NFT sales figures over the past week tell two contrasting stories. CryptoSlam data for the period ending October 3, 2026 shows global NFT sales volume fell 23.48% to $40.88 million. Yet behind the declining dollar total, the number of unique sellers climbed 31.99% to 197,297, highlighting resilient trader activity despite smaller average transaction sizes.
Ethereum held onto its top spot despite posting broad declines. The network generated $17.08 million, representing 41.8% of the total market, even as its volume tumbled 42.01%. That drop was balanced by a 57.75% jump in unique Ethereum buyers to 30,041. Polygon ranked second with $8.21 million, capturing 20.1% of global market share on the back of buyer growth to 47,606 addresses.
The Appeal of Physical Assets
The week’s biggest anomaly came from collections backed by real-world assets. Courtyard topped collection rankings with $7.31 million in volume on Polygon, up 15.11%. The project, which vaults physical assets in the United States and enables global redemption, logged 125,802 transactions. That alone accounted for 89% of all sales volume on the Polygon network.
Another major standout was Panini America. The physical trading card publisher surged 557.53% to pull in $1.87 million, securing fourth place among top-selling collections globally.
Legacy Collections Lose Volume
While projects grounded in physical utility captured capital, legacy collections on Ethereum took a hit. Credits took second place with $2.22 million following a 56.92% drop. Third-place CryptoPunks plunged 76.09% to $1.97 million across just 21 transactions over the past week.
Other layer-1 blockchains posted mixed results. BNB Chain registered $2.16 million, Immutable secured $2.12 million, and Solana trailed with $1.95 million. In Web3 gaming, Guild of Guardians Heroes brought in $1.05 million on the Immutable-zk network. Pudgy Penguins proved to be a rare exception in the profile picture (PFP) segment, defying the downturn with a modest 3.48% gain to $751,027.
Shifting Trader Capital
The drop in overall dollar volume does not mean participants are exiting the market. The simultaneous growth in active buyers and sellers alongside falling transaction numbers for high-ticket assets like CryptoPunks points to a rotation in trader demand. Capital is increasingly moving toward assets tied to physical items rather than purely digital ownership.
Reported by crypto.news.
Also read: What Is an NFT and How Does It Work?
Also read: 200,000 Magic Eden NFTs Nearly Vanished - Limit Break Flaw Patched Before Hackers Could Strike
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.
