rewrite this title and make it good for SEO CryptoPunk NFT Sells for $6M, Marking $10M Loss for Seller as Ethereum Price Falls

TLDR

CryptoPunk #3100, one of nine rare Alien Punks, sold for 4,000 ETH ($6M), resulting in a $10M loss for the seller who bought it for 4,500 ETH ($16M) in 2024
The loss was magnified by Ethereum’s 56-57% price drop over the past year
Despite the market downturn, rare CryptoPunks still command high prices due to their scarcity
NFT trading volumes have declined since 2021, with Q1 2025 volume falling 24% from Q4 2024
CryptoPunks maintains its status as a premier NFT collection but its floor price has dropped 44% in the last 90 days

A rare CryptoPunk NFT has sold for $6 million, representing a staggering $10 million loss for the seller amid continued cooling in the NFT market. The transaction, which took place on April 10, 2025, highlights the volatile nature of digital collectibles even at the highest end of the market.

CryptoPunk #3100, one of only nine Alien Punks in the original 10,000-piece collection, changed hands for 4,000 ETH (approximately $6.08 million). The NFT was purchased by the seller just over a year ago in March 2024 for 4,500 ETH, which was worth around $16 million at that time.

Punk 3100 bought for 4,000 ETH ($6,084,359.86 USD) by 0x074ad7 from 0x705876. https://t.co/YMzLi5i8se #cryptopunks #ethereum pic.twitter.com/2dsOqsjAc0

— CryptoPunks Bot (@cryptopunksbot) April 10, 2025

The 500 ETH difference between purchase and sale prices was made much worse by Ethereum’s price drop. ETH has fallen by 56-57% over the past year, turning what would have been a modest loss in cryptocurrency terms into a $10 million loss when converted to dollars.

Record-Setting Collection Faces Market Reality

CryptoPunks, created by Larva Labs in 2017, were originally free to claim but have become some of the most valuable digital collectibles in the world. The collection holds the records for the most expensive NFT sales, with the highest being Punk #5822 selling for $23.7 million in February 2022.

The rarity of Alien Punks has helped them maintain value even in a down market. CryptoPunk #3100 is distinguished not only as an Alien (9 of 9,985 punks) but also by wearing a headband (406 of 9,742 punks), making it one of the most unique pieces in the collection.

This is the third time this specific CryptoPunk has made the all-time sales leaderboard, having previously sold for $7.58 million and $16.03 million. According to reports, crypto art brokerage Fountain facilitated the latest transaction.

While the buyer’s identity remains unknown, blockchain data shows the purchasing wallet was funded with 4,001 ETH from an account labeled “Coinbase Prime 2” shortly before the transaction took place.

NFT TRADER DOWN $10M ON CRYPTOPUNK

This NFT Trader bought an Alien Cryptopunk 1 year ago for 4.5K ETH ($16M). He just sold it for 4K ETH ($6M).

He just locked in a $10M loss.

Address: 0x70587661c804c72BBa25EcddD8d17B332C984017 pic.twitter.com/765PHvUzob

— Arkham (@arkham) April 10, 2025

Broader NFT Market Decline

The sale comes against a backdrop of declining interest in NFTs. Trading volumes have been on a general downward trend since peaking in 2021, with only occasional spikes during periods of high market activity.

According to DappRadar’s Q1 2025 report, NFT trading volume fell to $1.5 billion, representing a 24% decrease from Q4 2024. Although the number of active traders hasn’t declined as sharply, the lower volume suggests fewer high-value transactions are taking place.

Overall NFT sales dipped to just over $58 million as of April 7, 2025, reaching levels previously seen in early 2021 before the NFT boom took off. This trend shows how the market has cooled considerably from its peak.

CryptoPunks remains the premier profile picture NFT collection in the industry. However, its floor price has dropped 44% in the last 90 days to approximately $64,727, according to NFT Price Floor. This is a far cry from its all-time high floor price of more than $400,000 reached in November 2021.

Even with this decline, CryptoPunks still commands a sizable share of the market. The collection makes up 23% of the $2.7 billion global NFT market capitalization, showing its continued importance in the space.

Earlier this month, the Pudgy Penguins NFT collection came close to surpassing CryptoPunks as the most expensive NFT collection. Pudgy Penguins’ floor price rose from $19,000 at the start of November to more than $138,000 by mid-December, showing that certain collections can still experience growth even in a down market.

The NFT market’s cooling extends beyond just CryptoPunks. But rare pieces with proven track records continue to command prices in the millions, even if those prices are lower than they once were.

For holders of less rare NFTs, the market downturn has been even more pronounced. Many collectors who purchased NFTs during the 2021-2022 boom are now faced with assets worth a fraction of their initial investment.

Despite these challenges, the CryptoPunks collection, now owned by Yuga Labs after being sold by Larva Labs in 2022, maintains its cultural relevance as one of the earliest and most influential NFT projects.

This latest high-profile sale of CryptoPunk #3100 represents both the enduring value of certain digital collectibles and the harsh reality of a market correction that has left many NFT investors with substantial losses.