Ethereum NFT Royalties: Are Artists Getting Their Due?

NFT royalties on Ethereum hit an eye-popping 699,816 ETH, roughly translating to $1.8 billion. However, data analytics firm Nansen's deep-dive analysis points to an unsettling trend.

Despite sustained NFT volumes in 2023, royalties for this year only constitute 9.4% of the total payout, a stark contrast to 2022, which accounted for over 64% of the total ETH paid. The culprit behind this disparity is the downward trend in effective royalty rates, which fell from 2.5% in 2022 to a scant 0.6% by July 2023.

Some NFT projects such as Yuga Labs, behind popular initiatives like Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) and Mutant Ape Yacht Club (MAYC), are among the few benefiting, receiving 9.4% of all royalties.