Can Ethereum NFTs return from the brink of a downfall

• The NFT volume on the blockchain reached its lowest since November 2022.
• Blur dominated OpenSea but trading activity on both marketplaces decreased.

Once recognized as a thriving landscape of digital art and collectibles, the Ethereum [ETH] NFT market was now experiencing a period of turbulence as activity and volume took a notable downturn. According to Dune Analytics, the transaction volume across all Ethereum marketplaces plunged to the lowest since November 2022.

Read Ethereum’s [ETH] Price Prediction 2023-2024

Based on the data from the blockchain analytics platform, Blur stamped its dominance over OpenSea, as it recorded a $407.67 million volume all through the month. OpenSea and OpenSea Pro combined, on the other hand, fell short with a volume of $120.52 million.

Source: Dune Analytics

Addresses fall out of engagement

However, the fall of NFTs in the Ethereum ecosystem has been impeding for a while. Before July, the market was in an ebb-and-flow state, with a decline commanding the flow for most of the year.

Besides the fall in volume, trading activity on these marketplaces has also decreased. According to Dune’s dashboard, the percentage of unique users on each on OpenSea, Blur, and the rest of the

As a result of this decline, the number of independent addresses involved in Ethereum NFT transactions reached a two-year low.

Source: Dune Analytics

A look at DappRadar’s data showed that almost all marketplaces in the Ethereum ecosystem registered a decline in traders in the last 30 days. At press time, traders on Blur had decreased by 33.25%

Furthermore, traders on the OpenSea marketplace fell by 28.24%. However, other marketplaces including Rarible and the OKX Marketplace registered upticks in sales and number of traders respectively.

Source: DappRadar

Finding respite in the “Otherside”

Despite the drop in volume and activity, Bored Ape Yacht Club [BAYC] maintained the top position in sales. According to CryptoSlam, the Yuga Labs-backed collection recorded $25.71 million in sales.

Also, Yuga Labs had recently shown that it was not giving up on the NFT space in spite of the hawkish conditions. 

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On 31 July, the creator of BAYC and MAYC revealed that it was expanding its mission for the OthersideMeta collection. In doing this Yuga Labs noted that it was acquiring Roar Studios. It said,

“We are proud to announce Yuga Labs is acquiring Roar Studios, a music and metaverse startup led by long-time entertainment Executive, Eric Reid, to execute our expansive vision for OthersideMeta.”

Meanwhile, Ethereum NFT wash trading also fell. And according to crypto slam, the 30-day sales in this aspect were $279.10 million— a 61.79% decrease within the period.