NFTs See July Boom with Over $574M in Sales, Ethereum Takes the Lead

NFTs experienced a major upswing in July, clocking in over $574 million in total sales volume, the second-highest monthly figure in 2025, according to data from CryptoSlam. This marked a substantial 47.6% jump from June’s $388.9 million, though it remained below January’s peak of $678.9 million.

Despite the surge in volume, the total number of transactions declined by 9%, falling from 5.5 million to 5 million. This shift was offset by a sharp rise in average sale value, which hit $113.08, the highest in half a year.

At the same time, unique buyer participation dropped by 17% to 713,085, while unique sellers rose 9% to 405,505. This widening buyer-seller gap indicates a trend of market consolidation, with fewer buyers making larger acquisitions.

Ethereum-Based NFTs See Strong Gains Amid ETH Rally

Ethereum played a crucial role in the July NFT surge. ETH crossed $3,900 in late July — a 62% increase from its August 1 price of approximately $2,400 — and continues to trade above $3,800. This rally boosted valuations across Ethereum NFT collections.

According to NFT Price Floor, all top 10 NFT collections by market cap over the past 30 days were Ethereum-based. CryptoPunks led with $69.2 million in total value traded, followed by Pudgy Penguins at $55.5 million. Polygon’s Courtyard NFTs secured the third spot with $23.8 million in volume.

Pudgy Penguins emerged as the growth leader, posting a 65.44% increase in floor price — outperforming other leading collections such as the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) and Mutant Ape Yacht Club (MAYC).

Overall, Ethereum accounted for $275.6 million in NFT sales in July, reflecting a 56% month-over-month increase. Bitcoin and Polygon followed, recording $74.3 million and $71.6 million, respectively.

Blockchain Performance Diverges as Buyers Consolidate

While Ethereum based NFTs soared, other blockchains showed mixed performance. Cardano posted the highest growth in percentage terms, with sales jumping by 102%. Solana, on the other hand, reported an 8% uptick — a modest rise in comparison.

Polygon and BNB Chain saw significant downturns. Polygon’s NFT sales volume dropped 51.1% from the previous month, while BNB Chain recorded a 54% decrease.

Despite the retreat in transaction counts and buyer numbers, the rising sale values and dominance of blue-chip collections indicate the market’s focus is shifting from quantity to quality, as higher-value NFTs draw in more serious capital.