- NFT sales increased by 26% as transaction volumes increased across major blockchains.
- Ethereum accounted for the most NFT sales, with Bored Ape Yacht Club dominating the collection.
- The broader crypto industry started 2023 slightly higher with notable gains for coins like Cardano, Solana and Zilliqa.
The market size of NFTs is expected to grow in the coming years, and 2023 kicked off with a significant increase in sales in the top NFT marketplaces. This is him one of the interesting NFT stats of the year.
According to data from Cryptoslam.io, NFT sales increased 26% in the first week of the year. The platform showed that the metric rose slightly as he registered 1.2 million NFT transactions with his 400,740 NFT buyers.
Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) was honored for the NFT collection with the highest trading volume. Sales for the collection were $19,052,102, a 53% increase in trading volume for the week.
BNB chain records 71% surge in NFT sales
According to the data, the most sales occurred on the Ethereum blockchain, with NFTs accounting for $164 million of the $209 million in sales. Overall, all major blockchain networks saw increased sales. The BNB chain posted the biggest increase in sales, with a 71% spike slightly ahead of Theta’s 70% growth.
Solana remains the top NFT ecosystem despite the recent upheaval following the collapse of FTX, with NFT sales up 28.8% last week.
Crypto Prices Rise in Early 2023
Cryptocurrencies entered 2023 on the back of heavy losses from the previous year, with bitcoin and other crypto markets declining significantly from all-time highs.
However, the first week of the year saw cryptocurrencies mirror broader market moves, with BTC surpassing $17,000 and Ethereum up to $1,340. Bitcoin has risen more than 4% over the past week, while Ethereum has recorded double digits of more than 10%.
The most impressive performers include Cardano, which is up 28%, and Solana, which is up over 45% over the past week. SOL’s surge came after the BONK meme coin was airdropped into the Solana NFT community. Ziliqa surged over 50% amid major network upgrades and integrations, including an esports loyalty program.