A pixel art collection just wrapped their minting round with 10k NFTs sold at 0.0069 ETH each—that's roughly 69 ETH raised, translating to over $200k in capital. The takeaway here isn't complicated: the NFT market definitely still exists. Paid mints can absolutely work if you execute properly.

The difference between projects that land and ones that flop comes down to two things: strategy and effort. You can't just drop a collection and hope. Go-to-market execution matters way more than people think. Community building, timing, narrative clarity—that's where most creators drop the ball. Do the work upfront, and the numbers show you can still build something.