Polygon Surpasses Ethereum in NFT Sales, Driven by Courtyard's $20M Week

Polygon has made a significant stride in the NFT market, surpassing Ethereum in sales for the first time. According to data, Polygon's NFT sales reached $22.1 million in the week leading up to April 22, slightly edging out Ethereum's $21.8 million. This shift is not only evident in total sales but also in the number of individual buyers, with Polygon attracting 39,027 buyers, an 81.61% increase from the previous week, compared to Ethereum's 36,544 buyers.

The driving force behind Polygon's surge is Courtyard, a real-world asset (RWA) project that integrates NFTs. Courtyard alone accounted for $20 million in sales over the past seven days, with $2.746 million in sales on April 22. The project tokenizes physical trading cards, including rare baseball, basketball, and Pokémon cards, which are securely stored in vaults. This model allows NFT holders to either keep their digital assets or redeem the physical collectibles by burning the NFTs, offering a unique blend of digital liquidity and physical ownership.

Courtyard's success has significantly boosted Polygon's market share, which rose to 24% of all NFT transactions for the week. This trend is part of a broader movement where layer 2 networks are capturing more traffic and value from the Ethereum ecosystem. Despite this, Polygon remains interconnected with Ethereum, benefiting from its decentralization, security, and interoperability with other layer 2 solutions.

The rise of onchain real-world assets further supports Polygon's recent success. The total value of tokenized real-world assets reached $21.2 billion in the first quarter of 2025, with over 97,000 asset holders globally. This trend indicates growing interest from both retail and institutional participants, solidifying the role of RWAs in the NFT economy. As RWAs become a defining narrative, Polygon's traction in this sector suggests a competitive advantage in attracting both Web3 users and traditional collectors.

Looking ahead, Polygon's dominance in NFT sales reflects a broader shift towards RWAs as a mainstream crypto asset class. If Polygon continues to attract RWA-focused projects like Courtyard, it could establish a longer-term leadership position in the NFT economy. With user activity rising and sales volume climbing, the focus will be on whether Polygon can sustain its momentum or if Ethereum and other networks will reclaim their positions as NFT leaders in the coming weeks.