For many people, there’s no distinction between “NFTs” and “animated profile pictures” (PFPs). In fact, a 2023 survey published in Cointelegraph shows nearly 75 percent of NFT buyers most enjoy displaying their tokens on social media.

Although PFP NFTs are still hot in the crypto market, dozens of other innovative NFT categories exist. From professional sports clips and pop songs to in-game avatars and generative art, collectors have many exciting NFT types to explore in 2023.

Typically featuring static animated images in square frames, PFP NFTs are Web3’s equivalent of the “portrait study.” People who buy PFP NFTs often do so to join an NFT community and show off their avatars on social media. As more sites like Twitter and Reddit integrate with NFT technology, it’s getting easier for collectors to display these trendy NFTs and create an online identity.

Yuga Labs’ Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) and CryptoPunks are the best-known examples of PFP NFTs, but other projects like Cool Cats, Azuki, and Doodles have gained mainstream acclaim. The more celebrities, companies, and collectors use PFPs to build their Web3 personas, the more likely this category will dominate the NFT market.

Musicians have been incredibly receptive to the promises of NFT technology, especially as it relates to crypto royalties. Instead of relying on centralized streaming providers, musicians can cut through industrial bureaucracy and mint songs, albums, and videos as NFTs. Some artists like the Chainsmokers even offered a percentage of royalties from their album So Far So Good to NFT holders.

Snoop Dogg is particularly well-known for his prolific NFT offerings, including his NFT album Death Row Session Vol.2 and a collaboration with Billy Ray Cyrus called “A Hard Working Man.” Some projects like Afterparty.ai are also experimenting with using NFTs as VIP passes to IRL concerts.

"Proof of Attendance Protocol" (aka POAP) NFTs sound complex, but you could think of them as digital "badges" or "certificates" associated with special events. A POAP NFT proves the owner was at a specific place or performed a task related to the NFT's issuer. For example, the Doodles collection gave out POAP-like NFTs to attendees at its Behr paint exhibit at the 2022 SXSW Festival. In a way, POAPs are shareable and verifiable "memories" that help bring Web3 communities together.

However, it's important to distinguish the conventional use of the term "POAP" from the firm POAP Inc. Although POAP Inc. is involved in spreading POAP NFTs on the Ethereum blockchain, there are other projects involved in minting NFTs with a similar function in mind, but under a different name.

Generative art existed long before crypto exploded, but it struck a chord with NFT collectors. In this art form, creators use a computer algorithm to “automate” the art-making process. Using commands, codes, and pre-set conditions, generative artists produce fascinating virtual pieces, many of which have eye-catching geometrical patterns.

Larva Labs — the team behind the CryptoPunks NFT collection — launched one of the best-known examples of generative art collections called Autoglyphs. Each of the 512 Autoglyph NFTs uses code on the Ethereum blockchain to generate unique black-and-white images for holders. However, Pak is arguably the most famous NFT generative artist, thanks to the $91-million sale of his NFT collection, "The Merge".

Rarity is a highly desirable trait in the NFT market, which explains why one-of-one NFTs are some of the priciest pieces in the crypto market. As the name suggests, one-of-one NFTs have one edition, meaning there’s only one owner of these NFT artworks at any given time. Although one-of-one NFTs can represent any form of digital media, they are commonly associated with fine art and sold on curated NFT markets. In fact, some NFT sites like SuperRare only accept one-of-one NFT artworks from approved artists.

Beeple’s “Everydays: The First 5000 Days” NFT still holds the title for the most expensive NFT sale at $69 million. XCOPY’s “Right-Click and Save” is another famous example of a one-of-one NFT, which sold for $7 million. Clearly, there's much to be said about top-selling NFTs.

Open edition (OE) NFTs are a recent development changing how creators think about the “exclusivity” of their projects. Instead of releasing a limited set of NFTs, OEs let collectors mint an unlimited number of NFTs in a given timeframe. Once the mint time ends, an OE NFT collection is only available on secondary markets like NFT.com.

OE NFTs have become increasingly popular in 2023, with collections like Checks VV and Proceed With Caution gaining attention. The artist XCOPY also made headlines for raising $23 million from selling OE editions of his Max Pain NFTs. Fans of the OE model argue it helps make NFT art more affordable and accessible to Web3 users. However, the jury’s still out on the future of OE NFTs, but they’ve certainly made an impression on the recent crypto market.

