**NFT Market Update: December Kicks Off Strongly**

- **NFT Sales Surge**: NFTs started December with a bang, hitting $187 million in weekly sales, surpassing November's peak. Ethereum led the charge with $92 million, a 44% increase, driven by popular collections like CryptoPunks.

- **Fraudulent Sites Shut Down**: The Brooklyn DA's Virtual Currency Unit closed 40 scam NFT sites after an artist was tricked out of $135,000. The crackdown aims to prevent further scams.

- **Magic Eden Token Woes**: Magic Eden's ME token stumbled on its debut, dropping 67% amid app issues. It has since stabilized around $5.16.

- **NFTs' Future**: Despite declining volumes, RARI Foundation's Jana Bertram remains optimistic, highlighting NFTs' potential in empowering artists and real-world applications.