NFT winter deepens: Monthly sales hit lowest point of the year

cointelegraphPublished on 2025-12-09Last updated on 2025-12-09

Abstract

NFT monthly sales hit a yearly low in November, dropping to $320 million—nearly half of October’s total. The market cap fell 66% from its peak of $9.2 billion in January to $3.1 billion. Most major collections declined, with CryptoPunks down 12% and Hypurr plunging 48%. Exceptions include Infinex Patrons, up 14.9%, and Autoglyphs, surging 20.9%. Despite a brief rebound in mid-November, the market remains weak, with December weekly sales at just $62 million—the lowest of the year—indicating the downturn is likely to continue.

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have fallen to their lowest monthly sales volume this year, with digital collectibles declining by over 66% in market capitalization from their January highs.

CryptoSlam data shows that NFT sales declined to $320 million in November, roughly half of the $629 million recorded in October. The drop pulled the monthly volumes back to levels not seen since September 2024, when digital collectible sales hit $312 million.

The data also shows that between Dec. 1 and 7, NFTs generated $62 million in sales, marking the weakest weekly total of 2025. The slow start to December suggests that the downturn may persist through the month as NFT momentum slows.

The downward trend comes amid a broader decline in NFT valuations. According to CoinGecko, the sector’s overall market cap is at $3.1 billion, down 66% from its high of $9.2 billion in January.

*NFT market cap in 2025. Source: CoinGecko*

Blue chips slide, but Infinex Patrons and Autoglyphs buck trend

CoinGecko data showed that most of the top NFT collections mirrored the broader market decline, with CryptoPunks, the largest by market cap, falling 12% in the last 30 days.

Bored Ape Yacht Club slipped 8.5%, while Pudgy Penguins dropped 10.6% in the same time frame, continuing a pullback across the most dominant NFT assets.

The downturn did not spare art-driven blue-chip collections. Chromie Squiggle slid 5.6%, Fidenza fell 14.6%, Moonbirds dropped 17.9% and the Mutant Ape Yacht Club was down 13.4% in the last month.

The biggest decline came from Hypurr, which shed 48%, making it the largest decline among the top 10 NFT collections.

Meanwhile, two major collections posted gains in the last 30 days, bucking the downward trend. Infinex Patrons, currently the second-largest NFT collection by market cap, posted gains of 14.9%, while Autoglyphs outperformed the entire top 10 leaderboard with a 20.9% surge in the last 30 days.

*NFT collections 30-day heat map. Source: CoinGecko*

Related: Meta shares climb on report of possible 30% metaverse budget cut

NFT winter deepens as 2025 concludes

The latest decline comes amid a turbulent quarter for the NFTs market. As Cointelegraph previously reported, NFTs recorded a sharp drop in valuation from October to November.

Digital collections dropped from $6.6 billion to $3.5 billion even as sales slightly climbed. This represented a 46% drop in just 30 days.

The weakness was followed by a rebound. On Nov. 11, NFT market cap briefly recovered from $3.5 billion to $3.9 billion, reflecting renewed appetite alongside a memecoin rally.

However, the recovery was short-lived. CoinGecko data showed that the NFT market cap is at $3.1 billion, down 53% from October.

Magazine: Digital art will ‘age like fine wine’: Inside Flamingo DAO’s 9-figure NFT collection

Trending Cryptos

CitreaCTR

wrapped stUSDTWSTUSDT

Velodrome FinanceVELODROME

BrevisBREV

ZRX（0X）ZRX

PancakeSwapCAKE

Goldman Sachs In-Depth Report: Who Will Be the Long-Term Winners in China's AI Large Model Industry?

