Define useful in a measurable way that does not depend on any specific human’s subjective estimation.
useful
- Having a beneficial use; serviceable: "a useful kitchen gadget."
- Being of practical use: "a useful job; useful members of society."
- Full of use, advantage, or profit; producing, or having power to produce, good; serviceable for any end or object; helpful toward advancing any purpose; beneficial; profitable; advantageous: "vessels and instruments useful in a family; books useful for improvement; useful knowledge; useful arts"
I'd bet that most stories of NFTs translating to material wealth come from minters or the inner circle of early adopters, because they made something useless and valueless, and somehow convinced enough people that it was worth buying it for hard-earned cash. Many lost so a few could make bank.
They convinced fools to enter a rigged gamble.
Many people lost some money. Maybe they gained from the experience. Many people made money. Maybe they lost some on other things. Many people got their knickers in a twist over things with such perceived (by themselves) low value selling for high value. Maybe they forgot that fiat money is a construction as well. Conversely, maybe they gained something intangible from the whole experience.