Opinion: Joshua Kim, CEO and Founder of DonaFi.

Customary crowdfunding has always been a saving grace for creators. For artists using non-fungible tokens (NFTs), most centralized models seem out of sync with reality. Fees are high, visibility is inconsistent, and platforms increasingly optimize for dynamics rather than needs. During market downturns, when liquidity drops dramatically, artists’ decks get even bigger.

Decentralized crowdfunding provides a more direct and crystal clear flow of capital on-chain from collectors who care about art, as opposed to quick transactions. A recent effort by a long time collector Batsoupium and curator Lanett Bennett Grant make this case very well.

Instead of launching a flashy fund or token, they committed to spending 1 ether (ETH) every week on works by emerging artists on the Ethereum network, sharing the stories behind each work and clearly not sacrificing profit. No intermediaries or platform deciding who “deserves” attention. Just consistent, apparent support when artists need it most.

When markets crash, artists are the first to feel it

NFT bear markets aren’t just driving floor prices down; they remove income from aspiring artists. Many artists rely on primary sales to pay rent, fund up-to-date work, or stay in the space altogether. When speculation dies down, attention shifts elsewhere and artists often remain imperceptible.

What’s striking about this decentralized crowdfunding effort is the speed with which others have stepped in, despite brutal conditions. Punk6529 was consistent with the weekly ETH pledge. Spratt himself added $20,000. Bob Loukas followed with another $100,000. Galleries offered exhibitions. Platforms like Foundation are committed to features. None of them required permission, approvals, or centralized coordination – they just spread out.

This is the power of decentralized crowdfunding in economic downturns. It doesn’t depend on optimism; it depends on your belief.

Crowdfunding without platforms and promises

Everything happens online, publicly, one purchase at a time. Artists receive direct payment and immediate visibility. Collectors know exactly where the funds go. The social layer, stories, context and curation move with the transaction, rather than being detached by the platform interface.

Monthly openings create a repeating stream of discovery and support. It matters. One-off gestures aid, but lasting visibility and cash flow allow artists to produce during economic downturns. It is crowdfunding reduced to the most essential elements: capital, trust and consistency.

A network effect, not a charity

What makes this different from patronage is that it is networking. Each participant strengthens the others. Collectors do not replace markets; stabilize them. Artists are not locked into charity narratives; they are valued for their work. Platforms and galleries do not compete with effort; they actually extend it.

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Decentralized crowdfunding works here because it aligns incentives without forcing them. Nobody is closed off. No one is promised benefits, and yet the result is concrete support, and quickly.

The importance of this model in 2026

This isn’t about saving NFTs; it’s about proving that decentralized capital still works when markets are chilly. When speculation goes away, what remains is community, clarity and conviction. This is exactly what artists need right now.

If the next phase of NFTs has any significance, it will not rely on hype cycles or centralized gate management. It will rely on collectors who will constantly appear on the platform, using onchain tools to transfer money directly to creators and tell their stories along the way.

Decentralized crowdfunding won’t solve all the problems artists face. But in times of economic downturn, it does something much more essential: it keeps artists alive in the ecosystem when everything else falls noiseless.

Opinion: Joshua Kim, CEO and Founder of DonaFi.