2022 has come to a close and with it another exciting chapter for the growth of Web3 and non-fungible tokens.
While 2022 may not have been on the same level as sales volume in 2021, the year saw many of the top collections from the previous year post strong secondary sales. Several new collections also launched in 2022 and have climbed their way up the all-time sales volume leaderboard.
What Happened: NFTs continued to be a trending topic in the cryptocurrency sector and one of Benzinga's many areas of coverage in 2022.
From hosting a NFT show on YouTube; Twitter Spaces discussing Web3; and our first in-person crypto event in New York City in 2022, NFTs were top of mind for Benzinga.
As the new year begins, here’s a look at the top 10 NFT collections by sales volume in 2022. The list uses data from CryptoSlam through Dec. 20, 2022 and was reported by Decrypt.
1. Bored Ape Yacht Club, $1.57 billion: The original collection from Yuga Labs was the top-selling NFT collection in 2022 with over $1.5 billion in sales volume. The collection, which minted in April 2021, ranks second of all-time, behind only Axie Infinity for NFT sales volume.
The launch of ApeCoin APE/USD and Otherdeed for Otherside NFTs were among the catalysts that helped keep Bored Ape Yacht Club front and center.
2. Mutant Ape Yacht Club, $1.14 billion: Like Bored Ape Yacht Club, the Mutant Ape Yacht Club collection likely saw increased interest in 2022 thanks to the launch of ApeCoin and Otherdeeds, two items that were allocated to holders of Yuga Labs assets.
Mutant Ape Yacht Club has more items in its collection and a lower entry price than Bored Ape Yacht Club, which may have made it an investment or trade for more people in 2022.
3. Otherdeed for Otherside, $1.1 billion: The newest collection from Yuga Labs launched in 2022 with a claim for all Bored Ape and Mutant Ape holders and a public mint that saw massive demand. The NFT collection, which will play a key part in the Otherside metaverse from Yuga Labs, became the third launch from Yuga Labs to pass sales volume of $1 billion.
4. Azuki, $849.9 million: Launched in January, Azuki was one of the biggest success stories of 2022 and ranks as the top new mint of 2022 that wasn’t from a new collection. The collection topped the sales charts for several weeks, even doing more in sales than Bored Apes and CryptoPunks on several occasions. A free airdrop to Azuki holders called Beanz also saw a surge in sales transactions later in 2022.
5. Moonbirds, $613.4 million: Another new 2022 collection ranks among the top five collections for the year with Moonbirds. Launched in April from Proof, the collection had huge initial demand and saw sales volume of 50,000 Ethereum ETH/USD in its first day of trading. Proof has raised additional funds and counts Alexis Ohanian as an investor. Moonbirds could continue to be a project to watch in 2023.
Related Link: Exclusive: In Rare Interview, Yuga Labs Co-Founder Garga Says Playing Video Games Was The Key To Success
6. CloneX, $600.5 million: Launched in 2021 from RTFKT, the popular collection saw continued strength in 2022. The strength came after it was announced in December that Nike Inc NKE was acquiring RTFKT to push forward its growth plan for Web3.
7. CryptoPunks, $575.2 million: One of the first NFT collections on Ethereum was CryptoPunks, launched by Larva Labs in 2017. One of the biggest news stories for NFTs was Yuga Labs announcing it was acquiring the rights to CryptoPunks and Meebits from Larva Labs in March. Yuga has announced several plans for CryptoPunks going forward.
8. Doodles, $391.6 million: One of the biggest collections from 2021, Doodles carried over momentum in 2022 with several funding rounds that saw Ohanian invest in the project. The company also announced a new CEO coming from Billboard to lead the project and the appointment of Pharrell Williams as chief brand officer.
9. Sorare, $318.1 million: Sprots and entertainment NFT collection Sorare was one of the top NFT collections in 2022, launching digital trading cards and games for both Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association. The company also celebrated the 2022 World Cup with a global challenge featuring some of the top teams and competing players.
10. Axie Infinity, $291.1 million: Play-to-earn game Axie Infinity was one of the biggest success stories of 2021 and the top NFT on a weekly basis for many of the weeks of the year.
In 2022, the project saw momentum fade away with play-to-earn being an area of Web3 that struggled. A new version of the game launched and several updates helped bring some momentum back to the game, but the collection saw sales of under $1.5 million in the month of November, a far cry from what the project was previously doing. Axie Infinity still ranks as the all-time leader in NFT collection sales at north of $4 billion.
Read Next: Yuga Labs Announces Activision Blizzard Gaming Veteran As New CEO: What You Need To Know
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