Blur to shut down NFT marketplace frontend as trading volume falls

The Blur NFT marketplace will shut down its user-facing website next month, though its underlying protocol will remain operational on-chain, as trading activity continues to decline.

The company announced the decision, citing dwindling trading volume across the broader NFT sector. The move effectively ends Blur’s direct retail marketplace operations, shifting its focus entirely to the protocol layer that other applications can build upon.

Following the news, the platform’s native BLUR token fell sharply, dropping more than 20% in value. The token’s decline reflects investor concern over the platform’s reduced direct engagement with users and the ongoing challenges in the NFT market.

The shutdown of the frontend highlights the persistent downturn in NFT trading volumes, which have failed to recover from the steep declines following the 2021-2022 bull market. Blur, which once aggressively competed with OpenSea for market share, will now operate solely as an infrastructure provider.