Pokémon's 30th anniversary: The "tokenized" Pokémon card trading market is booming, with weekly earnings exceeding $5.38 million.

Celebrating Pokémon’s 30th Anniversary, the tokenized Pokémon card market is bustling with trading activity, with weekly earnings reaching $5.38 million. The platform stores physical cards in third-party vaults and issues tokens, combining RWA concepts to provide liquidity and security.

Pokémon’s 30th Anniversary, Weekly Revenue of the Tokenized Pokémon Card Market Surges

On the occasion of Pokémon’s 30th anniversary, the market for Pokémon card NFTs, also called “tokenized” Pokémon cards, is highly active. As of the week ending April 6, earnings reached $5.38 million, approaching the all-time high set in September 2025.

Compared to six months ago, recent Pokémon card trading booms show structural differences.

Foreign media outlet The Block pointed out that the September 2025 peak was concentrated on a single platform, Collector Crypt, which issued tokens that caused a weekly surge. However, the recent peaks have lasted for six consecutive weeks, with most earnings coming from well-known digital collectibles platform Courtyard.

Image source: The Block. “Tokenized” Pokémon card market is highly active, with weekly earnings reaching $5.38 million as of April 6.

The Pokémon card NFT market has become active again, closely linked to the 30th anniversary celebration. Nintendo officially announced the global release of 30th-anniversary merchandise in 2026, confirming the inclusion of old back designs and popular cards from previous generations, and the NFT market has already reflected this commemorative demand early.

Tokenized Pokémon Cards Differ from Profile Picture NFTs

Unlike the NFT craze of a few years ago, which was mainly based on virtual profile pictures, transforming Pokémon cards into “tokenized collectibles” on the blockchain has become a feasible subclass of real-world assets (RWA).

For example, Courtyard stores physical Pokémon cards in third-party vaults and issues exchangeable tokens backed by the physical cards, attracting collectors seeking liquidity while avoiding the native speculative risks of cryptocurrencies.

• Related report:** Selling a pack every 4 seconds! TCG market rapidly growing, who are the customers of Collector Crypt and Courtyard?**

These platforms that facilitate open Pokémon card trading mainly use their tokenization technology as a tool to provide liquidity, moving away from the previous NFT speculative trading model.

As Pokémon cards continue to be exchanged and physically delivered, the market’s pricing function on the chain has been validated, establishing a successful model for tokenized intellectual property and collectibles.

It should be noted that the Pokémon card tokenization market is an independent secondary market, with no affiliation to Pokémon Company, Nintendo, or any other official entity.

Riding the Pokémon 30th Anniversary Wave, Courtyard’s Annual Revenue Estimated at $200 Million

The Block estimates that, if current revenue levels are maintained, Courtyard’s annual revenue could reach $200 million in 2026, surpassing most mid-sized NFT trading platforms in 2021, and marketing expenses have also significantly decreased, as the platform’s demand is directly driven by the physical card market boom without needing to re-promote profile picture NFTs.

Courtyard’s short-term risk is that the bull market for physical cards may stall. But in the long run, the current trend indicates that “tokenized collectibles” have found a market-fit product positioning, with potential to establish new business models for categories like sports cards and luxury watches.

Image source: Courtyard. Pokémon card tokenization trading on Courtyard.

Physical Pokémon stores face security challenges; tokenization offers a safer alternative

Recently, amid the 30th-anniversary celebrations boosting Pokémon card values, physical stores face security concerns. According to BBC, there have been multiple break-in robberies at Pokémon card shops across the UK. For example, stores in Cheshire and Bristol have been targeted, with some losing inventory worth tens of thousands of pounds.

• Related report:** Not stealing jewelry, but Pokémon cards! UK experiences a wave of smash-and-grab robberies, causing heavy losses for stores.**

In the face of theft risks for physical Pokémon cards, the tokenized market offers a contactless, relatively safe way to own and trade.

By entrusting high-value cards to professional custodians and converting them into on-chain tokens, collectors can participate in the trading market while reducing the risk of theft.