According to Phoenix Group data engagement on social media is the top indicator of NFT business performance in 2026. With 4,200 engaged posts and 733,000 interactions PENGU has the most. APE has 2,100 more posts than PENGU and is listed third in total interaction volume with 116,800. AXS has 2,100 posts less than APE and is ranked 3rd overall in interaction volume with 371,500 total interactions as of January 19th. Following APE on January 19th were four other tokens: MASK, RARE, FLOKI, ME, GALA, CHZ, and SAND. This highlights how community engagement is now shaping the cultural significance of digital collectibles.
PENGU, APE and Gaming Ecosystem Dominate
The PENGU Social Ranking represents the strength of the community in a meaningful way because of its leadership in this space. The Abstract Chain Mainnet, which was launched on January 27th, 2025, supports this forward. Built on zkSync ZK Stack, this new Layer-2 network offers low fees and high scalability providing enhanced user experience. While liquidity is at $33 million, the incredible nature of the community engagement demonstrates a large commitment from all involved in the effort. The brand has been able to successfully introduce a line of physical merchandise, reaching over $13 million in retail sales from strategic partnerships with Walmart, Target, and Walgreens.
ApeCoin (APE) is number two on this list, with 2,100 posts and 116,800 interactions. The APE community has been engaged throughout a volatile market as a result of cultural relevance of Bored Ape Yacht Club in the gaming, events and metaverse space.
Axie Infinity (AXS) posts were motivated by updates on play-to-earn activity and tournaments, and AXS ranked 3rd with 2,100 posts and 371,500 interactions.
Gala Games (GALA) posted 958 times and received 59,100 interactions; Gala Games continues to keep its users engaged with new games and blockchain gaming innovations.
Marketplaces, Metaverse, and Utility Tokens Thrive
With 1.7K engaged posts and 242.4K Total Interactions, Mask Network is 4th in ranking and highlights the importance of privacy tiered Web3 infrastructure. Following Mask Network, SuperRare’s RARE Token ranked 5th in engaged posts (1.6K) and Total Interactions (306.5K). SuperRare’s ranking reinforces that high-end digital art marketplaces build strong collector communities built on curated values and artistic merit.
Memes and the utility of NFT Marketplace and DeFi applications exist in combination to create a successful environment for memes-driven communities like Floki. With 1.5K engaged posts, Floki had 177.1K Total Interactions. With 1.5K engaged posts, Magic Eden’s ME Token had 385.8K Total Interactions. This indicates that the company is using an expansion strategy that encompasses multiple chains.
Chiliz (952 posts, 185.8K interactions), tokenization of experiences for sports fans across global football clubs, The Sandbox’s SAND (851 posts, 96.1K interactions), building a metaverse via virtual land and brand partnerships.
According to Phoenix Group, engaged posts measures total posts with interactions in the last 24hr. Interactions such as likes, comments, retweets, and upvotes quantify true community interests instead of inflated measures and give accurate insight into productive, engaged communities.
Conclusion
The social engagement grade indicates NFT projects building value over time rather than speculation. PENGU’s leadership, APE’s robustness, and AXS, MASK, RARE, FLOKI, ME, GALA, CHZ, and SAND demonstrate this ecosystem’s maturity. Gaming, marketplaces, metaverse, and utility-focused communities outperform speculation. Web3’s community-centered approach defines its evolution to deliver real engagement and active involvement as long-term success, not short-term trading metrics.
