Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are the hottest new trend in crypto right now. From digital art to collectibles, these unique tokens are a great way to invest in digital assets and show off your creativity. Unfortunately, there is one major problem with NFTs — wash trading. Wash trading is an illegal practice where an investor trades with themselves or other investors they control to inflate prices and manipulate markets.

Wash trading can impact the legitimacy of Ethereum’s NFT marketplaces. The activity of wash trading is well-known to those in a variety of industries, however, it’s alarming to see the sheer volume being transacted on Ethereum. Recent data from Dune Analytics shows that over $30B of NFT trading volume on the Ethereum blockchain is being performed via wash trades.

What Is Wash Trading?

Wash trading is a form of market manipulation where an investor trades with themselves or other investors they control in order to create a false appearance of high demand for an asset or service. This practice is illegal because it skews the actual demand for the asset being traded and artificially inflates prices, which harms both buyers and sellers alike.

The Impact of Wash Trading

Wash trading has several negative impacts on the legitimacy of Ethereum’s NFT marketplaces. First, it makes it difficult for buyers and sellers to get accurate pricing information on assets due to the inflated values created by wash traders. Second, it reduces public trust in crypto markets as a whole because people are wary of participating in markets where illicit activities occur without consequence. Finally, those who engage in wash trading can be subject to legal action if caught by authorities — which can result in hefty fines or even jail time for repeat offenders.

The world of Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs) is on fire with collectors hoping to strike it rich and artists trying to cash in on the trend. But according to reports, illegitimate trades account for more than 70% of all NFT transactions. This means that people are buying and selling tokens not because they appreciate their artistry or want to bring attention to the artist’s work, but rather because they are attempting to manipulate the prices in the market by trading between themselves and creating artificial demand. This ultimately diminishes the value of authentic and valuable NFTs and creates a damaging ripple effect throughout the entire ecosystem.

While digital collectibles were all the rage in 2021, there was an issue with wash trading that hildobby’s research study reveals. Wash trading was particularly prominent with NFT trades and accounted for a whopping 58% of total Ethereum NFT trade volumes in that year. The research team likely conducted a thorough analysis to unfold the intricacies of these transactions and employed four filters such as filtering out trades of NFTs between the same wallet address and those who purchased the same NFT three or more times. Moreover, back-and-forth trades of the same NFT between two different wallet addresses were also flagged as wash trading since it involved false transactions to bolster volume. January 2022 saw a peak of 80% wash trading which is indicative of its prevalence in this area; enough to suggest a few steps taken by government authorities regarding stopping illegal practices on Ethereum.

Common Methods Used To Carry Out Wash Trading

There are several methods that unscrupulous investors use when engaging in wash trades. The most common method involves buying and selling NFTs between multiple wallets controlled by one investor — essentially creating a “closed loop” of transactions that artificially inflates prices without actually adding any value to the marketplace as a whole. Other methods include creating fake accounts to trade with oneself; manipulating exchange rates; and exploiting loopholes in smart contracts to profit from inflated prices.

Not clean, just dirty

In the crypto space, wash trading is illegal under U.S. law yet remains difficult to detect and track due to the decentralized nature of digital assets and funds. In layman’s terms, wash trading is a type of market manipulation in which an investor or group of investors trade with themselves to create the illusion of higher liquidity than actually exists. This type of fraudulent behavior artificially inflates asset prices and can be dangerous for investors as it creates false impressions about the true value and health of a particular asset or market. In order to properly regulate these markets, governments must invest more in modern technology and data analytics tools that will allow greater transparency between transactions in order to root out this activity once and for all.

Wash trading has become an increasingly pressing issue within Ethereum’s burgeoning NFT marketplaces thanks to its ability to distort pricing and undermine public trust in crypto investments as a whole. While authorities have begun cracking down on those engaging in this illegal activity, more needs to be done if we want these markets to remain legitimate investment opportunities for all participants involved — from experienced traders looking for returns on their investments, all the way down to casual buyers simply looking for something unique or creative that appeals only them personally. As such, continued research into this topic is absolutely essential if we want our collective investments in these digital assets to remain secure going forward!