BAYC, Cryptopunks, and MAYC Floor Prices Climb as Blue-Chip NFT Demand Returns

Blue-Chip NFTs Spike, Volume Remains Quiet

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have not experienced the same level of demand seen prior to 2023, and the sector struggled throughout 2025 and early 2026, with steep declines in trading volume, market capitalization, floor prices across many collections, and overall participation compared to the 2021–2022 boom period. But over the last month, sentiment appears to have shifted.

Since April 10, cryptoslam.io stats show that NFTs recorded roughly $238.54 million in trading volume. While that figure is 54.89% lower than the previous 30-day stretch, several individual NFT collections have more than doubled in value. For example, the popular NFT collection Cryptopunks saw its floor value climb from $62,500 on April 10 to today’s $73,200 valuation, according to nftpricefloor.com.

The digital collection Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) posted a far larger gain and is now leading the charge among blue-chip NFT collections climbing again. BAYC floor values today are 75.87% higher than they were on April 10. BAYC’s market capitalization stood at $251 million as of May 10. The collection also recorded $13.42 million in sales over the last 30 days, outpacing Cryptopunks volume of $7.78 million during the same period.

Pudgy Penguins climbed from $9,500 to the current $12,900 in terms of floor value. BAYC’s sister collection, Mutant Ape Yacht Club (MAYC), also posted a strong 30-day climb, advancing from $1,500 to the current $3,960. Other notable jumps in sales volume came from Panini America, NBA Top Shot, Anome OG NFT, and Guild of Guardians NFTs. A broad range of other well-known NFT collections also performed well during the 30-day time frame.

Several NFT influencers genuinely believe an NFT comeback may be taking shape, while others are not so sure. At the start of the rise last month, one X account said, “ NFTs are about to make a violent comeback. Supply at all-time lows. Sellers are gone. Volume picking back up. This is the most obvious setup in crypto right now, and very few people are positioned for it.”

“This rebound is concentrated in blue-chips with existing whales rotating bags, not broad demand,” another person added to the conversation this week. “ Bullish for conviction holders, but we still need fresh capital to sustain it.”

Whether this marks the beginning of a broader NFT recovery or simply a temporary rebound remains unclear, but the recent movement has pulled traders back toward collections many had written off months ago. Even with trading volumes still far below prior cycle highs, rising floor values across several blue-chip collections suggest selective demand has returned to the market.

For now, longtime NFT holders appear to be watching closely to see whether the sector can maintain momentum through the second half of 2026.