remains concentrated. A handful of collections and networks drive the majority of volume, and address growth does not automatically translate into unique human users. Wash trading continues to appear on several chains, requiring careful interpretation of raw sales figures. On October 18 itself, new art collections continued to launch while established blue chips saw selective high-value trades, consistent with a market that has stabilized at lower levels rather than reclaimed its former scale.
The latest weekly gain to $47.14 million, the sharp rise in buyer and seller addresses, the dominance of Ethereum, the Bitcoin volume spike, and the ongoing depression of blue-chip floors together describe a market in transition. Utility-oriented projects and occasional large individual sales provide bright spots, yet overall activity and collection valuations remain well below the levels that defined the prior cycle. Readers tracking daily and weekly dashboards from primary sources such as CryptoSlam will continue to see these mixed signals play out in real time.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, legal, or trading advice. The NFT market is highly volatile, and past performance is not indicative of future results. Readers should conduct their own research and consult qualified professionals before making any decisions related to digital assets. The cover image for this article may have been created using artificial intelligence (AI).
