Thomas Daniels
Ethereum-based NFT collections have taken nine of the top ten spots in the most recent seven-day sales rankings, with standout performers including CryptoPunks, Pudgy Penguins, Moonbirds, and Azuki. The only non-Ethereum entry in the top 10 was the Polygon-based Courtyard collection.
CryptoPunks, still the leading NFT collection by market capitalization, is valued at approximately $1.8 billion. Last week, the collection posted $15.5 million in sales, marking a staggering 11,736% increase from the previous week and cementing its position at the top.
This renewed momentum comes as Ether (ETH) surged past the $3,800 level, approaching the $4,000 threshold. The cryptocurrency has risen nearly 27% from $3,000 on July 14, recently trading at around $3,815.
Pudgy Penguins and Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) followed CryptoPunks with $2.69 million and $2.38 million in weekly sales, respectively. BAYC in particular saw a 1,051% increase in volume, alongside a notable uptick in both buyers and sellers.
While CryptoSlam ranks collections by sales volume, DappRadar—which focuses on trading volumes—offers a slightly different picture. According to their data, Pudgy Penguins led the week with over $20 million in trading volume, surpassing CryptoPunks at $17.6 million. Pudgy Penguins’ average sales price rose 52% to nearly $50,000, while CryptoPunks’ average price climbed 21% to approximately $155,000.
Market cap data further underscores Ethereum’s dominance. Nine of the top ten NFT collections by valuation are Ethereum-based, with only Solana’s Mad Lads breaking into the leaderboard. CryptoPunks lead at $1.8 billion, followed by Pudgy Penguins at $556 million and BAYC at close to $500 million.
Broader market dynamics also suggest renewed vigor. The overall NFT market cap recently surged to $6.34 billion in 24 hours, up 21.2%. Trading volume more than tripled, exceeding $38 million in the same period. A key driver was a single transaction involving the purchase of 45 CryptoPunks, valued at 2,082 ETH—approximately $7.8 million—boosting the floor price by nearly 16%, to 47.5 ETH (about $179,000).
