NFT Highlights – Art Blocks Curated Sales Leap 70% on Fontana Collection Launch

Check out the NFT Sales Highlights ranking between October 2nd and 9th, 2022.

Crypto art platform Art Blocks is having a bumper week as Fontana, a curated collection of 500 generative art pieces, became available to mint. The number of traders on Art Blocks swelled by more than 45%, and sales leaped over 70% to generate more than $3.2 million in NFT trading volume in the previous seven days. 

Four of the top 15 NFT sales by value in the last week belong to Art Blocks, specifically NFTs from the Fidenza collection, which sold for a combined value of more than $630,000. One of the buyers already held a Chromie Squiggle but now tops up with two Fidneza’s, taking this wallet’s Art Blocks’ estimated NFT value up to more than $435,000. 

There are two types of NFT drops-on Art Blocks, Curated and Presented by Art Blocks. The curated collections, such as Fidenza, command the highest values. Fontana is a new curated collection by artist Harvey Reyner that started its Dutch Auction at 4.0 ETH until it sold out its total supply of 500 NFTs at a finishing price of 0.47 ETH. 

The average price of a Fontana art NFT on secondary markets is around 1.3 ETH, and the collection has already generated 650 ETH in trading volume since launching on October 5th. 

The most expensive to change hands at writing is Fontana #174, which sold five days ago for 4 ETH, or about $5,390, after being minted for 0.8 ETH. The buyer is a big believer in crypto art and Art Blocks, holding 234 separate Art Blocks NFTs with a combined estimated value of around $670,000.

Generative crypto art is certainly catching attention after a somewhat subdued start. Is it possible the once ravenous NFT avatar traders are turning their attention to NFT art that looks great and offers holders real value in the shape of unique art? 

Data would concur, as in the last 30 days, Art Blocks generated more than $9.5 million in trading volume, which pushes it above leading NFT collections such as Azuki, Axie Infinity, Moonbirds, and Doodles. 

Check out the list of NFT Sales Highlights

N.B: Dollar values given are correct at the time of the sale

1. Fidenza #249 – $173.6k / 130 ETH – Buyers wallet 
2. Fidenza #283 – $166.73k / 125 ETH – Buyers wallet 
3. Azuki #2967 – $158.9k / 120 ETH – Buyers wallet 
4. $LAVE – $146.15k / 110 ETH – Buyers wallet
5. Bowie by FEWOCiOUS – $127.46k / 96.52 WETH – Buyers wallet 
6. Azuki #3889 – $$79.53k / 60 ETH – Buyers wallet
7. CloneX #18932 – $62.37k / 47 ETH – Buyers wallet 
8. DEAFBEEF Series 4: Glitchbox – $58.66k / 43 WETH – Buyers wallet 
9. Cool Cat #2325  – $52.71k / 40 ETH – Buyers wallet 
10. RENGA #8787 – $47.31k / 36 ETH – Buyers wallet 

NFT collections by the big numbers 

A collection of 10,000 characters called RENGA by crypto artist Dirty Robot is now the most-traded NFT collection in the last seven days. The NFTs, called storytelling digital collectibles, hit the shelves just a few weeks ago and generated more than $5.6 million in trading volume in the last seven days.

They surpass Bored Ape Yacht Club, Clone X, Gods Unchained, and CryptoPunks. Interestingly, despite such buoyant trading, the average price is still around $5,000, with RENGA NFTs trading for around 0.4 ETH in the first week, or about $700.

Typically, the top ten NFT sales by value are dominated entirely by Bored Ape Yacht Club and CryptoPunk NFTs. While Blue chip NFTs still dominate the highest-value sales, we see some outliers entering the top ten.

As mentioned, crypto art is surging in 8th and 9th place, selling for 125 ETH and 130 ETH, respectively. Fidenza #249 and #283, two generative crypto art pieces from the Fidenza collection on Art Blocks, sold for approximately a quarter of a million dollars. Additionally, we see two more Fidenza sales in the 12th and 13th positions. Also, making it into the top 10 with a sale for 120 ETH, or around $160,000, is Azuki #2967. 

NFT sales by the big numbers 

The highest value NFT sale in the past seven days was for CryptoPunk #1484 for 240 ETH, or around $325,000. Second place also belongs to a CryptoPunk, which looks almost identical to the first place punk. CryptoPunk #3990 sold for 225 ETH, or around $300,000. CryptoPunk #3990 doesn’t have an earring, and each has its separate beard metadata. 

The third highest sale belongs to Bored Ape Yacht Club #6567, which changed hands for 190 ETH, or about $260,000. Last week we saw another BAYC sporting a king’s crown change hands for almost $1 million. This ape also sports a king’s crown, but it sold for a quarter of the price of last week’s CryptoPunk. 

Every week DappRadar highlights not only the most expensive NFT sales but also the most interesting in the previous seven days. While significant numbers are sure to capture headlines, it’s also essential to highlight emerging trends and keep the DappRadar community ahead.

96 WETH for Bowie on the Blockchain 

A few weeks ago, DappRadar covered a story about a collection of NFTs to immortalize legendary musician and artist David Bowie. A collection called Bowie on the Blockchain, containing 14 NFTs, launched, and we see several sales for high values.

The collection was created in partnership with various crypto artists, and at writing, the top sale is for Bowie by FEWOCiOUS, which sold for 96.52 WETH, or approximately $127,000. Other pieces by FEWOCiOUS sold for north of $2 million in the past, so it was expected this would be a hot ticket. Additional sales are more reserved at the $5,000 mark, and we can also see that one collector managed to secure two items for under $10,000.  

The reason to highlight Bowie on the Blockchain is a collection of NFTs with purely aesthetic and sentimental value to holders. In a similar way to how we highlight the trends in crypto art. Starchild was and will always be a legend, this collection immortalizes David Bowie, and in the future, more utility may be added for holders. Moreover, it’s interesting to see the evolution of NFT understanding and demand.

The above does not constitute investment advice. The information given here is purely for informational purposes only. Please exercise due diligence and do your research. The writer holds positions in various cryptocurrencies, including BTC, ETH, and RADAR.