NFT Paris cancellation signals sponsorship squeeze and market shift

NFT Paris, a prominent European non-fungible token conference, and its sister event RWA Paris were cancelled roughly a month before they were due to run at the Grande Halle de la Villette in February 2026, organizers said. Organizers said the "market collapse hit us hard," that "drastic cost cuts" were insufficient, and that all tickets would be refunded within 15 days.

Some sponsors, however, said they would not receive refunds. The cancellation highlights the role sponsorship and exhibitor funding play in making large Web3 conferences economically viable. Market data cited alongside the cancellation points to weaker conditions: CryptoSlam’s NFT Global Sales Volume index showed $320.2 million in November 2025 (down from $629 million in October 2025) and $303.5 million in December 2025, while CoinMarketCap’s Academy described November as the weakest month of 2025.

DappRadar reported that Q3 2025 still saw 18.1 million NFTs sold and $1.6 billion in trading volume, a pattern the outlet linked to rising sales counts but lower average prices and subdued headline volumes. The sector is also shifting toward utility-led use cases such as token-gated ticketing and fan access, even as some brand pilots and platform features have been wound down.

The organisers framed the cancellation as a reflection of current economics rather than market terminality.

Key Topics

Crypto, Nft Paris, Rwa Paris, La Villette, Opensea, Blur