{"version":"https://jsonfeed.org/version/1.1","title":"Stephen Ajulu","home_page_url":"https://ajulu.netlify.app/","feed_url":"https://ajulu.netlify.app/tags/online-gaming/feed.json","description":"Hello, I'm Stephen Ajulu, a seasoned multidisciplinary tech professional with over a decade of experience. I build impactful solutions using design, tech, and engineering in the pursuit of impact.","icon":"https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/me.jpg","authors":[{"name":"Stephen Ajulu","url":"https://stephenajulu.com","avatar":"https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/me.jpg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/top-gamefi-games-right-now/","url":"https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/top-gamefi-games-right-now/","title":"Top GameFi Games Right Now","summary":"For players looking to get involved in these blockchain-based games and start earning cryptocurrency and NFTs, here is a breakdown of some of the leading games currently available.\nAlien Worlds In this game, players join an alien universe consisting of several planets where they must fight for scarce resources and mine the game’s native cryptocurrency, trillium (TLM). Players can also battle each other, go on quests and earn additional income by renting out their land to others.\n","content_html":"\u003cp\u003eFor players looking to get involved in these blockchain-based games and start earning cryptocurrency and NFTs, here is a breakdown of some of the leading\u003ca href=\"https://dappradar.com/rankings/category/games\"\u003e games\u003c/a\u003e currently available.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"alien-worlds\"\u003eAlien Worlds\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this game, players join an alien universe consisting of several planets where they must fight for scarce resources and mine the game’s native cryptocurrency, trillium (TLM). Players can also battle each other, go on quests and earn additional income by renting out their land to others.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://alienworlds.io/\"\u003eAlien Worlds\u003c/a\u003e was the first game to \u003ca href=\"https://www.coindesk.com/inside-alien-worlds-the-biggest-game-in-the-metaverse\"\u003ebreak through 100,000 users\u003c/a\u003e and currently boasts over 2.5 million players. This was, in part, due to its free-to-play nature and the fact its metaverse world spans multiple blockchains including WAX, Ethereum, and Binance Smart Chain.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNative crypto token:\u003c/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/alien-worlds/\"\u003etrilium (TLM)\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBlockchains:\u003c/strong\u003e Native WAX blockchain, but also runs off Ethereum and Binance Smart Chain (BSC)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMonthly user base:\u003c/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://dappradar.com/wax/games/alien-worlds\"\u003e1,000,000\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe initial investment required:\u003c/strong\u003e You are required to buy NFT game cards such as land in order to mine.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"cryptoblades\"\u003eCryptoBlades\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.cryptoblades.io/\"\u003eCryptoBlades\u003c/a\u003e is a web-based role-playing game that emulates traditional games like Skyrim or Dark Souls. Players can battle monsters or complete in-game raids to earn SKILL tokens. To help with battles, players can craft weapons to build an advantage over their opponents or boost their power. These items can then be traded in an open marketplace.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe gameplay itself is straightforward. There are four main components – fire, earth, lightning, and water – allocated to each character, weapon, attribute, and enemy. Each component will have its strengths and weaknesses, which players must then utilize and build strategies to beat their opponents.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNative crypto token:\u003c/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/cryptoblades/\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ec\u003c/strong\u003eryptoblades (SKILL)\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBlockchain:\u003c/strong\u003e Binance Smart Chain\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMonthly user base:\u003c/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://dappradar.com/binance-smart-chain/games/cryptoblades-1\"\u003e510,000\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe initial investment required:\u003c/strong\u003e Users will need to purchase around 0.2 BNB to play and pay for transaction fees in-game.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"axie-infinity\"\u003eAxie Infinity\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA Pokemon-inspired universe where you can buy, take care of, breed, and trade digital monsters called \u003ca href=\"https://axieinfinity.com/\"\u003e“Axies\u003c/a\u003e.” Axie Infinity runs off its own specifically built sidechain so that it can optimize gameplay and scale effectively.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe game has a high earning potential but requires high involvement to breed, care for and trade rare or unique Axies. These monsters can battle each other to earn SLP tokens or be sent on quests for resource farming.