2022 was a wild ride for NFTs. If you were here, you know exactly what I’m talking about. From bull market euphoria to brutal bear market realities, we saw it all—record-breaking sales, major rug pulls, celeb endorsements (and lawsuits), and the rise & fall of entire NFT empires. Let’s take a deep dive into the NFT market’s biggest moments of 2022 and figure out what actually survived from that chaotic year. 🚀 The Boom: Hype, Innovation & Record SalesAt the start of 2022, NFTs were still on fire from the 2021 bull run. Everything was minting out, floors were mooning, and projects were raising millions overnight. 🔹 Yuga Labs took over the NFT space with the launch of Otherside, their metaverse project that raised $600M+ in a single weekend.🔹 Azuki dropped out of nowhere and became the top anime PFP, hitting 30+ ETH floor at its peak.🔹 Moonbirds minted for 2.5 ETH and rocketed to 40+ ETH in days.🔹 Pudgy Penguins made a comeback after the community bought out the original founders.🔹 Solana NFTs popped off, with DeGods & y00ts leading the charge. The big players were making moves. Yuga bought CryptoPunks & Meebits from Larva Labs, securing dominance over blue-chip PFPs. Brands like Nike, Adidas, and Starbucks all jumped into Web3. Celebs like Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and even Madonna were rocking NFTs. For a moment, it felt like NFTs were unstoppable. But then... reality hit. 💀 The Bust: Scandals, Bear Market & Rug PullsBy mid-2022, the crypto markets crashed hard. Luna/UST collapsed, 3AC went bankrupt, FTX imploded. And of course, NFTs got absolutely wrecked. 🔻 ETH price tanked (NFT floors followed).🔻 Projects over-promised and under-delivered (see: Pixelmon’s “Kevin” disaster).🔻 Hyped mints turned into instant rugs.🔻 Celeb-backed NFTs like Logan Paul’s “99 Originals” flopped.🔻 NFT royalties got attacked, forcing creators to rethink monetization. By the end of 2022, most NFT projects were struggling to survive. The market went from FOMO-fueled mania to straight-up survival mode. 🌱 The Survivors: What’s Still Standing?Even though many projects faded into obscurity, some kept building and held strong through the bear market: ✅ Bored Ape Yacht Club & Otherside – Yuga maintained dominance despite the market crash.✅ CryptoPunks – Held strong as OG digital collectibles, even as other PFPs tanked.✅ Pudgy Penguins – Made a legendary comeback with new leadership & real-world toys.✅ DeGods & y00ts – Became top Solana projects before eventually migrating to Ethereum & Polygon.✅ Art Blocks & generative art – While PFPs struggled, high-end digital art remained valuable. 🔮 The Future: What Did 2022 Teach Us?2022 separated the real builders from the hype chasers. It showed us that: 1️⃣ Hype alone isn’t enough – Many projects with no real roadmap or product died off.2️⃣ Community matters – The best projects had strong, engaged holders, not just flippers.3️⃣ Royalties aren’t guaranteed – Marketplaces slashing creator royalties forced NFT projects to adapt.4️⃣ NFTs are evolving – From gaming & DeFi integrations to real-world utilities, the space keeps changing. 🚀 Final Thoughts: Are NFTs Dead?Nope. NFTs aren’t dead. They just went through a massive reset in 2022. The quick cash grabs and copy-paste PFPs might be gone, but the tech, the communities, and the real builders are still here. 2023 and beyond is all about utility, innovation, and real adoption. The next bull run will look different, and the NFT space isn’t going anywhere. What’s your wildest NFT moment from 2022? Did you survive the carnage? Let’s hear it in the comments! 🚀🔥