While the broader crypto market remains subdued, one corner of the NFT ecosystem is enjoying record-breaking momentum. Cointelegraph reported that the onchain gacha sector - a system for opening randomized collectible card packs with all transactions recorded on the blockchain - posted $324.6 million in user spending throughout June 2026. This figure marks the fourth consecutive monthly record for the category, and notably, the milestone was achieved even as Bitcoin prices took a heavy beating.
Bitcoin Slumps, Card Gacha Booms
Throughout June 2026, Bitcoin touched a 21-month low, with intraday prices sliding to $58,131 on June 25. Such conditions typically dampen onchain activity across the board, including NFTs, which have historically been among the most sensitive assets to market sentiment. However, the onchain gacha category moved in the opposite direction. Instead of tumbling, user spending on opening these digital card packs continued to climb and set new records, signaling sustained demand largely resilient to price fluctuations in Bitcoin or Ethereum.
The business model itself is relatively straightforward yet distinct from the PFP (profile picture) NFTs that have long defined the broader sector. Physical collectible cards, predominantly Pokemon and One Piece cards, are submitted by users to the platform and stored in its custodial vault. In return, users receive digital versions (NFTs) of the cards that can be traded onchain. If the owner wants the physical card back, the NFT can be burned to trigger shipment of the original card to their home address.
Collector Crypt Dominates Two-Thirds of the Market
Of the record $324.6 million total, the Solana-based platform Collector Crypt accounted for approximately $209 million, or roughly 64% of the entire onchain gacha market that month. Collector Crypt even set its own record with 215,000 tokenized card packs opened by users in a single week, while protocol revenue has surpassed $50 million from its launch through June 2026.
This momentum has also caught the attention of major players within the Solana ecosystem. Jupiter, the network’s largest DEX, reportedly partnered with Collector Crypt to roll out new edition Pokemon card gacha, a move further underscoring that the physical collectible card tokenization trend is more than just fleeting hype and is gaining traction among mainstream crypto infrastructure players.
Despite long-standing controversy surrounding gacha mechanics - often likened to gambling due to their randomized nature - these figures highlight something rarely seen in the NFT market recently: a segment growing organically rather than purely on token price speculation. For industry veterans who considered NFTs dead following the prolonged downturn since 2022, the tokenized physical card trend may signal that NFTs are carving out a new identity, far removed from the generic profile picture hype that once dominated the space.
Source: Cointelegraph.
Read also: What Is an NFT and How Does It Work?
Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only, not financial advice. Cryptocurrency assets are highly volatile and carry significant risk. Always do your own research (DYOR) and never invest more than you can afford to lose.
