Once the largest marketplace for digital collectibles, OpenSea is preparing to launch its own native token, SEA, by the first quarter of 2026.
The plan follows a surge in platform activity after OpenSea expanded beyond NFTs to enable trading of any digital asset.
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OpenSea prepares SEA token rollout
On October 17, OpenSea co-founder Devin Finzer said the new token will be the basis of the platform’s evolving identity. He explained that this represents OpenSea’s vision for a more open and liquid on-chain economy.
“Integrating SEA into OpenSea will be an opportunity to show the world our vision. It will shine a spotlight on everything we are building,” Finser said.
Finzer said half of SEA’s supply will be provided to the community, with the majority distributed through the initial claims process. Preference will be given to long-time users and participants in OpenSea’s loyalty program.
The company also plans to use 50% of the launch proceeds to buy back SEA tokens to enhance liquidity and value alignment with users.
Additionally, SEA includes a staking feature that allows holders to earn rewards while supporting the growth of the network.
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“SEA is not the destination, but it is an important moment that everyone will be focused on. There is only one TGE. We are preparing for OpenSea while the Foundation finalizes the final details,” Finser added.
NFT Marketplace Evolves into “Trade Everything” App
Meanwhile, OpenSea’s token efforts are part of a broader transformation of the platform to make it “tradable for everything.”
The company also develops mobile apps, perpetual futures trading, and cross-chain abstraction tools. Each feature is designed to make on-chain trading as seamless as using a centralized exchange.
Finzer said OpenSea’s early days were about bringing artists, collectors and gamers into Web3 through NFTs.
He explained that the next step will be to provide users with a single place to manage and trade multiple asset types without relying on custodial intermediaries.
“[Our users]shouldn’t have to navigate a maze of chains, bridges, wallets, and protocols to take advantage of on-chain liquidity, wondering if their balances are in Solana, Ethereum L2, or somewhere else.[Our users]should be able to transact seamlessly all in one place,” said OpenSea’s CEO.
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Notably, this transition is already having positive results for legacy NFT platforms.
In fact, OpenSea processed over $2.6 billion in total transaction volume this month, with over 90% of that coming from token trades.
According to DeFiLlama data, on October 15, the platform recorded its highest single-day decentralized trading volume of approximately $462.7 million. This makes it one of the fastest growing DEX platforms in the competitive DeFi space.
These numbers signal a resurgence for a platform that was once overshadowed by new players. With SEA’s debut just around the corner, OpenSea is positioning itself not just as an NFT venue, but as the core liquidity layer of the broader on-chain economy.
