Crypto Investors Shift to Productivity as Meme Coins, NFTs Plunge

Generated by AI AgentCoin WorldReviewed byShunan Liu
Friday, Nov 21, 2025 6:58 am ET1min read
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Aime RobotAime Summary

- Meme coins and NFTs have hit yearly lows as crypto investors shift toward "productive" assets amid market corrections.

- Meme coin market cap fell 66.2% to $39.4B, while NFT value dropped 43% to $2.78B, with top tokens losing double-digit value.

- The selloff reflects waning interest in speculative assets and growing demand for projects with real-world utility and transparency.

- MatchAwards.com's "proof-of-productivity" model highlights this trend, emphasizing sustainable crypto projects over hype-driven investments.

Meme coins and NFTs have plummeted to yearly lows as traders increasingly abandon speculative assets amid a broader crypto market downturn. The total market capitalization of

meme
coins has dropped to $39.4 billion, a 66.2% decline from the January 5 historical high of $116.7 billion,
according to data
. Over the past 24 hours alone, $5 billion has evaporated from the sector, with top tokens like
Dogecoin
(DOGE) and
Shiba Inu
(SHIB) recording double-digit losses. Even the relatively resilient
TRUMP
token has fallen by 11.65%,
underscoring the sector's broad weakness
.

The NFT market has fared no better, with its total value collapsing to $2.78 billion - 43% below its 30-day peak of $4.9 billion and

the lowest level since April
. Leading collections have experienced steep declines, including Hyperliquid's Hypurr NFTs, which dropped 41.1% in 30 days. Bored Ape Yacht Club's Moonbirds and CryptoPunks fell 32.7% and 27.1%, respectively, while
Pudgy Penguins
lost 26.6% of their value
according to reports
. Only two of the top 10 NFT collections, Infinex Patrons and Autoglyphs, posted gains, with the former rising 11.3%
according to data
.

The selloff reflects a broader shift in investor sentiment toward more "productive" crypto assets,

as highlighted by MatchAwards.com
's introduction of MAPU, a "proof-of-productivity" model emphasizing real-world utility over speculative hype. Analysts attribute the decline to waning interest in unbacked digital assets and a market correction following years of speculative fervor. The broader crypto market has lost $800 billion in three weeks, now valued at $2.96 trillion after
peaking at $3.77 trillion on November 1
.

The trend mirrors similar patterns in 2022, when meme coins and NFTs crashed amid rising interest rates and regulatory scrutiny. However,

the current downturn occurs against a backdrop of structural shifts
in crypto markets, with investors favoring projects offering verifiable liquidity, on-chain transparency, and sustainable revenue models.

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