Could NFTs Be Set to Make a Comeback in the Next Few Years?
Last Updated on 7 July 2026
Back in the crypto bull market of 2020 and 2021, there was a huge NFT craze. Some of the leading ranges were being valued in the millions, and various celebrities jumped on the trend with their own NFT collections.
Many people thought NFTs were here to stay, but like many of the leading memecoins in the last few years, interest in them fizzled out. The concept of NFTs is still strong, though, and they may have a long-term purpose in Web3. It wouldn’t be surprising to see them make a comeback in the next few years, and this time, stick around.
NFTs Have Faded Since Initial Craze in 2021
When NFTs first blew up, the hype around them was similar to what Bitcoin experienced in its early days. People who had not previously been interested in crypto had heard of them, with their influence even spreading into related games. Among the wide range of Paddy Power games, there was the NFT Megaways slot, which helped people who enjoy iGaming titles to discover NFTs.
Celebrities also played a major role in bringing NFTs to the masses. For example, Paris Hilton and Jimmy Fallon discussed Bored Ape NFTs on The Tonight Show. On top of that, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Madonna, Stephen Curry and Mark Cuban were all linked with Bored Ape Yacht Club ownership or promotion. Musicians also experimented with releasing their work as NFTs, with Kings of Leon reportedly making more than $2 million from NFT sales in 2021 according to NME.
Gaming Industry Could Play a Part in Revival
Even though some people may think NFTs were just a fad, they have stuck around in some places and have a function. In the gaming industry, for instance, there are many games that still use NFTs, such as Axie Infinity, The Sandbox, and horse racing simulators like ZED Run. The latter gave people the chance to buy, breed, and race digital horses, highlighting the potential for NFTs in simulations.
There’s a chance that they could be included in GTA VI as well, which always has a strong influence on the wider gaming industry. GTA tends to have a huge in-game economy, with players able to earn money and spend it. If the new title is to be a major upgrade on the last, it may introduce NFTs to allow players to buy items permanently. If it does, it would be reasonable to assume that many other games will follow suit.
There’s no doubt that there’s long-term use potential for NFTs, and it could be argued that they have a much greater chance of success in the future than most memecoins. Their use can span way beyond gaming, and there’s a strong argument for various art forms to be distributed as NFTs in the future.
Even though the hype around NFTs has died down, they are still around and there are plenty of ways they could be used. The memecoin era could be coming to an end now, which could leave the door open for a mainstream return of NFTs.