Goldman Sachs Report: China's AI Models at an Inflection Point China's open-source/open-weight large language models (LLMs) have reached performance parity with top global proprietary models, according to a Goldman Sachs report. This is driven by architectural innovations and higher parameter efficiency, allowing Chinese models to achieve comparable capabilities at 2%-10% the parameter size and significantly lower cost. The market is evolving into a two-tiered structure: a high-end segment (e.g., GLM5.2, Qwen3.7 Max) with premium pricing and a low-end, price-sensitive segment for global SMEs and individual users. Key points: * **Cost & Performance:** Innovations like Mixture of Experts (MoE) enable high performance with smaller models. Projects like Meituan's LongCat 2.0, trained on domestic hardware, highlight progress in tech self-sufficiency. * **Open-Source Strategy:** Most Chinese players use open-source/open-weight models for flexibility and ecosystem growth. However, Goldman notes this may underreport actual deployment and revenue. A shift toward "open-weight + community license" models with revenue sharing (e.g., MiniMax) could improve monetization. * **Market Shift & Global Expansion:** Enterprise AI adoption is shifting from "token maximization" to "ROI-first." International expansion, especially in non-US markets, is a major growth driver. Chinese models are increasingly available on global platforms like AWS Bedrock and Microsoft Copilot. * **Competitive Landscape:** Using a framework based on pricing power, cost advantage, and financial strength, Goldman identifies **Zhipu AI and DeepSeek** as the strongest in foundational text models, and **ByteDance** as the leader in multimodal/video generation. The report maintains Buy ratings on MiniMax and Kuaishou. * **Market Growth:** China's AI model API and subscription revenue is projected to grow from an estimated ¥35 billion in 2026 to ¥879 billion by 2030.

marsbit16m ago

Goldman Sachs In-Depth Report: Who Will Be the Long-Term Winners in China's AI Large Model Industry?

marsbit16m ago

Goldman Sachs Deep Dive Report: Who Will Become the Long-Term Winners in China's AI Large Model Industry?

Goldman Sachs Report: Who Will Be the Long-Term Winners in China's AI Large Model Industry? China's AI large model sector is at a historic inflection point. Goldman Sachs argues that the intelligence of Chinese open-source/open-weight models is approaching top global proprietary models. Rapid adoption by domestic enterprises and global SMEs is creating a data flywheel effect that will further drive model iteration. The evolution is summarized as moving from "DeepSeek's cost-efficiency moment last year to GLM's model-intelligence moment this year." Chinese models achieve near-state-of-the-art performance at significantly lower cost, primarily due to architectural innovations like Mixture of Experts (MoE) and higher parameter efficiency. Models like DeepSeek V4 Pro (1.6T params), GLM5.2 (0.7T), and MiniMax M3 (0.4T) are much smaller than global leaders. Recent advancements in coding capability are attributed to better data curation and RLHF. Landmarks like Meituan's LongCat 2.0, trained fully on domestic AI chips, demonstrate progress in hardware stack independence. The market is forming a "two-tiered structure." The high-end tier (e.g., GLM5.2, Alibaba's Qwen3.7 Max) prices around $1 per million tokens, about 10-25% of US top models, with estimated inference gross margins of 10-20%. The low-end tier (priced as low as $0.06-$0.2 per million tokens) targets price-sensitive global SMEs and individuals. MiniMax derives 60-70% of revenue overseas. Goldman forecasts China's AI model API/subscription revenue to grow from an estimated RMB 35bn in 2026 to RMB 879bn by 2030. Most Chinese players adopt open-source/open-weight strategies for deployment flexibility and community feedback, though this limits monetization as deployments on third-party platforms (e.g., Alibaba Cloud) may not generate direct revenue. A shift towards "open-weight + community license" models with revenue-sharing agreements (like MiniMax's approach) could improve unit economics. International expansion, particularly in non-US markets, is the key growth driver. The global enterprise AI paradigm is shifting from "token maximization" to "ROI prioritization." Chinese models are already hosted on major global platforms like AWS Bedrock and are under consideration for integration into Microsoft Copilot. Using a competitive framework based on pricing power, cost advantage, and financial strength, Goldman identifies the strongest players: In foundational text models, Zhipu AI (initiated coverage) and DeepSeek lead. In multimodal/video generation, ByteDance's Seed is the frontrunner, with Kuaishou's Kling and MiniMax's Hailuo also well-positioned. Goldman maintains a Buy rating on MiniMax, citing its attractive valuation.

链捕手21m ago

Goldman Sachs Deep Dive Report: Who Will Become the Long-Term Winners in China's AI Large Model Industry?

