The Real Deal: How People Are Actually Making Money with NFTs

nftlist on February 26, 2025

Listen up. I’m gonna tell you exactly how people are making serious money with NFTs. Not the theoretical stuff – the actual strategies that are working right now.

First, Some Quick Context

Quick story: In 2017, CryptoKitties launched. People thought it was a joke. Just cartoon cats on the blockchain, right? Well, one of those “joke” cats sold for $170,000. And that was just the beginning.

Now we’re seeing Bored Apes going for millions, and regular folks (not just tech bros) are making life-changing money in this space. Let me break down exactly how.

The Main Ways People Are Cashing In

1. The Creator’s Gold Mine

My friend Jake (not his real name – he likes to stay private) was a struggling digital artist making maybe $2,000 a month on commissions. Last year, he dropped an NFT collection of 10,000 pixelated dragons. Made $400,000 in the initial sale.

But here’s the crazy part – he coded in 7.5% royalties on all resales. Now he makes about $10,000 a month just from people trading his dragons. Passive income from art? That’s new.

2. The Flipper’s Game

Met a guy at a conference who quit his job as an accountant to flip NFTs full time. His strategy is simple:

  • Follows 5-6 upcoming projects obsessively
  • Gets in early on mint (first release)
  • Sells when the hype peaks, usually 2-4 weeks later

Says he averages 3-4x returns. Sure, he’s had some losses, but overall? Making more than his old $85k salary.

3. The Staking Play

This is wild – people are making money from their NFTs without selling them. How? Staking.

Example: Aavegotchi. These little ghost NFTs can be staked to earn GHST tokens. Know someone who bought 10 of them for about $2,000 total. Makes around $200 a month in tokens just for holding them. Not life-changing, but pretty sweet for a passive play.

4. The Fractional Game

Here’s a genius move I’m seeing: People are buying fractions of super expensive NFTs.

True story: A group of friends pooled $50k together to buy a fraction of a CryptoPunk. Sold their share three months later for $180k. Not everyone hits it this big, but fractional ownership is opening up high-end NFTs to regular investors.

The Really Smart Plays

The people making the most consistent money aren’t just buying and hoping. They’re:

  1. Building Communities Some dude I know started a Discord for NFT traders. Grew it to 50,000 members. Now projects pay him to promote their launches. Making $20k+ monthly just from building an audience.
  2. Creating Tools Girl I met built a simple tool that tracks NFT floor prices (lowest available price for a collection). Charges $20/month for premium features. Has 2,000 subscribers. You do the math.
  3. Providing Services Lawyers who specialize in NFT contracts, marketers who help with launches, developers who build smart contracts – these people are making bank right now.

Real Talk About Risks

Look, I gotta keep it real. This space is wild:

  • Projects fail all the time
  • Scams are everywhere
  • Prices can crash overnight

Had a buddy lose $50k on what looked like a promising project. Turned out to be a rug pull (when creators abandon the project and run with the money).

What’s Actually Working Right Now

If I were starting fresh today, here’s what I’d do:

  1. Start small. Like, really small. Put in money you can afford to lose.
  2. Follow the smart money. Use tools like NFTGo to see what big wallets are buying.
  3. Join 2-3 solid Discord communities. The good intel is always in Discord.
  4. Learn the tech basics. You don’t need to code, but understand how wallets and marketplaces work.

The Future (Why It’s Not Too Late)

We’re still early. Think internet in 1995 early. The real use cases are just starting:

  • Ticketing (imagine concert tickets as NFTs)
  • Real estate titles
  • Membership passes
  • Gaming assets

Bottom Line

Here’s the truth: Yes, people are making serious money with NFTs. But it’s not a get-rich-quick thing. It’s about:

  • Understanding the space
  • Building real connections
  • Creating actual value
  • Playing the long game

The people winning aren’t just gambling on jpegs. They’re building businesses, solving problems, and creating value in a new market.

Want to get started? Pick one small area to focus on. Learn everything about it. Make connections. Start small. And most importantly – don’t invest what you can’t afford to lose.

This stuff is fascinating, but it’s still the Wild West. Be smart out there.