This week, Bitcoin NFTs are making waves, positioning themselves just behind Ethereum NFTs in terms of sales. Additionally, NFT lending platforms and loan services are gaining momentum in the market. Leading the pack is Blur’s Blend, dominating 82% of the NFT lending market share. Notably, Binance has also introduced its own NFT loan service, enabling holders to utilize their blue-chip NFTs as collateral for ETH loans.
Moreover, Nike’s .SWOOSH platform has unveiled its inaugural collection of digital sneakers, generating over $1 million in sales to date. However, the minting process posed challenges for eager buyers, who encountered multiple delays and technical difficulties.
Bitcoin NFTs gaining ground: Bitcoin-based NFTs have witnessed a surge in popularity, securing the second spot in terms of sales per blockchain, trailing just behind Ethereum, as per CryptoSlam’s data. The rise of Bitcoin NFTs is a relatively recent development since their inception became feasible after enabling inscriptions on the Bitcoin mainnet in January 2023.
Space Pepes soaring high: Bitcoin-based “Space Pepes” NFTs have skyrocketed to the top of the NFT leaderboard, emerging as the most traded NFTs over a seven-day period. According to Cryptoslam, the collection has recorded over $7.3 million worth of trades.
Inscriptions driving growth: With the introduction of the BRC-20 token standard, the number of Ordinals inscriptions surged past 3 million earlier this month. However, the majority of these inscriptions consist of text rather than other forms of content.
Nike’s journey to $1M: Nike’s Web3 collectibles platform, .SWOOSH, released its first NFT sneaker collection called Our Force 1, surpassing $1 million in sales. Despite encountering minting challenges, including delays and technical issues during both “First Access” and “General Access” sales, Nike considers the endeavor a success.
Drop master or drop-saster?: Some users expressed frustration over the technical difficulties experienced during the .SWOOSH drop, considering Nike’s expertise in launching exclusive sneaker drops that typically sell out within seconds.
NFT lending on the rise: NFT lending platforms and loan services are gaining traction as individuals seek alternative entry points into the NFT market without significant upfront costs:
- Blend: Blur’s NFT marketplace launched Blend earlier this month, quickly capturing an 82% market share in NFT lending, according to DappRadar’s report.
- Binance NFT Loan: Prominent cryptocurrency exchange Binance integrated a new feature into its NFT marketplace, enabling digital asset holders to secure ETH loans using their NFTs as collateral.
- Astaria: Co-founded by the former CTO of DeFi protocol SushiSwap, Astaria allows NFT holders to lease their assets to traders who prefer not to make a single high-value transaction for a blue-chip NFT.
These developments highlight the evolving landscape of NFTs, with Bitcoin NFTs gaining traction, Nike venturing into the digital sneaker realm, and NFT lending platforms providing new avenues for participation in the market.
