March NFT sales drop 76% to $373 million as BAYC and CryptoPunks slide
Only a few collections buck the downtrend
The steep decline in NFT sales in March has reignited expert discussions about the downfall of this form of digital art. Only a few collections seem capable of defying the broader negative trend.
According to Cointelegraph, citing data from CryptoSlam, NFT sales in Q1 2025 dropped 63% year-over-year to $1.5 billion — a $4.1 billion decrease compared to the same period in 2024.The sharpest decline occurred in March, when NFT sales plummeted 76% to $373 million, down from $1.6 billion in March 2024.
NFT Sales Q1 2025. Source: Cointelegraph, CryptoSlam
Among major NFT collections, CryptoPunks recorded $60 million in sales in Q1 2025, down 47% from $114 million in Q1 2024.
Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) saw an even steeper drop of 61%, with sales falling to $29.8 million, compared to $78 million a year earlier.
Only a few collections buck the downtrend
Some collections, however, have managed to resist the bearish sentiment — notably Pudgy Penguins, Doodles, and Milady Maker.
Pudgy Penguins posted the highest quarterly sales volume, hitting $72 million, a 13% increase from Q1 2024.
Q1 2025 NFT Sales Across Collections. Source: Cointelegraph, Cryptoslam
Doodles also surged, with sales climbing to $32 million from $22.6 million last year — in part due to the brand’s growing mainstream presence and a recent partnership with McDonald’s.
Milady Maker saw the highest percentage growth among top collections. The Ethereum-based NFT project registered a 58% increase in sales volume.
Endorsed by Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, the collection continues to draw attention across social media platforms. It features 10,000 anime-style avatars and is also supported by Three Arrows Capital co-founder Su Zhu.
As we wrote, Despite weak prices and a declining crypto market—whose capitalization fell from $3.24 trillion to $3.18 trillion this week—the NFT sector showed growth across multiple metrics.
