TL;DR
- Base dominance: Base NFTs captured five of the top 10 spots by sales count in September, led by DX Terminal and BasePaint.
- DX Terminal surge: The AI trading game hit 1.27 million sales and $25.5 million in volume, marking growth of over 1,000%.
- Gaming resilience: While blue-chip NFTs fell by up to 60%, DX Terminal and Guild of Guardians Heroes posted gains, defying the downturn.
Ethereum layer-2 network Base emerged as a surprising leader in September’s NFT market, recording the highest sales count across collections, according to DappRadar. The surge was largely fueled by DX Terminal, an AI-driven trading game that captured the attention of over 200,000 traders. While Ethereum and Polygon still dominated overall trading volumes, Base’s rapid rise underscored its growing role as a hub for experimental NFT projects.
Base NFTs Claim Top Rankings
DappRadar data showed that NFTs on Base secured five of the top 10 spots by sales count in September. DX Terminal and BasePaint ranked first and second, highlighting the network’s momentum. This performance positioned Base alongside long-established ecosystems such as Ethereum and Polygon, signaling a shift in market dynamics. Despite this, trading volumes remained concentrated on Polygon and Ethereum, with Courtyard leading at $43.9 million, followed by Moonbirds at $34 million and CryptoPunks at $25.8 million.
DX Terminal’s Explosive Growth
DX Terminal was the standout performer, recording 1.27 million sales in September, an increase of more than 1,000% compared to the previous month. The project also attracted over 200,000 traders, reflecting its broad appeal. In terms of trading volume, DX Terminal reached $25.5 million, marking a nearly 1,700% surge. This placed it fourth overall, behind only Polygon and Ethereum-based leaders, and cemented its role as the primary driver of Base’s NFT success.
AI-Powered Gameplay Innovation
The appeal of DX Terminal lies in its unique format. The game introduces NFTs as AI-powered trader agents within a retro-futuristic market simulation. Each NFT represents an autonomous character with distinct traits and behaviors, competing to accumulate in-game wealth and status. Unlike traditional play-to-earn models, DX Terminal does not provide direct token rewards or real-world payouts. Its in-game currency, WEBCOIN, exists off-chain and holds no monetary value, with the team clarifying that any external tokens claiming affiliation are unofficial.
Gaming NFTs Defy Market Trends
While most blue-chip NFT collections saw declines in September, gaming-related projects bucked the trend. DX Terminal and Immutable’s Guild of Guardians Heroes were the only collections among the top 10 by trading volume to post gains. In contrast, established names like CryptoPunks, Pudgy Penguins, and Bored Ape Yacht Club experienced drops of 50% to 60%. Even Courtyard and Moonbirds, despite leading in volume, recorded declines of 25% and 13.6%, respectively, underscoring the resilience of gaming NFTs.
