NFT Royalties in 2026: Which Marketplaces Still Enforce Creator Royalties?

The NFT royalty war that erupted in 2023 between OpenSea and Blur has permanently changed the creator economy. Back then, Blur introduced optional royalties, forcing OpenSea to follow suit temporarily. Fast‑forward to 2026, and the landscape is more nuanced: some marketplaces have doubled down on enforcement (using on‑chain mechanisms), others remain optional, and creators have developed new strategies to capture value from secondary sales. This guide gives you the complete state of NFT royalties in 2026, backed by data and actionable advice.

What Are NFT Royalties & Why Do They Matter?

NFT royalties are automatic payments (typically 5–10% of the sale price) that go to the original creator every time their NFT is sold on a secondary marketplace. Unlike traditional art, where the artist only gets paid once, NFT royalties were designed to create ongoing income streams. At their peak in 2022, top creators earned millions per month from royalties alone.

However, royalties are not enforced by the blockchain itself – they rely on marketplaces to honour them. This is why the 2023–2024 royalty battle was so disruptive: when major marketplaces made royalties optional, many creators saw their secondary income collapse overnight.

The 2023–2024 Royalty Enforcement Battle

The conflict began when Blur, a marketplace focused on professional traders, introduced optional royalties in late 2022. By mid‑2023, Blur had overtaken OpenSea in trading volume, forcing OpenSea to implement optional royalties as well. The result was a “race to the bottom” where many platforms dropped enforcement to attract traders.

However, community backlash was swift. Projects like Yuga Labs (creators of Bored Ape Yacht Club) threatened to blacklist marketplaces that didn’t enforce royalties. OpenSea later reversed course, introducing on‑chain royalty enforcement tools (EIP-2981) for new collections. By 2025, a two‑tier system emerged: marketplaces that cater to collectors (enforce royalties) vs. those that cater to traders (optional).

Which Marketplaces Enforce Royalties in 2026?

Below is the definitive table of major NFT marketplaces and their royalty enforcement status as of April 2026. Data is based on platform policies and on‑chain analysis.

Key takeaway: If you are a creator, list your NFTs on OpenSea (with on‑chain royalties), Magic Eden, Foundation, or Rarible to ensure you get paid on secondary sales. Avoid Blur and X2Y2 if you rely on royalties – their optional model has decimated creator income for collections listed there.

How On‑Chain Royalties Work (EIP-2981)

EIP-2981 is the Ethereum standard that allows NFT contracts to specify a royalty percentage and a payout address. When a marketplace supports EIP-2981, it reads that information directly from the smart contract and automatically sends the royalty payment during the sale. This eliminates reliance on marketplace “honour” – it’s enforced at the smart contract level.

In 2026, most new NFT collections on Ethereum, Polygon, and other EVM chains implement EIP-2981. OpenSea, Magic Eden, Rarible, and LooksRare all respect these on‑chain settings. However, Blur and X2Y2 ignore them, instead allowing traders to set royalties to zero. This is why EIP-2981 is not a silver bullet – marketplaces can still choose to bypass it.

The Impact of Blur’s Optional Royalties on Creator Income

Data from 2024–2025 shows that creator royalty income dropped by over 60% compared to 2022 levels. A large part of that decline is due to Blur capturing ~40% of NFT trading volume while enforcing zero royalties. For example, a popular collection that earned $200,000/month in royalties in 2022 now earns $30,000–$50,000, with most volume migrating to optional‑royalty platforms.

However, there is a silver lining: high‑value, culturally significant collections (Punks, BAYC, Azuki) still see most of their volume on OpenSea and Magic Eden, where royalties are enforced. Moreover, many new projects are using “royalty‑enforced only” strategies, such as requiring the use of a specific marketplace to access community benefits.

For a deeper analysis of NFT market dynamics, see our NFT Investing in 2026 guide.

5 Strategies Creators Use in 2026 to Capture Secondary Revenue

If you are launching an NFT project or managing an existing one, you cannot rely solely on marketplace goodwill. Here are five proven strategies to protect your royalty income:

• 1. Implement EIP-2981 + Operator Filter: Code your smart contract with on‑chain royalties and use OpenSea’s Operator Filter Registry to blacklist non‑enforcing marketplaces.
• 2. Use Royalty‑Enforced Marketplaces Exclusively: Announce that official trading should happen on OpenSea or Magic Eden. Provide incentives (e.g., exclusive airdrops) for collectors who trade there.
• 3. Build Utility That Requires On‑Chain Ownership: Create token‑gated content, IRL events, or governance rights that are only accessible to holders who bought through royalty‑enforcing channels.
• 4. Leverage “Creator Fee” Contracts: Some projects now bake a transfer fee directly into the token contract (e.g., using ERC-721C or similar standards) that charges a fee on every transfer, regardless of marketplace. This is more aggressive but can be controversial.
• 5. Accept Lower Royalties but Higher Volume: Some creators voluntarily set royalties at 2–3% to attract traders while still earning something. This works best for high‑volume PFP projects.

For a hands‑on tutorial on creating an NFT collection with on‑chain royalties, check out How to Create and Mint Your First NFT in 2026.

The Future of NFT Royalties: Legal & Technical Trends

Looking ahead to 2026–2027, several forces are shaping the royalty landscape:

• Legal pressure: Some jurisdictions are considering laws that would require marketplaces to honour creator royalties as a form of consumer protection. No major legislation passed yet, but it’s on the radar in the EU and California.
• Protocol‑level enforcement: New layer‑1 blockchains (e.g., certain AppChains) are building royalty enforcement directly into the base protocol, making it impossible for marketplaces to bypass. This could become a differentiator for NFT‑focused chains.
• Hybrid models: Expect to see more “royalty + subscription” or “royalty + token rewards” models where collectors earn a share of royalties as loyalty points.
• Continued bifurcation: The market will remain split between “collector” marketplaces (royalty‑enforced) and “trader” marketplaces (optional). Successful creators will learn to navigate both.

Case Studies: Projects That Survived the Royalty Collapse

For more examples of successful NFT projects, read our NFT Flipping guide and Gaming NFTs & Play-to-Earn.