I still remember when I was reading predictions about NFTs that would explode in 2025. We were full of optimism, all convinced that we would reach new all-time highs. Months later, it’s interesting to see how reality has developed compared to those ambitious expectations.

A piece of data worth recalling: in 2024, minting activity truly reached unprecedented levels. Ethereum Layer 2 solutions with ultra-low fees were enabling creators to launch NFT contracts like never before. Transaction volume, active wallets, all growing exponentially. The forecasts were that the NFTs that would explode would mainly be those tied to practical use cases, not just the usual image collections.

And indeed, what happened is that NFTs began permeating sectors no one expected. Liquity integrated NFTs into its V2 protocol, allowing trading of debt positions. Polymarket used NFTs to facilitate betting markets. Platforms like Virtuals were building tracking systems for contributions to AI projects. In short, the NFTs that will explode are not just Punks and Apes, but real, concrete applications.

The infrastructure has made giant leaps. I remember Starknet’s test with Cartridge in October: they managed to process 867 transactions per second with average fees of $0.002. Crazy stuff by previous standards. If this continues, there’s a real chance that Layer 2s will surpass 1000 TPS during 2025-2026.

On-chain games were supposed to be the next big catalyst. Account abstraction was improving UX for new users, tokenized incentives were attracting more participants. Everything seemed aligned for the NFTs that will explode to be mainly in gaming.

Regarding blue chips, predictions about Bitcoin Puppets and CryptoPunks were very specific. The hypothesis was that with Bitcoin above $500k, whales would try to showcase wealth through luxury NFTs. CryptoPunks Alien remains the most premium segment: I remember Alien Punk 5822 was sold for 8k ETH during the 2022 peak. Predictions of new records seemed reasonable given the hype.

Now with BTC at $80k and ETH at $2.35k, the dynamic is different from the bullish scenario imagined. But the lesson is that NFTs have not disappeared, quite the opposite. They have found their space in real-world applications. If you’re interested in exploring NFT trends and related assets, Gate has a good selection of projects that are actually building in this space.