The first week of the new year ushered in a series of notable gains across both NFT collections and crypto tokens. Despite the holiday lull, several digital assets defied expectations with strong trading volumes, rising floor prices, and renewed community interest.
On the NFT side, smaller yet dedicated collections turned heads by attracting fresh buyers and pushing average sale prices higher. Meanwhile, meme-inspired cryptocurrencies and established gaming tokens continued to demonstrate the powerful impact of community momentum.
In this rundown, we’ll highlight three standout NFT projects and three crypto tokens that made waves during the final days of 2024 and the first few of 2025.
Biggest NFT Gainers
CryptoDickbutts
The aptly named CryptoDickbutts collection saw its floor price climb to around 1.1 ETH, marking a 24% uptick over the past several days. According to data from CoinGecko, daily volume surpassed 68 ETH (up nearly 187%), with average sale prices rising to 1.15 ETH. The project features 5,198 cartoonish, phallic, ‘butts’ each randomly generated, and it has cultivated a devoted online following through humor and meme-driven marketing.
Over 1,900 unique owners now hold CryptoDickbutts, indicative of an expanding community interested in comedic, offbeat collectibles. While some question whether the comedic brand can hold long-term traction, the current interest reflects the NFT market’s appetite for quirkiness and originality, and above all, memes.
Project AEON
Project AEON, minted as a collection of 3,333 NFTs, also enjoyed a strong week, with the floor price hovering near 1.67 ETH, up around 37%. The project’s daily volume, tracked at approximately 57 ETH, underscores renewed buyer confidence. With over 1,100 unique owners, Project AEON touts a narrative linking “quantum glitch occurrences” to digital collectibles, positioning itself as a blend of science fiction and cultural commentary. This approach has drawn collectors intrigued by a more conceptual spin on NFT lore.
Although its all-time high stands at 2.67 ETH (reached three months ago), the current price action suggests a strong push to reclaim earlier heights. Still, observers note that sustaining momentum may require consistent updates, community events, or partnerships that maintain intrigue around the project’s evolving storyline.
Fomo v1.38 Mages
Over on Solana, Fomo v1.38 Mages grabbed attention despite having only a handful of daily sales. With a floor price of 164 SOL (approx. $5,600 at current SOL prices), the collection has seen minimal volume—just 86 SOL in 24 hours—yet that was enough to register a 3.2% weekly increase. Only four unique owners currently hold these 360 minted Mages, underscoring how thin the supply truly is. Although it’s challenging to gauge the long-term trajectory for such a niche set of NFTs, the spike in price speaks to the Solana market’s fascination with exclusive, low-supply items.
Biggest Crypto Gainers
Fartcoin
Fartcoin (FART) continues to surprise critics and delight meme coin fans by climbing approximately 53% over the past week. Priced around $1.49, Fartcoin draws on comedic branding and spirited social media campaigns that encourage holders to embrace its lighthearted ethos. Under the surface, the token’s developers claim to be working on a broader ecosystem beyond the jokes, possibly incorporating community perks and promotional tie-ins.
While critics remain skeptical about the coin’s lasting appeal, the rally highlights that meme-powered hype still has the capacity to propel new entries in the crypto space. Investors should remain aware that comedic coins can face sudden and dramatic price swings.
Gala
Gala (GALA), a gaming-focused token, rose by about 23.74% in the weekly charts, driven in part by ongoing updates and expansions to the Gala Games platform. Known for titles that aim to bring blockchain assets into traditional gaming experiences, Gala has been steadily forging partnerships and developing in-game economies that rely on GALA tokens for transactions and rewards.
This focus on player ownership of digital items and cross-game interoperability resonates with fans looking for tangible use cases. The token’s price action suggests that the project’s consistent news flow, such as new game announcements or developer updates, can encourage both short-term traders and long-term believers to accumulate or hold.
Pepe
Pepe (PEPE) stands out as another meme-heavy token that gained around 20.9% over the last seven days, edging its market cap higher. Like many meme coins, its community thrives on viral social media posts and strong investor camaraderie, fueled by nostalgic references to internet culture. Although still relatively volatile, Pepe has managed to sustain interest by regularly hosting giveaway events and forming cross-promotions with small NFT projects. Some market watchers liken its growth to that of older meme tokens that started with humor but later added staking or governance features to remain relevant.
A Closer Look at the Big Picture
The start of 2025 finds the NFT market experiencing pockets of growth, particularly for niche, culturally driven projects. Simultaneously, meme-inspired cryptos and specialized gaming tokens continue to harness strong community backing, underscoring the crucial role that branding and social connections play in crypto markets. Across the board, trading volumes remain sensitive to macroeconomic signals and overall crypto sentiment. While some assets appear to be performing better on Ethereum, others thrive on alternate networks like Solana.
Investors should keep in mind that each blockchain has distinct dynamics that can heavily influence price and volume outcomes. It’s also worth noting that some of the best gains emerged from smaller collections or tokens that combined novelty and decent liquidity. These outliers may spark further interest in lesser-known projects if they consistently deliver creative roadmaps or compelling real-world usage. Nevertheless, the crypto landscape can shift quickly, so sustained momentum often depends on ‘the mood of the moment’, as well as community engagement, timely updates, and transparent communication from the dev team.
Wrapping Up
This week’s standouts illustrate the diverse strategies used by NFT projects and crypto tokens to attract new buyers at the dawn of a new year. While Fartcoin, Gala, and Pepe demonstrate the continued viability of meme and gaming narratives in driving token appreciation, NFTs like CryptoDickbutts, Project AEON, and Fomo Mages show that dedicated communities can rally around distinctive art or conceptual frameworks. The question moving forward is how these assets will adapt to evolving market conditions, regulatory influences, and user preferences. For now, the notable gains suggest a spirited start to 2025’s crypto and NFT activities.
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