NFT Landscape 2023: Ethereum Leads Despite Challenges From Bitcoin & Solana

A recent research by Coingecko revealed the largest Non-Fungible Token (NFT) blockchains of 2023, with Ethereum taking the lead. The study, analyzing the top 10 blockchains by NFT trading volume from January to December, showcased Ethereum’s dominance with a market share of 72.3% and a trading volume of $8.54 billion.

However, Ethereum’s reign has faced challenges compared to its 2022 dominance of over 90%. Bitcoin and Solana have made significant strides, causing Ethereum to lose market share.

Coingecko

Bitcoin emerged as the second-largest NFT blockchain, capturing 12.9% of the market share and achieving a trading volume of $1.5 billion in 2023. The introduction of Bitcoin Ordinals played a pivotal role in establishing Bitcoin as a major player in NFT trading, with a remarkable 1,495% growth in trading volume between Q3 and Q4 of 2023.

Collectively, Ethereum and Bitcoin commanded an impressive 85.2% of the total NFT trading volume, leaving other blockchains trailing behind. Solana secured the third position with a 7.4% market share, showcasing its resilience and mounting a comeback in 2023.

December Shift: Bitcoin Surpasses Ethereum

December 2023 marked a turning point as Bitcoin surpassed Ethereum in NFT trading, accounting for $0.81 billion in trading volume and a dominance of 42.1%. This surge in Bitcoin’s performance was attributed to the remarkable growth of Bitcoin Ordinals, particularly in November and December.

Ethereum, while challenged by Bitcoin, managed to maintain a 34.6% market share in December, with a trading volume of $1.41 billion. However, its overall NFT trading volume witnessed a decline throughout 2023, starting at $0.94 billion in January and dropping to $0.67 billion in December.

Solana, on the other hand, showcased an impressive comeback in December 2023, achieving a market share of 18.7% with a trading volume of $0.36 billion. Notably, this was the only month in 2023 when Solana surpassed $0.10 billion in trading volume, attributed to collections like Mad Lads and Tensorians.

Solana’s resilience was evident in its NFT trading volume growth of 541% between Q3 and Q4, reaching $0.45 billion. Only Avalanche and Bitcoin outperformed Solana’s quarter-over-quarter growth, showcasing the dynamic landscape of the NFT market in 2023.

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