Animoca Chairman Bets Big: NFTs Could Propel Ethereum to Shatter Its All-Time High

NFTs aren't dead—they're Ethereum's secret weapon.

Animoca Brands' executive chairman Yat Siu just doubled down on his conviction that non-fungible tokens will be the catalyst for Ethereum's next parabolic rally. With NFT trading volumes quietly rebounding and institutional interest creeping back in, the stage might be set for ETH to smash through its previous peak.

The NFT revival no one saw coming

While skeptics wrote off NFTs as a 2021 fad, infrastructure improvements and real-world utility cases have slowly rebuilt momentum. Gaming, ticketing, and digital identity use cases are breathing new life into the sector—exactly the kind of organic demand that could drive Ethereum's next leg up.

Ethereum's make-or-break moment

The network faces stiff competition from faster chains, but its NFT dominance remains unchallenged. If Animoca's bet pays off, we could see ETH not just reclaim its throne—but set shocking new records. Of course, this being crypto, the 'if' remains gloriously, painfully large. (Wall Street analysts remain blissfully unaware of all developments until their interns explain it to them.)

NFT trading volume slumps in Q2, but sales surge

Meanwhile, Siu’s stance contrasts with ongoing bearish sentiment around NFTs. Global NFT trading volume has declined significantly over the past few years, and the drop continues. According to Dappradar data, NFT volume fell 45% from $1.5 billion in Q1 to about $823 million in Q2 2025.

Interestingly, NFT sales increased during the period despite the decline in trading volume. In Q2 alone, NFT sale counts jumped by 78%, reaching around 12.5 million transactions. Analysts at Dappradar noted that this points to a change in market behavior.

Rather than fewer, high-value trades, buyers favor more modest purchases. According to on-chain data, the average NFT sale on Ethereum now ranges between $80 and $100. That suggests increased interest from casual users or those testing the waters at lower risk levels.

The number of monthly NFT traders increased by 20% from the previous quarter to reach an average of 668,598 users, proving that more users are returning to the NFT sector.

ETH makes a comeback as the NFT market sees a  resurgence

Meanwhile, a resurgence in ETH value appears to be positively affecting the NFT market. Over the past three months, the token has increased by more than 133% to surpass $3,800 for the first time since February 2024 and look primed to see further rise in value.

Interestingly, the total NFT market cap according to Cryptoslam is also NEAR $11 billion after recent gains. While this is below the $15.6 billion peak of August 2021, it represents a positive development.

It is unclear what is driving the resurgence in NFT value, but there have been speculations that NFT treasuries might be in the plan. Blockworks co-founder  Jason Yanowitz noted that the assets have been moving like this with an upward trajectory in price movements.

However, many people believe that NFT treasuries are unsustainable in the current cycle, even though some acknowledged that recent price swings are not random. Ethereum will not be the only beneficiary of the resurgence in NFTs, with the network accounting for only 50% of total NFT volume.

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