The NFT Paris team officially announced the cancellation of the conference and the accompanying RWA Paris event in early January. A prolonged sector downturn drove this decision, rendering a large-scale forum financially unviable despite attempts to cut costs. Following the main brand’s closure, The Sandbox co-founder Sebastien Borget announced an alternative event, ArtverseParis, scheduled for February 4.
Team Statement
In their official address, the organizers explicitly cited the “market collapse” as the primary reason for the cancellation. For the past four years, the event gathered the global Web3 community in Paris, but the economic model could not withstand the pressure of the current cycle.
The statement also calls on companies hiring in the Web3 space to consider the organizing team, who were left without jobs following the project's shutdown.
Format Shift: ArtverseParis Details
In place of the cancelled conference, Borget will host ArtverseParis. The event is set for February 4 from 2:00 PM to 10:00 PM. The program pivots to niche topics: tokenization, digital art, onchain finance, and artificial intelligence.
The agenda features several key discussions:
- Tokenization and Gaming: Mathieu Cervety from The Sandbox and Philippe Lenormand from TapNation will discuss how blockchain is reshaping the creator economy.
- Finance: Bilal El Alamy, CEO of PyraTz Labs, will present on confidential onchain finance.
- Web3 in Film: Experts, including Gregory Monfort, will examine new strategies for film financing and distribution.
- AI and Branding: Mo El-Sayed from Ledger will address the integration of AI in creative industries.
Market Context
The cancellation of NFT Paris aligns with onchain analytics data. According to Dune Analytics metrics, NFT sales volumes dropped by 40% year-over-year by January 2026. This weighs on Ether (ETH), which historically correlates with activity in the digital art sector.
The Sandbox native token (SAND) also shows high volatility: in late 2025, daily trading volumes repeatedly dipped below $50 M, while the price tested support at the $0.25 level.
Traders anticipate that news from ArtverseParis could trigger short-term interest in gaming and AI sector tokens (FET, AGIX) if speakers present tangible use cases for these technologies.
This post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute advertising or investment advice. Please do your own research before making any decisions.