NFT sales rose 57.17 percent to roughly 55.5 million USD over the seven days ending September 26, according to data from CryptoSlam — the strongest weekly jump in months, led by Ethereum and powered almost single-handedly by CryptoPunks, a collection that launched almost a decade ago.
By Imani Davis | September 29, 2026
If you own digital collectibles — or you wrote off NFTs after the 2022 crash — this week’s numbers matter. Buyers came back in force, trading volume spiked, and for once the rally was not driven by a new minting frenzy but by serious money moving into old, established collections. For regular investors, the question is simple: is this the start of a real recovery, or a one-week blip built on a handful of rich collectors?
The Hook: Buyers Flooded Back
Global NFT sales reached approximately 55.51 million USD across the rolling seven-day period captured on September 26, up 57.17 percent from the previous week. The rebound was not just about bigger price tags — it was about participation. Buyer addresses increased 39.65 percent to 160,565, while seller addresses rose 39.19 percent to 150,410, according to CryptoSlam. Transactions climbed a more modest 5.93 percent to 825,513.
Think of it like a farmers market suddenly getting busier: many more people walked through the gate, but each person did not necessarily buy much more than before. The surge in buyers far outpaced the rise in actual transactions — a sign that newcomers were window-shopping and dipping toes in, not emptying their wallets.
On-Chain Evidence: Ethereum Dominated, CryptoPunks Exploded
Ethereum led all blockchains with about 30.33 million USD in weekly NFT sales — up a stunning 113.52 percent, meaning its volume more than doubled in a single week. Its 19,043 buyer addresses rose 40.61 percent. Polygon placed second with 7.44 million USD in sales, though CryptoSlam separately flagged 18.50 million USD in wash-trading volume on the network — artificially inflated trades that real buyers should ignore. Bitcoin ranked third with 5.13 million USD, up 18.33 percent. Base took fourth at 3.30 million USD, and BNB Chain rounded out the top five at 2.66 million USD, with Immutable and Solana close behind.
- CryptoPunks — 8.24 million USD in sales, up an extraordinary 1,066.53 percent, from just 85 transactions
- Courtyard (Polygon) — 6.56 million USD, up 6.67 percent, across 111,471 small transactions
- Credits (Ethereum) — 5.18 million USD, with flat week-over-week activity
- Beezie (Base) — 1.69 million USD, boosted by a single 1 million USD sale settled in USDC
- Bored Ape Yacht Club — 1.49 million USD, up 213.39 percent from only 79 trades
That CryptoPunks number deserves a closer look. Eight million in sales from just 85 trades means the average trade was enormous — this was not retail buyers piling in, but a small number of collectors paying premium prices for rare pieces. The same concentration applies to Beezie on Base: one sale of Beezie #4365 for 1 million USD represented roughly 59 percent of that collection’s entire weekly volume.
The Core Conflict: Real Recovery or Whale Theater?
Here is the tension in this week’s data. On one hand, the breadth is encouraging: buyer addresses rose sharply across Ethereum, Polygon, Bitcoin and Base, which suggests genuine broad interest rather than one platform’s promotion. On the other hand, the biggest dollar moves came from tiny groups of wealthy traders buying blue-chip pieces. When 85 CryptoPunks transactions generate 8.24 million USD, the “average” NFT buyer is not driving the market — whales are.
There is also the wash-trading problem. CryptoSlam’s dashboards separate organic sales from suspicious back-and-forth trading designed to fake volume. Polygon’s 18.50 million USD in flagged wash trading was actually larger than its reported organic sales — a reminder that headline NFT numbers elsewhere can be inflated well beyond reality. The rally also took place alongside strength in the broader crypto market, with Bitcoin trading near 83,500 USD and Ethereum around 2,680 USD at the time of the data capture, according to CoinGecko data cited in the report.
Market Implications: What This Means For Your Wallet
For everyday investors, three takeaways stand out. First, blue-chip collections are back in demand — CryptoPunks, Bored Apes and other established names attracted the big money, while long-tail projects stayed quiet. If the NFT market recovers, it will likely recover from the top down, not the bottom up. Second, buyer counts matter more than dollar totals — a market where 160,000 buyer addresses show up is healthier than one where ten whales swap the same assets. Third, always check for wash trading before trusting any volume figure a marketplace or project quotes you.
It is also worth keeping expectations calibrated. Even after a 57 percent jump, weekly NFT sales of 55.5 million USD remain a fraction of the multi-billion-dollar weeks of the 2021 mania. The market is not what it was — it is smaller, more concentrated, and increasingly centered on collectibles with proven histories rather than speculative new mints.
The Verdict
This was a genuinely strong week for NFTs: more buyers, more sellers, and a doubling of Ethereum’s sales volume. But the headline number leans heavily on a handful of trophy sales by wealthy collectors, and the trend needs several more weeks of data before anyone can call it a recovery. If you already hold blue-chip NFTs, this week was good news for their floor prices. If you are thinking of buying, remember that thin, whale-driven markets can drop as fast as they rise. Watch whether buyer counts keep climbing next week — that, not the dollar total, will tell you whether regular people are truly coming back.
The cryptocurrency market remains highly volatile. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
watch what happens when one punk lists under floor. thin bidder side of punks trading is where the 55.5M narrative goes to die
sweepers have been propping the punk floor for months though, one sub-floor list would get eaten in minutes imo. the 2017 crowd treats these like blue chip art, they dont panic list
55.5M week and punks did the heavy lifting. a 2017 collection out here outperforming everything with a roadmap, lol
one or two whale sweeps can print a week like this. need three more weeks of data before anyone says recovery
even stripping punks out of the 55.5m the rest of the board moved, weak hands already left. whatever still trades now is real collectors, not flippers
three weeks is generous. cryptoslam revises these weekly numbers so hard that half the 57 percent bump could vanish in the next snapshot
buyers up 39 percent but transactions only up 6 on the week. thats whales consolidating punks, retail is still nowhere near this nft market
39 vs 6 is exactly the tell. call me when weekly transactions beat 2021 numbers, until then its five whales trading the same floor
one 2017 collection carrying the whole 55.5M week isnt a recovery, its a museum auction with extra steps
39 percent buyers vs 6 percent transactions is the whale tell, yes. punks floor moves on five sales and everyone prints recovery headlines
punks carrying a 55.5M week is one mid sized art auction with extra steps. technically a jump, spiritually a museum donation
spiritually a museum donation is harsh but accurate. still, 57 percent week over week with buyers up across the board is not nothing
museum donation lol, accurate tho. punks trade like fine art now, everything else in the 55.5M is garage sale inventory
a collection with no roadmap, no discord and no promises outperforming everything with a utility pitch. market finally pricing provenance over roadmaps i guess
provenance over roadmaps, well put. the utility pitch collections are down 95 percent and punks just exist
buyers were up across the board tho, not just volume. thats the detail everyone skips
160k buyer addresses in a week on nfts in 2026, did not have that on my bingo card. eth leading is the healthier signal too, everything else has been a solana sideshow for a year