Gaming is a fast-growing segment in the blockchain industry with a 2,000 percent spike in activity between 2021 and 2022. NFTs continue to play a significant role in the “GameFi” ecosystem thanks to the ownership rights they grant users. Although in-game items like skins are nothing new, NFTs make it easier for gamers to trade digital collectibles without a third-party intermediary.

From the early days of CryptoKitties to the launch of Yuga Labs’ Otherdeeds, game-related NFTs are some of the most actively traded in the crypto community. The Pokémon-style play-to-earn (P2E) game Axie Infinity and the metaverse The Sandbox also rank as some of the most searched NFT collections. Although crypto gaming is still only a sliver of the $365 billion video game industry, the trend towards in-game NFT items continues to gain ground.

Photography NFTs are exactly what they sound like: tokenized photographs. Since NFTs represent any form of digital media, photographers of all skill levels can upload and mint images on NFT platforms. In fact, most NFT markets like OpenSea have dedicated tabs for “Photography” to help collectors interested in this emerging artform.

Photo NFTs may get less attention than PFP NFTs, but some of these images are the most expensive in NFT history. For instance, NFTs from Justin Aversano’s photo series Twin Flames sold for millions at a Christie’s auction. The famous NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden also sold an NFT photo entitled “Stay Free” on Foundation for an impressive $5.4 million.

It’s no secret that cryptocurrency companies are making inroads in professional sports. From the NBA and NFL to Formula 1 and the UFC, few pro leagues aren’t in NFT trading. Hot markets like NBA Top Shot, Autograph.io, and UFC Strike offer fans video clips, cards, and VIP perks in the form of NFT collectibles. Major sporting events like the Super Bowl and the Daytona 500 have also begun offering commemorative NFT tickets to attendees.

However, the NFT platform Sorare remains a prime destination for sports enthusiasts. Best known for its professional soccer NFTs, Sorare combines the thrill of collecting sports cards with the competition of fantasy sports. Collectors on Sorare’s platform are eligible for crypto rewards depending on how their NFT players perform in real matches. Sorare has become so popular that cards for players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo often trade for thousands.

Ethereum is the dominant blockchain for NFT trading, but collectors have begun shifting towards Bitcoin in 2023. Thanks to the release of the Ordinals Protocol, it’s possible for artists to write NFT “inscriptions” on a Satoshi (i.e., 0.00000001 BTC). With domains like ordinalswallet.com and Bitcoin’s layer-2 blockchain Stacks, creators can put JPEGs, videos, and GIFs directly on the Bitcoin blockchain.

While some Bitcoin purists aren’t thrilled about the ordinals revolution, many in the NFT community are jumping into this new market. Most notably, the BAYC’s founder Yuga Labs raised $16 million for its first Ordinals collection entitled “Twelvefold.” A CryptoPunks collector also made headlines for trading CryptoPunk #4155 for Ordinal Punk #16. At the very least, it’s clear the Ordinals Protocol is bringing more activity to the Bitcoin ecosystem.

PFP NFTs tend to be the most popular in the NFT community. However, plenty of other NFT categories have strong demand, including video games, professional sports collectibles, and music. The popularity of an NFT collection depends on multiple factors, including the latest industry trends, innovative utility, and the size of an NFT creator’s fan base.

Again, PFP NFTs tend to be the most actively traded on NFT markets. That being said, there are always potential buyers for any type of NFT. As long as someone sees value in an NFT collection, a digital token could sell on NFT markets. To determine what types of NFT art sells, consider researching recent sales analytics on multiple markets with an NFT.com Profile.

Picking the perfect NFT type depends on your preferences. For instance, gamers will probably be more interested in NFT wearables and in-game items versus sports fans only interested in NBA clips. For more detailed info on choosing the right NFT, check out NFT.com’s guide on “How to Buy NFTs in 2023.”

Another type of NFT type worth mentioning is “NFT domain names.” Countless companies and individuals are taking advantage of the ownership privileges NFTs offer by minting URL domain names and online profiles. If you want to claim your digital territory in Web3, NFT.com can help. Consider signing up for your free NFT.com Profile to create your personal Web3 portal.