- Justin Bieber’s Coachella comeback sparks massive streaming surge
- His $1.3M Bored Ape NFT now worth under $3K reignites debate
- NFT crowd revisits past hype as cultural attention returns
Justin Bieber is back in the spotlight, and somehow, crypto found its way into the conversation again. After years away from major performances due to health issues, he headlined Coachella 2026 and pulled in a reported $10 million for two nights, which already says a lot about demand.
The impact was immediate too, his streams jumped 211% overnight, hitting 24.6 million in a single day. It’s the kind of comeback that doesn’t just bring fans back, it brings back memories, and apparently, even old NFT discussions.
The Performance — Not Everyone Was Impressed
The show itself was… mixed, depending on who you ask. Bieber leaned heavily on newer material from SWAG and SWAG II, with a fairly stripped-down setup that didn’t quite match the scale people expected from a Coachella headliner.
Some fans and critics weren’t thrilled, especially when comparing it to more elaborate performances happening at the same festival. That said, the second weekend helped shift the narrative a bit, with surprise appearances from artists like Billie Eilish and Big Sean adding more energy to the stage.
The NFT Flashback Nobody Asked For
Then there’s the NFT angle, which somehow made its way back into the timeline. Back in 2022, Bieber famously bought a Bored Ape for around $1.3 million, a purchase that raised eyebrows even at the time.
Fast forward to now, and that same NFT is worth roughly $2,800, which is… a staggering drop, nearly a full wipeout in value. He also bought another Ape for nearly half a million, and that one hasn’t fared much better, making the whole situation a kind of case study in peak-cycle buying.
Why Crypto Twitter Is Talking Again
Bieber’s return triggered more than just music streams, it brought back a wave of nostalgia, especially among the NFT crowd. For some, it’s genuine excitement, a reminder of when culture and crypto felt tightly linked.
For others, it’s probably a bit more hopeful, maybe even wishful thinking, that renewed attention could somehow spill back into the NFT market. So far, though, there’s no real sign of that happening, at least not yet.
Culture Moves Faster Than Markets
What this moment really shows is how quickly cultural relevance can return, even after years of silence. Markets, on the other hand, tend to move slower, especially after a major downturn.
Bieber’s comeback is real, the energy is real, but the NFT recovery story is still… waiting. And if anything, it’s a reminder that hype can come back overnight, but rebuilding value usually takes a lot longer.
