Alts Soar, JPEGs Roar, CEO Resigns

Another week, another CEO who probably should’ve skipped that Coldplay concert.

Astronomer’s Andy Byron has officially stepped down, looks like the vibes hit a little too hard. Tough break, Andy.

Meanwhile, the rest of us are just glad we weren’t at that show… because the markets? They’re absolutely electric right now.

Solana just flipped $100B in market cap, $ETH is cruising past $450B gunning for Big Daddy Bitcoin, and $XRP broke through $185B for the first time ever, somewhere, Ripple’s legal squad is probably popping champagne. 🍾

The Altcoin Season Index hit 47 (up from 29 last week), and the total altcoin market cap is now $1.55T.

TL;DR: It’s not officially alt season yet, but the DJs are warming up.

In an unexpected and most welcome plot twist: NFTs had their best 24h in a YEAR!
▪️Total NFT market cap: $6.4B (up 23% in a day)
▪️Daily trading volume: $39M+ (up 317%)
▪️One of the strongest daily performances since early 2023.

💡 What’s Driving This Surge?

✅ Bitcoin’s breakout: Now above $120K, BTC’s momentum is spilling into other digital asset classes, especially NFTs.

✅ ETH-based blue chips are bouncing:
▪️Moonbirds soared +31% to 1.84 $ETH
▪️CryptoPunks climbed +14% to 46.7 $ETH
▪️Azuki and BAYC followed with strong single-digit floor gains. This shows confidence is returning to premium collections, a strong signal for the rest of the market.

✅ Bitcoin NFTs are going full send:
Ordinals and other BTC-native projects saw 400%+ growth in weekly volumes, solidifying Bitcoin’s growing footprint in the NFT space. Yes, even the oldest chain is getting its JPEGs on now.

✅ Cross-chain action is heating up:
NFT ecosystems on Solana, Polygon, and even Layer 2s like Base are showing stronger activity and collection launches.
More chains = more accessibility = more liquidity across the board.

✅ IRL utility is driving value:
Brands like Nike, Starbucks, and yes, even Pudgy Penguins are pushing NFTs beyond speculation:
▪️Nike is dropping digital wearables.
▪️Starbucks is using NFTs for loyalty and rewards.
▪️Pudgy Penguins are showing up as toys in Walmart. This shift toward real-world utility is helping reframe NFTs as tech-enabled products, not just digital art.

📈 Are We in a New NFT Bull Cycle?

It’s still early, but the data is promising:
▪️Analysts expect the NFT market cap could push past $7B if this pace holds.
▪️Trading activity is up, indicating healthier liquidity and stronger market conviction.
▪️Floor prices + volume = actual demand, not just hype

And mid-tier collections and emerging projects are also starting to see renewed interest. If this continues, we could be looking at a broader NFT renaissance, not just a top-tier echo pump.

📌 That’s a wrap!
$SOL’s up, $ETH’s loud, $XRP’s proud, and NFTs are back from their existential crisis, Web3’s putting on a show.

….Speaking of shows, remember:
If your CEO invites you to Coldplay, maybe just send a LinkedIn endorsement instead.

💬 Which milestone are you watching most?
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📌 Bookmark this post, this week’s already heating up.