The Only NFT Trait That Actually Makes People Rich (And It’s Not Rarity)

Let’s be honest: NFTs don’t magically make people rich. Most collections die quietly. Most buyers lose money. The idea that a “rare trait” alone creates wealth is a fantasy that trapped thousands of newcomers during the hype cycle.
So what actually makes money in NFTs?
Attention.

More specifically: attention arbitrage.

An NFT gains value when it captures and concentrates collective attention. Price follows liquidity. Liquidity follows narrative. Narrative follows attention.

Take Bored Ape Yacht Club. It wasn’t just monkey JPEGs. It became a social signal, a digital membership card, a status asset. Owners weren’t buying art — they were buying access and identity.
Or look at CryptoPunks. Their power came from historical positioning. Being early in a new category created cultural scarcity, not just visual rarity.

The harsh truth?
95% of NFT projects fail because they never capture sustained attention. No community, no liquidity. No liquidity, no exit.

If you want to understand how people actually make money in NFTs, stop obsessing over traits and start analyzing narrative strength, network effects, timing, and market psychology.
Wealth in NFTs isn’t about art.
It’s about positioning before the crowd realizes where attention is flowing.