链捕手21m ago

Circle secures final OCC approval for national trust bank to strengthen USDC infrastructure

Circle has received final approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish Circle National Trust, a federally regulated national trust bank. This marks a key regulatory milestone, bringing core parts of the company's USDC stablecoin infrastructure under direct federal oversight. The new bank will initially provide digital asset custody services for Circle and its affiliates, with a pathway to serve institutional clients and potentially manage the USDC reserve in the future. The approval advances Circle from the conditional stage it reached alongside other crypto firms in late 2025. This move reflects a broader trend of integrating crypto infrastructure into the existing U.S. banking framework through national trust charters, which specialize in custody and fiduciary services rather than traditional lending.

ambcrypto31m ago

Circle secures final OCC approval for national trust bank to strengthen USDC infrastructure

ambcrypto31m ago

DeXe hits new ATH, targets $40 – THESE 2 indicators back bulls

DeXe (DEXE) surged to a new all-time high of $35.5, currently trading around $34 with a 17.9% daily gain. The rally is supported by strong market participation, with trading volume jumping 161% to $128 million. Buyers have dominated the market for eight consecutive days, showing aggressive spot accumulation. Additionally, open interest rose 18% to $160 million, indicating active new positions in derivatives. Key technical indicators like the RSI (76) and the ADX (with +DI above ADX and -DI) suggest strong buying pressure and a solid uptrend. If demand persists and the $30 support holds, DEXE could target the $40 level.

ambcrypto1h ago

DeXe hits new ATH, targets $40 – THESE 2 indicators back bulls

ambcrypto1h ago

Is Ethereum Truly a "World Computer"?

Title: Is Ethereum Really a "World Computer"? Ethereum, envisioned as a "world computer" by its founder Vitalik Buterin, aims to be a decentralized platform for global applications. However, a recent analysis by Four Pillars raises questions about whether it is more accurately a "Western computer," based on the geographical distribution of its validators. Currently, the United States dominates with 38.19% of all validators, followed by Germany at 13.04%. Combined, these two countries account for over half of the network. In contrast, Asian representation is minimal, with Singapore holding only 3.15%. The concentration is partly due to affordable cloud hosting services like Hetzner and OVH in Europe and North America, as well as the prevalence of residential validators in the U.S., where individuals run nodes via home internet connections. When examining professionally operated validators, the distribution becomes more balanced. The U.S. share drops to 25.81%, while Asian countries like Singapore (7.28%), Hong Kong (6.44%), Japan (6.38%), and South Korea (4.59%) collectively approach the U.S. level. This shift reflects strategic deployments by institutions to meet regulatory requirements and reduce latency for local users. However, regions like South America, the Middle East, and Africa remain underrepresented. Ethereum's peer-to-peer network mechanisms, such as gossipsub, disadvantage areas with low node density, creating a feedback loop where delayed message propagation reduces validator performance and rewards. This imbalance challenges Ethereum's promises of censorship resistance and global accessibility. Despite these issues, opportunities exist for growth in underrepresented regions. As demand for localized staking infrastructure rises, early entrants in areas like the Middle East could establish dominant positions by offering compliant, low-latency solutions. The evolving validator landscape highlights both the structural challenges and the potential for Ethereum to move closer to its "world computer" ideal.

Foresight News2h ago

Foresight News2h ago

Trading

Spot

Hot Articles

How to Buy NFT

Welcome to HTX.com! We've made purchasing AINFT (NFT) simple and convenient. Follow our step-by-step guide to embark on your crypto journey.Step 1: Create Your HTX AccountUse your email or phone number to sign up for a free account on HTX. Experience a hassle-free registration journey and unlock all features.Get My AccountStep 2: Go to Buy Crypto and Choose Your Payment MethodCredit/Debit Card: Use your Visa or Mastercard to buy AINFT (NFT) instantly.Balance: Use funds from your HTX account balance to trade seamlessly.Third Parties: We've added popular payment methods such as Google Pay and Apple Pay to enhance convenience.P2P: Trade directly with other users on HTX.Over-the-Counter (OTC): We offer tailor-made services and competitive exchange rates for traders.Step 3: Store Your AINFT (NFT)After purchasing your AINFT (NFT), store it in your HTX account. Alternatively, you can send it elsewhere via blockchain transfer or use it to trade other cryptocurrencies.Step 4: Trade AINFT (NFT)Easily trade AINFT (NFT) on HTX's spot market. Simply access your account, select your trading pair, execute your trades, and monitor in real-time. We offer a user-friendly experience for both beginners and seasoned traders.

