NFT sales volume craters 63% in Q1, Bitcoin [BTC] NFT sales drop 79%

Q1 is coming to an end, and while the quarter didn't unfold as many anticipated, especially with Bitcoin [BTC] failing to post higher highs

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) saw a surprising shift in the first quarter of 2025, with sales declining sharply and Bitcoin-based NFTs taking a major hit.

According to AMBCrypto’s analysis of the NFT marketplace, Ethereum continues to dominate in total sales volume across multiple timeframes.

However, despite a 22% weekly increase in trading volume, signals a surprising shift in market dynamics.

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are facing a setback as sales decline

Sales of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) took a sharp downturn in the first quarter, dropping by 63% year-over-year.

This decline is attributed to the sluggish start to Q1, with Bitcoin failing to post higher highs as many had anticipated.

In contrast, Ethereum experienced a 22% weekly increase in trading volume, showcasing its resilience in the market downturn.

This stands in stark contrast to Bitcoin, which saw a 47% decrease in trading volume over the same period.

This begs the question: Is Bitcoin losing its edge in the NFT space, and could this give Ethereum a further advantage?

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are facing a setback as sales decline

Sales of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) took a sharp downturn in the first quarter, dropping by 63% year-over-year.

This decline is attributed to the sluggish start to Q1, with Bitcoin failing to post higher highs as many had anticipated.

In contrast, Ethereum experienced a 22% weekly increase in trading volume, showcasing its resilience in the market downturn.

This stands in stark contrast to Bitcoin, which saw a 47% decrease in trading volume over the same period.

This begs the question: Is Bitcoin losing its edge in the NFT space, and could this give Ethereum a further advantage?

NFTs saw a surprising shift in the first quarter of 2025, with sales declining sharply and Bitcoin-based NFTs taking a major hit.

According to AMBCrypto’s analysis of the NFT marketplace, Ethereum continues to dominate in total sales volume across multiple timeframes.

However, despite a 58% monthly retracement, Ethereum’s sales volume remained robust at $142 million USD.

In contrast, Bitcoin, which initially held the second position, has now slipped to the 19th rank, reflecting an 80% contraction in NFT sales volume.

This significant retracement aligns with the overall decline in total NFT sales across all blockchains, which have seen a 43.17% reduction at the time of this writing.

This sharp contraction marks the worst month for NFT sales, contributing to the 63% quarterly pullback.

Key takeaway: Non-fungible tokens (NFTs), once considered a groundbreaking digital asset class, are now facing a significant market decline.

Research shows that 98% of NFT collections are barely traded. In fact, only 0.2% of NFT drops have been profitable. Most NFTs lose over 50% of their value within days.

As noted by AMBCrypto, the speculative nature of NFTs also presents notable investment risks.

Historical parallels can be drawn with collectibles like Beanie Babies, which saw a sharp decline in value after their initial surge in popularity.

According to data from CryptoSlam.IO, non-fungible token (NFT) sales across major blockchains declined by 63% in the first quarter.

This downturn follows a strong 2024, where NFT sales reached $1.4 billion in the first quarter alone.

In contrast, Bitcoin-based NFT sales took a major hit, falling to $291 million in 2025.

This marks a 79% drop from the $1.4 billion in the first quarter of 2024.

In January 2025, Ethereum’s NFT sales captured around 50% of the total market volume, totaling approximately $338 million.

However, Ethereum experienced a 23.84% retracement in sales volume from December 2024 to January 2025.

This aligns with the broader crypto market downturn, where Bitcoin encountered resistance at the $70,000 price point, leading to a 47% decline in trading volume over the past seven days.

On the other hand, Ethereum saw a 22% increase in trading volume over the same period, indicating relative strength despite the broader market weakness.

This relative strength could be attributed to the fact that Ethereum is lagging behind Bitcoin in the current market.