The non-fungible token (NFT) market and its relationship with Bitcoin and Ethereum

Abstract

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are transferrable rights to digital assets, such as art, in-game items, collectables or music. The phenomenon and its markets have grown significantly since early 2021. We investigate the interrelationships between NFT sales, NFT users (unique active blockchain wallets), and the pricing of Bitcoin and Ether. Using daily data between January 2018 and April 2021, we show that a Bitcoin price shock triggers an increase in NFT sales. Also, Ether price shocks reduce the number of active NFT wallets. The results suggest that (larger) cryptocurrency markets affect the growth and development of the (smaller) NFT market, but there is no reverse effect.

Keywords: NFTs; non-fungible tokens; cryptocurrency