7.4k Total ViewsPublished 2024.03.29Updated 2026.06.02

What is Altura NFT？

Altura: Providing One-Stop NFT Solutions for Game Developers

56.1k Total ViewsPublished 2024.06.12Updated 2024.06.12

What is AINFT

EternaFi Agents and $AINFT: A Comprehensive Analysis of AI-Powered NFT Infrastructure in the Web3 Ecosystem The intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technology is rapidly evolving, establishing innovative platforms that redefine ownership models and economic participation. EternaFi Agents, along with its native token $AINFT, exemplifies a groundbreaking approach to the tokenization of AI infrastructures through the means of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Launched in July 2025 by the development team at Nova Club, EternaFi merges the advancements of AI with the decentralized financial mechanisms of blockchain, presenting a unique investment opportunity for participants within the web3 ecosystem. This article aims to provide an in-depth assessment of EternaFi Agents, covering its core components, functionality, and significance within the crypto landscape. Introduction and Project Overview EternaFi Agents stands as a salient example of how blockchain technology can democratize access to advanced AI capabilities. The project endeavors to reshape the paradigm of AI ownership by diversifying economic participation, making sophisticated AI systems accessible to a larger pool of stakeholders. At its core, the project tokenizes a proprietary large language model (LLM) developed by Nova Club, allowing NFT holders to gain fractional exposure to the model's economic performance. By utilizing NFTs representing stakes in the LLM, EternaFi Agents fosters a model wherein stakeholders not only participate in AI service consumption but also enjoy sharing in the economic rewards generated by the platform. This transformative approach enables the development of sustainable revenue models for AI services, all the while promoting broad community engagement and facilitating transparent governance. What is EternaFi Agents? EternaFi Agents represents an AI-NFT infrastructure project that aims to blend the capabilities of AI with blockchain technology in a coherent ecosystem. The essential feature of this project is the creation of NFTs that serve as financial instruments, representing fractions of ownership in Nova Club's proprietary AI infrastructure. Each NFT symbolizes direct exposure to the economic performance of the underlying AI system, providing a lucrative opportunity for investors. The project operates on the Base blockchain, known for its scalability and efficiency, thus ensuring manageable transaction costs while facilitating a seamless operational experience. One of the notable features includes a revenue-sharing mechanism, wherein NFT holders can receive portions of subscription income generated by the AI services provided on the platform. This innovative approach establishes a connection between the success of the AI services and the economic dividends distributed among the holders, thus ensuring an alignment of interests across the community. Who is the Creator of EternaFi Agents? The creative force behind EternaFi Agents is Nova Club, a development team based in Singapore proficient in the amalgamation of AI and blockchain technology. Their prior experience in AI development and cryptocurrency analysis gives credence to the project, contributing a breadth of expertise to the creation of EternaFi Agents. Nova Club’s mission centers on democratizing access to cutting-edge AI technologies while building sustainable economic models that benefit users alongside developers. Their commitment to transparency, community governance, and innovation is reflected in the design and implementation of the EternaFi platform, aiming to establish a unique ecosystem that fosters positive engagement and long-term value creation. Who are the Investors of EternaFi Agents? The specific details concerning investors or investment organizations backing EternaFi Agents are not publicly available. However, EternaFi has adopted an inclusive approach to funding its development through the sale of NFTs to the public, allowing a wide array of participants to invest in the ecosystem. The project’s architecture ensures that core infrastructure is funded responsibly while allowing community members to partake in the ownership and economic returns generated from the AI services. This model emphasizes community engagement by aligning the interests of investors and project developers, creating a collaborative environment where long-term participation is incentivized. How Does EternaFi Agents Work? EternaFi Agents operates through a multifaceted ecosystem where NFTs serve as a primary means of ownership representation within the project. Each NFT holder is entitled to a share of the monthly subscription income produced by the underlying AI-powered platform, thereby positioning NFT ownership as a lucrative investment vehicle. Revenue Generation Mechanism The