According to a report by blockchain analytics firm Nansen, royalties earned by nonfungible token (NFT) initiatives have fallen to their lowest level in two years.
The data illustrates the lowest point for NFT royalties before the impact of the recent decline in the floor price of Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs and the controversy surrounding the launch of the Azuki Elementals collection.
The apex of NFT royalties occurred in April 2022, when NFT creators earned an estimated $75.7 million in royalties in a week.
According to data from Nansen, the creators of BAYC, Yuga Labs, have made $165,5 million in royalties from its portfolio of NFT collections.
RTFKT’s collections, which include CloneX, have generated a total of $79.9 million in royalties. Azuki’s zuki, Beanz, Elemental Beansa, and Elementals collections have earned $58,2 million.
Moonbirds’ studio, Proof, generated $35 million in revenue, while Doodles’ Doodles, Space Doodles, Genesis Box, and Dooplicato collections generated $27.4 million. The total revenue for Pudgy Penguins’ Pudgy Penguins, Lil Pudgys, and Pudgy Rods drips is $8.3 million.
Given their role in generating revenue, Nansen emphasizes the significance of NFT royalties as an indicator of a studio’s financial foundation for ongoing development.
Until 2023, the NFT marketplace OpenSea was predominantly responsible for distributing royalty payments to NFT projects.
According to the report, this trend changed after rival marketplace Blur implemented a policy requiring a minimum of 0.5% royalties unless projects opted out or enforced complete percentages.
OpenSea allowed purchasers to pay royalties unless projects opted out or imposed a particular percentage.
“Currently, OpenSea and Blur are on par with each other when it comes to the royalties paid through their respective marketplaces, with more royalties paid on Blur when the trading volume surges.”
According to Nansen’s data, the top 10 NFT collections have earned more than $345 million in royalties. The $150 million in royalties earned by Yuga Labs represents 44% of the top ten. Interestingly, only twenty NFT initiatives have accrued royalties over $10 million to date.
