NFT Sales Volume Surges to $2.5 Billion in 2021 First Half

The market for NFTs surged to new highs in the second quarter, with $2.5 billion (roughly Rs. 18,560 crores) in sales so far this year, up from just $13.7 million (roughly Rs. 101.7 crores) in the first half of 2020, marketplace data showed.
An NFT is a cryptocurrency asset, representing an intangible digital item such as an image, video, or in-game item. Owners of NFTs are recorded on blockchain, allowing an NFT to be traded as a stand-in for the digital asset it represents.
Sales volumes have remained high after NFTs exploded in popularity early this year. Monthly sales volumes on OpenSea, a major NFT marketplace, reached a record high in June.
Some NFT enthusiasts see them as collectibles with intrinsic value because of their cultural significance, while others treat them as an investment, speculating on rising prices.
Buyers have mostly totalled 10,000 to 20,000 per week since March, outnumbering sellers, according to NonFungible.com, which aggregates NFT transactions on the Ethereum blockchain. Ethereum price in India stood at Rs. 1.7 crores as of 11am IST on July 6.
Total sales volume estimates vary depending on which NFT transactions are included.


