Polygon Flips Ethereum in Weekly NFT Sales – Sparks Debate

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The NFT landscape is undergoing a seismic shift, as Polygon surpasses Ethereum in weekly NFT sales volume for the first time in 2025. This milestone marks a pivotal moment in blockchain adoption, especially within the digital collectibles and gaming ecosystems. Despite an overall decline in NFT market activity, Polygon’s surge highlights growing demand for scalable, low-cost alternatives to Ethereum’s Layer 1.

NFT Market Sees 9.37% Drop to $93 Million in Weekly Sales

According to data from Cryptoslam, the global NFT market recorded $93 million** in trading volume over the past seven days — a 10% drop from the previous week’s $95 million. While the broader crypto market remains in a prolonged bear phase, with Ethereum (ETH)** trading below $2,000 and **Bitcoin (BTC)** under $90,000, user engagement continues to grow.

Notably, more than 250,000 unique buyers participated in NFT transactions this week, while over 150,000 sellers offloaded assets. This activity generated more than 1.5 million total transactions, indicating sustained interest despite price stagnation.

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Top 5 Best-Selling NFT Collections This Week

  1. Courtyard – Leading the pack with $20 million in sales, this Polygon-based collection features 80,461 unique digital items. Its volume surged 20.81% week-over-week, driven by strong community engagement and utility within decentralized applications.
  2. DMarket – Ranking second with $9.5 million in sales, DMarket specializes in blockchain-integrated in-game assets from titles like Counter-Strike, Rust, and Dota 2. The platform enables true ownership of virtual items across games, fueling its adoption.
  3. Guild of Guardians Heroes – This mobile RPG-themed NFT series secured third place with $3.7 million in sales, up 2.57% from last week. Built on Polygon, it offers play-to-earn mechanics that appeal to gamers seeking tangible rewards.
  4. $?? (BRC-20 NFT Collection)** – A mysterious yet highly active Bitcoin-based NFT project leveraging the **BRC-20 standard**, it matched Guild of Guardians’ sales at **$3.7 million, marking a staggering 36.36% increase — one of the highest growth rates this week.
  5. CryptoPunks – Once the flagship of Ethereum’s NFT dominance, CryptoPunks brought in $1.7 million, rounding out the top five. Though sales have cooled compared to peak bull markets, its cultural significance endures.

Polygon Surpasses Ethereum in NFT Sales Volume

In a landmark development, Polygon has overtaken Ethereum as the most-traded blockchain for NFTs this week, recording $21 million in sales — a 24.88% increase from the prior week.

Meanwhile, Ethereum-based NFTs dropped sharply to $20 million, reflecting a 43% decline in weekly volume. This marks the first time in 2025 that Polygon has led the NFT market by sales, underscoring its growing traction among developers and users prioritizing speed and affordability.

Other notable blockchains include:

This shift raises critical questions about Ethereum’s long-term competitiveness in the NFT space — particularly as Layer 2 solutions gain momentum.

Why Is Polygon Outperforming Ethereum?

Several factors contribute to Polygon’s rising dominance:

Conversely, Ethereum continues to face criticism for high fees and slow transaction times on its base layer — issues that persist despite the success of scaling solutions like rollups.

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Community Debate: Is Ethereum Losing Its Edge?

A heated discussion has erupted across social platforms — particularly on X (formerly Twitter) — regarding Ethereum’s future direction. Critics argue that the core development team’s focus on Layer 2 ecosystems may be undermining the mainnet’s relevance.

Crypto influencer Borovik voiced frustration:

“I’m still bullish on Ethereum (ETH), but if they actually scaled L1 and stopped focusing on L2, the price would be at least $3,000 right now.”

This sentiment reflects a growing concern: while Layer 2 networks scale effectively, many believe foundational improvements to Ethereum’s base layer are overdue.

Hayden Adams, CEO of Uniswap Labs, offered a counterpoint:

“I’m all for scaling improvements to L1 — the rollup-centric roadmap actually requires it... But we can’t ignore that L2s are essential for mass adoption.”

Adams emphasized that true scalability lies in synergy between L1 and L2 layers, not competition between them.

Core Keywords Identified:

These terms naturally align with search queries related to blockchain performance, digital collectibles, and emerging Web3 trends.

FAQ: Addressing Key Questions

Q: Why did Polygon surpass Ethereum in NFT sales?
A: Lower transaction fees, strong adoption in gaming and metaverse projects, and faster processing times have made Polygon more attractive for frequent NFT trading.

Q: Does this mean Ethereum is failing?
A: Not necessarily. Ethereum remains the most secure and decentralized smart contract platform. However, high costs and slower speeds are pushing certain use cases — especially microtransactions — toward scalable alternatives.

Q: Are BRC-20 NFTs gaining traction?
A: Yes. The $?? collection’s 36% sales increase shows growing interest in Bitcoin-based tokens. While still niche, BRC-20 opens new avenues for digital ownership on Bitcoin.

Q: What role do Layer 2 solutions play in Ethereum's future?
A: They’re central to Ethereum’s scalability strategy. Networks like Optimism and Arbitrum handle most off-mainnet activity, but debate continues over whether L1 should also evolve independently.

Q: Is the NFT market recovering?
A: Signs are mixed. Overall volume is down, but user participation is rising. This suggests organic growth may be forming beneath the surface despite macroeconomic headwinds.

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Final Thoughts: A New Chapter for NFTs

Polygon’s rise signals a maturing multi-chain ecosystem where performance and user experience drive adoption. While Ethereum laid the foundation for NFT innovation, emerging networks are now challenging its dominance by optimizing for specific use cases — particularly gaming and social applications.

As debates around Layer 1 vs Layer 2 intensify, one thing is clear: the future of NFTs isn’t tied to a single blockchain. Instead, it will be shaped by interoperability, accessibility, and real-world utility across platforms.

For investors, creators, and developers alike, staying informed and agile is key — because in Web3, leadership can change faster than a single block confirmation.