NFT Market Shifts to Utility and Culture Amid 2025 Price Declines:

By 2025, real-world utility had replaced speculative frenzy in the NFT market. Sales for the first quarter fell 63% year-over-year, reaching only $1.5 billion, while market capitalization dropped from its 2022 peak of $16.8 billion to $2.56 billion. Floor prices for collections like the supposedly blue-chip CryptoPunks fell precipitously, whereas collections like Pudgy Penguins worked by expanding into physical products such as toys.

This year, NFTs increasingly relate to tangible use cases. FIFA introduced "Right to Buy" tokens for the 2026 World Cup, giving holders priority ticket access by helping reduce price gouging. Following in these footsteps, platforms like Courtyard.io connect physical collectibles-in this case, Pokémon cards-to on-chain NFTs, merging the benefits of digital verification with the diversity of real-world assets. According to Courtyard CEO Nicolas le Jeune, the value lies in the experience, combined with underlying assets-not just in blockchain technology.

In general, the NFT market is moving from speculation to culture and utility; the blockchain is being used to improve already existing experiences. The focus is on value creation in the real world with the use of NFTs, linking digital assets to physical items, events, and community participation.

#NFT​