The short answer is that NFT royalty enforcement has shifted from a guaranteed on-chain payment to an optional, marketplace-by-marketplace policy. While early NFT platforms automatically paid creator royalties on every secondary sale, most major marketplaces—including OpenSea—now treat royalties as a default suggestion rather than a hard requirement. This means creators must understand where and how their royalties are actually enforced before choosing where to list or promote their collections.
Why Royalty Enforcement Changed
The original NFT standard (ERC-721) never included a built-in royalty function. Early marketplaces like OpenSea and Rarible voluntarily honored creator-set royalty percentages by deducting them from seller proceeds at the point of sale. That worked while trading volumes were high and platforms competed for listings. But as the market cooled and new marketplaces emerged, several platforms began offering lower total fees by making royalties optional or entirely skipping them.
The Role of Marketplace Competition
When marketplaces like LooksRare and Blur launched with zero or reduced royalty enforcement, they attracted high-volume traders who preferred lower costs over supporting creators. OpenSea responded by moving to an optional royalty system in early 2024, letting sellers choose whether to pay creator royalties on listings. This effectively ended the era of universal enforcement across the largest platforms.
The Technical Limitation
Even today, there is no way to force a marketplace to pay royalties if it does not want to. Smart contracts can restrict transfers to approved marketplaces only, but that approach fragments liquidity and hurts discoverability. Most creators have chosen practicality over enforcement, accepting that royalties are now a social contract rather than a technical guarantee.
How Enforcement Works Now (Marketplace by Marketplace)
There is no single rule. Each platform sets its own policy, and those policies can change without notice. Here is a general overview of the current landscape:
- OpenSea: Royalties are optional at listing time. The seller can choose to pay the creator’s requested percentage, but the default is often zero unless the creator uses OpenSea’s “enforceable royalties” tool for certain collections.
- Blur: Historically did not enforce royalties on most collections, though it later introduced a “royalty toggle” that creators can enable for their own projects.
- Magic Eden: Supports royalties on most Solana and Ethereum collections, but enforcement can vary by chain and collection configuration.
- Smaller platforms and marketplaces: Some niche platforms still honor full royalties as a differentiator, but they often have far lower trading volume.
What “Enforced” Actually Means
When a marketplace says it enforces royalties, it means the smart contract or the marketplace’s order book will block a sale unless the creator’s fee is included. When royalties are optional, the marketplace simply shows a suggested fee, and the seller can remove it. This distinction matters because a collection may appear to have royalties on one site but not on another.
What Creators Can Do to Protect Royalties
You cannot force every marketplace to pay you, but you can make it more likely that buyers and sellers will honor your fee.
Use On-Chain Enforcement Tools Where Possible
Some newer standards and tools, like the ERC-2981 interface, allow you to signal a royalty amount, but they do not enforce it. For actual enforcement, you can use a marketplace that respects on-chain filters, or you can implement a custom transfer restriction that only allows sales through approved marketplaces. This is a trade-off: you gain royalty control but lose access to broader secondary market liquidity.
Set Realistic Expectations in Your Community
Be transparent with your holders. If your royalty is optional, tell them directly. Some communities voluntarily pay royalties as a way to support the project, especially if you provide ongoing utility, drops, or governance rights. Clear communication reduces friction and encourages good faith.
Diversify Revenue Streams
Relying solely on secondary royalties is now risky. Many creators pivot to primary sales revenue, merchandise, or recurring membership fees. Treat royalties as a bonus, not a foundation.
What Buyers and Sellers Should Know
If you are trading NFTs, you should check the royalty field before confirming a purchase. On OpenSea, the seller decides whether to include the creator fee, so the final price you see may not include what the creator receives. On platforms with enforced royalties, the fee is added automatically.
Impact on Resale Value
A collection with strong community support and enforced royalties may retain more perceived value because buyers know their purchases directly fund the creator’s ongoing work. Conversely, collections with zero royalty enforcement may attract flippers but can lose long-term community trust.
How to Check a Specific Collection’s Royalty Status
Look at the collection’s page on each marketplace. Most will show a “Creator Earnings” or “Royalty” line item. If it is not shown, assume it is not enforced. You can also check the contract address on a block explorer to see if it implements ERC-2981, but that only tells you the requested amount, not whether it is paid.
The Future of NFT Royalties
The industry is still debating whether royalties should be a standard feature or a marketplace choice. Some new chains and standards, like those built around on-chain enforcement, may bring back guarantees. But as long as liquidity is concentrated on a few large platforms, creators will likely have to accept a hybrid model: enforced on some venues, optional on others.
For now, the most practical approach is to treat royalties as a negotiation, not a right. Understand the rules on every marketplace you use, communicate with your community, and build a project that can thrive even if secondary royalties drop to zero. That is the new reality of NFT royalty enforcement.