"NFT Exchanges Shift Away from Artist Royalties, Sparking Requiem for Recurring Compensation"

OpenSea, once the leading marketplace for NFTs, has abandoned its policy of mandatory royalty payments to NFT creators, losing market share to no-fee competitor Blur. The decision comes as NFT trading volume has plummeted and prices for computer-generated art linked to NFTs are plunging. Blur's lack of platform fees and optional royalty agreements have attracted sellers and buyers, while OpenSea's share of the struggling NFT market has dropped to under 30%. The loss of royalty payments is likely to have the most significant impact on smaller creators who relied on the income, and the regulatory scrutiny of royalty payments by the SEC adds further uncertainty to the NFT market.