NFT Seeks New Opportunities in the Winter

While most people are finishing their workday, 23-year-old 0xExceed is just starting his day. For the next 14 hours, he will manage an NFT project with his co-founder, coordinate with artists across different time zones, and interact with a community of thousands.

In 2025, when mainstream observers view NFTs as a fleeting phenomenon, 0xExceed and his team remain passionate about digital art ownership. NFT communities like Pudgy Penguins, Remilia, Azuki, and Claynosaurz are still active, each with different goals but all centered around NFTs.

0xExceed stated: "People say NFT is dead, but our community is still enthusiastic." Their recent art competition attracted hundreds of entries, "Technology is evolving, and we are progressing as well."

"Despite a significant decline in trading volume, the creator and collector community continues to thrive. Devin Finzer, the CEO of a trading platform, believes this evolution was to be expected. He explained, 'Exciting things are happening in the tech space, and creating content and building applications is becoming increasingly easier. Cryptocurrency and blockchain are the key infrastructures for current technological development.'"

The NFT trading volume has fallen from a peak of $3.2 billion per week in August 2021 to currently less than $100 million, but Finzer sees a more nuanced reality. He pointed out that some of the trading volume has been absorbed by meme coins, as meme coins have stronger liquidity. Many successful NFT projects have also been continuously developed through ecosystem tokens, creating a hybrid model.

The competition for dominance in the NFT market is fierce, and the market share of a certain platform has experienced significant fluctuations. Another change is that NFTs have become cheaper, not only due to price drops but also because of lower transaction costs. Finzer stated: "Now we have faster and cheaper blockchains, an NFT only costs 50 cents, and the rarest ones are just 50 dollars, the ecosystem is healthier than in 2021."

At the same time, related digital ownership models are thriving. The market value of "Counter-Strike" skins is close to $5 billion, partly due to their convenience.

Recent rulings, particularly the court ruling between Apple and Epic Games, will change the accessibility of NFTs on mobile platforms. Finzer stated that this brings huge opportunities to the NFT market, and they plan to introduce services to the mobile end.

The role of NFTs in establishing digital identity and community membership remains prominent. Finzer points out that owning digital assets and setting them as social media avatars signifies a shift in mindset. Some projects like Pudgy Penguins have developed into mature consumer brands.

Finzer believes that the current state of NFTs is part of the natural cycle that new technologies often go through. He believes that NFTs are part of a broader aspect of digital ownership, which will become crucial as life becomes increasingly online.

Emerging trends include the connection between physical items and NFTs, such as allowing people to trade physical products presented in NFT form. The rise of generative artificial intelligence has also created new opportunities for NFTs, making content creation easier.

Despite market fluctuations, many Web3 games are still in development. Some NFT projects like Claynosaurz have been recognized for their animation quality, showcasing levels comparable to traditional entertainment giants.

Finzer firmly believes that digital ownership will become a fundamental component of our increasingly online lives. With the development of artificial intelligence, the complexity of gaming ecosystems, and the linkage between identity and digital assets, NFTs may realize the vision of early advocates and become an essential infrastructure for a digital future.