Back in 2021, every NFT project was playing this game on easy mode. Every mints are selling out. Every airdrops were profitable. Everything was easy. But NFT bear market hit in 2023. Royalties close to 0. Volume’s close to 0. NFTs had to pivot to actual businesses to survive. This is when NFTs turned to hard mode. We see NFT pivot to become IPs used in: - brand & social media expansion - consumer products - memecoins Each allowed NFTs to not rely on royalties anymore. And now in 2025, we see that amongst NFT winners. Those who are able to turn their NFT projects into something more are leading the way right now. Gone are the days of just believing in something. Now, belief is being rewarded for those who showed proof of work, or at least proof of plan.