Ethereum News Today: Ethereum's 10-Year Anniversary Sparks 300% NFT Volume Jump Free Mint Drives Market Surge

Ethereum’s 10-year anniversary has ignited a surge of activity in the NFT market, marked by a symbolic “Ethereum Torch” NFT, a 300% spike in trading volume, and a free mint event drawing global attention. On July 30, 2025, the Ethereum Foundation will host a public livestream at 14:30 UTC to commemorate the blockchain’s decade-long journey. Following the event, a 24-hour window will open for users to mint a free commemorative NFT version of the torch, while the original NFT will be permanently burned [1].

The Ethereum Torch, a non-commercial NFT passed daily among community members for 10 days before the anniversary, symbolizes the decentralized ethos of Ethereum. Its final burn marks the end of Ethereum’s first decade and the transition to a new phase. The Ethereum Foundation described the project as honoring “individuals, ideas, and values that have carried Ethereum through a decade of innovation” [1].

NFT trading volume on Ethereum has risen sharply, reaching $75 million weekly—up from $18.3 million two weeks prior—as the blockchain regained 50% of cross-chain NFT activity. Total NFT volume across all blockchains surpassed $140 million last week, the highest in six months [1]. This follows an 18% annual decline in NFT trading volume in 2024, suggesting renewed investor confidence tied to Ethereum’s anniversary and protocol upgrades.

The surge aligns with Ethereum’s broader technical roadmap. The upcoming Fusaka hard fork in November 2025 will test 11 Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs), focusing on scalability and developer usability. While EIP-7907 (smart contract size limit expansion) was withdrawn due to pushback, other proposals remain active. Ethereum’s staking ecosystem continues to grow, with over 32 million ETH staked, and layer-2 solutions like Arbitrum, Optimism, and Base showing consistent total value locked (TVL) gains [1].

The free mint initiative has been designed to foster inclusivity, with no gas fees required for layer-1 transactions if layer-2 networks like Base or Optimism support the mint. The event underscores Ethereum’s role as a cultural and technological leader, blending community engagement with strategic protocol development. Critics argue the Torch is a symbolic gesture, but market data and ongoing NFT demand indicate a bullish trajectory for Ethereum’s ecosystem [1].

Source: [1] [Ethereum’s 10-Year NFT Surprise: Free Mint, $140M Volume Surge, and a Torch That Burns] [https://www.cryptoninjas.net/news/ethereums-10-year-nft-surprise-free-mint-140m-volume-surge-and-a-torch-that-burns/]