#USCryptoWeek The value of digital tokens associated with NFTs has significantly increased, and the PENGU project is leading the way

Digital tokens associated with NFTs recorded the strongest performance in the second quarter of the year, with an average increase of 55.4%, outperforming Ethereum and Bitcoin, which recorded 31.4%, despite a decline in NFT trading volume to $823 million, down 45%.

The rise was led by the cryptocurrency “PENGU” associated with the “Pudgy Penguins” project, which rose from $0.00387 in April to $0.01476 by the end of June, and then continued to rise to $0.229 in July, contributing to a market capitalization of $1.4 billion.

Despite the decline in trading volume, the number of NFT transactions increased to 12.5 million, reflecting a shift in the market towards low-cost collectibles.

Analysts explain this discrepancy by the shift in traders' interest towards liquid tokens associated with NFTs instead of illiquid assets, amid a decline in market appetite for traditional JPEG images.

Data from “Artemis” showed a decline in real asset tokens (-50.6%) and data projects (-47.4%), reinforcing the position of NFTs as one of the prominent winners during the second quarter of 2025.