primary source of revenue generation for the EternaFi platform stems from subscription fees related to the AI services provided. Users can access various tiered services, ranging from basic market analysis tools to comprehensive AI-assisted trading solutions. These services are monetized and form the basis for the revenue-sharing framework, which distributes profits to NFT holders through automated smart contracts. An innovative feature of the EternaFi ecosystem is the revenue-sharing mechanism that operates transparently, ensuring that rewards are allocated based on verifiable metrics from the AI platform's operations. This creates a direct link between the performance of AI services and the returns available to community investors, establishing a sustainable economic model. Staking and Vesting Mechanisms Participants within EternaFi can engage in staking their NFTs to unlock additional economic benefits. The vesting schedule is designed to promote long-term commitment among participants, rewarding those who exhibit ongoing support for the project. This ensures a robust alignment of interests and fosters a sense of community engagement essential for achieving the project's long-term goals. Transparent Governance EternaFi Agents embraces decentralized governance, allowing NFT holders to play an active role in decision-making regarding the platform's development and future directions. The governing structure includes community voting mechanisms, providing NFT holders with the opportunity to influence significant decisions and contributing to a collaborative approach to project growth. Timeline of EternaFi Agents The development trajectory of EternaFi Agents showcases a systematic approach toward building a sustainable AI infrastructure while meeting the needs of community participants. Below is a timeline of important milestones in the project’s history: July 2025: Launch of EternaFi Agents, including the public sale of NFTs and deployment of the $AINFT token on the Base blockchain. Q4 2025: Establishment of market infrastructure including liquidity pools and launch of staking dashboards for NFT holders. 2026: Initiation of community engagement programs, expanding AI capabilities, and integration with cross-chain technologies. Q4 2026: Implementation of the dividend distribution system, allowing NFT holders to reap economic benefits from their investments. These milestones signify the focus on establishing a functional and participative ecosystem while ensuring continuous evolution to meet market demands. Technological Infrastructure and Blockchain Integration EternaFi Agents is anchored in an advanced technological framework combining AI systems with blockchain capabilities. Operating on the Base blockchain, the project leverages the advantages of scalability and low transaction costs. The underlying smart contract architecture governs the NFT ownership, revenue sharing, and community management features, ensuring efficiency and transparency. AI System Development The proprietary large language model underpinning EternaFi Agents has been independently developed and designed to cater to revenue-generating applications without reliance on proprietary external frameworks. This endeavor reflects a commitment to creating a versatile and adaptable AI infrastructure capable of delivering meaningful services to users, thus generating economic value for investors. Security Measures The robustness of EternaFi’s security infrastructure is paramount. Regular audits and stringent security measures ensure the integrity of the AI systems and blockchain mechanisms, safeguarding against potential vulnerabilities while fostering confidence among participants. Conclusion EternaFi Agents signifies a landmark innovation within the realm of artificial intelligence and blockchain technology, opening avenues for community ownership and economic participation in advanced AI capabilities. The project’s comprehensive strategy to tokenize AI infrastructure via NFTs establishes a precedent for future decentralized ecosystems. By harmonizing technical sophistication with user-centric economic models, EternaFi not only fosters engagement but also generates a sustainable revenue-sharing framework for community participants. The significance of EternaFi extends well beyond its operational success as it exemplifies how blockchain can democratize cutting-edge AI technologies, paving the way for future ventures in this intersectional space. The evolution of EternaFi Agents may herald a new era of AI development characterized by participant-driven governance, sustainable economic models, and transparent verification, ultimately contributing to the broader democratization of AI and technology accessibility across industries.

4.5k Total ViewsPublished 2025.08.14Updated 2025.08.14

Discussions

Welcome to the HTX Community. Here, you can stay informed about the latest platform developments and gain access to professional market insights. Users' opinions on the price of NFT (NFT) are presented below.