Axie Infinity, an NFT-based online video game, has topped the list of most-searched NFTs on Google. Design Bundle, a source of design materials and an online marketplace for designers, conducted the research. Results from the research reveal that the game has an average of 3.86 million monthly global searches, a fivefold increase from what it was in December 2021.
Axie Infinity achieved this feat amid the growing interest in NFTs, which has not slowed down since “NFT” ranked among the top searches on Google last year. In fact, NFT searches have grown tremendously. In recent months, we have seen the number of global searches for “NFT” hit 5.1 million per month. And apparently, Axie Infinity is responsible for more than half of these searches.
What seems obvious is that the increasing number of celebrities and high-profile individuals getting involved in the crypto space is triggering this massive mainstream interest in NFTs. However, research seems to nod to the fact that Axie Infinity’s growing popularity might play a role too. As one of the most sought after play-to-earn NFT games, Axie Infinity has triggered a lot of interest in the NFT space.
What Is Axie Infinity?
If you’re not familiar, Axie Infinity is a trading and battling game that enables players to collect, breed, raise, and battle monsters known as Axies. The Axies are NFTs that players can trade on secondary marketplaces. They also earn in-game cash when they battle in the arena and can trade this in-game cash (small love potions) for cryptocurrency. This is one of the alluring aspects of the game.Â
The NFT-based online video game is very popular, being one of the first games offering the play-to-earn model. It has more than 2.8 million unique addresses, hosting 11.1 million Axies. This figure does not take into consideration the numerous players who play the game via the scholarship schemes.
Sandbox Comes In as the Second Most Searched NFT After Axie Infinity
The second most searched NFT collection is The Sandbox.
The Sandbox is a digital Metaverse where users may buy lands, build, and customize their avatars using NFTs. The digital real estate platform, which was one of the most traded NFTs in 2021, receives an average of 553,000 global searches every month.
Due to celebrity and brand interest, the game has quickly grown in popularity. Some high-profile partnerships include the recent partnership with K-Pop’s SM Entertainment to create a play-to-play ecosystem. It also has a marquee partnership with Warner Music Group.
NBA Top Shot Comes in Third
NBA Top Shot is the third most searched NFT collection, with searches averaging 477,000 per month. Essentially, it is an NFT marketplace that allows users to buy, sell, and collect auspicious NBA digital moments.
Sorare Is the Fourth Most Searched NFT
The football fantasy card game Sorare comes in fourth place, with 417,000 global searches. The game which combines soccer NFTs and fantasy gaming has seen tremendous growth since its launch in 2021.
Decentraland, Rarible, Cryptokitties Are Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh
With Axie Infinity, the Sandbox, NBA Top Shot, and Sorare taking the lead, Decentraland comes in next, leading the rest of the pack.
Decentraland is a 3D virtual world browser-based platform where users buy virtual plots of land as NFTs via the MANA cryptocurrency. Decentraland comes next to the Sandbox as the most popular digital real estate platform and receives an average of 201,000 global searches per month. This figure places it as the fifth most-searched NFT.
Rarible is the only NFT platform to feature on this list. The Rarible platform is a software that allows digital artists and creators to issue and sell custom crypto assets.
Rarible is considered both a marketplace for NFTs as well as a distributed network. It is built on Ethereum and enables users to trade NFTs without the need for a middleman. The platform receives an average of 192,000 searches per month and is the sixth most searched NFT.
Cryptokitties comes in seventh with an average of 111,000 searches. The NFT game is centered around breedable collectible and adorable creatures known as Cryptokitties, which players can trade on secondary marketplaces for money.
Other NFTs That Made the Top 10
Gods Unchained, an NFT game with 111,000 searches per month came eighth.
Cryptopunks, an NFT collection, came in ninth position with 96,000 searches per month.
Finally, the Bored Ape Yacht Club, an NFT collection is the last on the top ten list with 59,000 searches per month. Fun fact: rumors have it that Elon Musk recently bought one of the Bored Apes from a collector.
The NFT Market Is Burgeoning
The NFT market exceeded the $40 billion mark in 2021. This figure is quite unprecedented when you consider the fact that NFTs burst into the crypto space only within 2020 and 2021. This was after being dormant for so many years.
The growing importance of the NFT market has gradually seeped into the mainstream. In fact, it has also started to attract interest from educational institutions. Ankara University, for instance, is one of the few traditional universities now offering courses focusing on NFTs.
In light of all of these developments, might NFTs become mainstream this year? Time will tell!
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