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNative token:\u003c/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/axie-infinity/\"\u003eaxie infinity (AXS)\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/smooth-love-potion/\"\u003esmooth love potion (SLP)\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBlockchain:\u003c/strong\u003e Ethereum\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMonthly user base:\u003c/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://dappradar.com/ethereum/games/axie-infinity\"\u003e308,000\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe initial investment required:\u003c/strong\u003e You need to purchase three Axies from the in-house marketplace before you can play.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"upland\"\u003eUpland\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.upland.me/\"\u003eUpland\u003c/a\u003e is an NFT metaverse made to parallel our world where players can buy, sell and trade properties linked to real-world addresses. Users can then play, run businesses and connect with other Uplanders across the world.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlayers have an Upland avatar that can roam throughout a city to look for available properties for purchase. Or they can visit other players’ properties. To earn special UPX rewards and increase a property’s earnings, users can complete a Collection. This is similar to Monopoly; the more properties you have of a single color, the more valuable they are.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNative token:\u003c/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/upland/\"\u003eupland (UPX)\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBlockchain:\u003c/strong\u003e EOS\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMonthly user base:\u003c/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://dappradar.com/eos/games/upland\"\u003e155,000\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe initial investment required:\u003c/strong\u003e To open an account, you need to first purchase a virtual property.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"splinterlands\"\u003eSplinterlands\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a \u003ca href=\"https://splinterlands.com/\"\u003edigital collectible card game\u003c/a\u003e where players build up a collection of cards with various abilities and stats and use them to battle other players. Each card is represented by an NFT and is tradable or can be exchanged on the open market. The game relies on one-on-one fighting where players are randomly assigned battle parameters.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBoth players then have a limited amount of time to build a deck of cards they will use to fight each other.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNative token:\u003c/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/dark-energy-crystals/\"\u003edark energy crystals (DEC)\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/splinterlands/\"\u003esplintershards (SPS)\u003c/a\u003e, which is the governance token\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBlockchain:\u003c/strong\u003e Hive blockchain\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMonthly user base:\u003c/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https://dappradar.com/hive/games/splinterlands\"\u003e120,000\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe initial investment required:\u003c/strong\u003e You must buy the summoner’s spellbook for $10 if you want to unlock the play-to-earn features and receive DEC tokens.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSource: \u003ca href=\"https://www.coindesk.com/learn/gamefi-how-to-earn-crypto-playing-games-online/\"\u003eCoinDesk\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n","date_published":"2021-12-09T16:40:00+03:00","image":"https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/610c1dd3ee4ef2b5089f768e_playtoearn.jpeg","tags":["gamefi","computer games","game finance","crypto","cryptocurrencies","cryptocurrency","play to earn","play 2 earn","free crypto","games","gaming","nft","nfts","defi","binance","binance smart chain","binance coin","metaverse","gameplay","gaming","online gaming","earn","game","decentralized","ethereum"]},{"id":"https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/gamers-assemble-play-games-to-earn-free-crypto/","url":"https://ajulu.netlify.app/posts/gamers-assemble-play-games-to-earn-free-crypto/","title":"Gamers Assemble: Play Games To Earn Crypto! GameFi Explained","summary":"GameFi is one of the hottest new trends to emerge from the crypto industry, combining decentralized finance (DeFi) and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) with blockchain-based online games.\nUnlike many traditional online games, which operate on a “pay-to-win” model and allow players to purchase upgrades in order to gain an advantage over others, GameFi introduces a “play-to-earn” model. This concept involves giving players financial incentives to play and progress through games. In some cases, this has allowed gamers to earn a full-time income by doing so.\n","content_html":"\u003cp\u003eGameFi is one of the hottest new trends to emerge from the crypto industry, combining decentralized finance (\u003ca href=\"https://stephenajulu.com/blog/decentralized-finance-defined/\"\u003eDeFi\u003c/a\u003e) and non-fungible tokens (\u003ca href=\"https://stephenajulu.com/blog/what-are-nfts-non-fungible-tokens-explained/\"\u003eNFTs\u003c/a\u003e) with \u003ca href=\"https://www.coindesk.com/business/2021/08/06/binance-smart-chain-beats-ethereum-by-some-metrics-thanks-to-latest-gamefi-craze/\"\u003eblockchain-based online games\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnlike many traditional online games, which operate on a “pay-to-win” model and allow players to purchase upgrades in order to gain an advantage over others, GameFi introduces a “\u003ca href=\"https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2021/07/29/a-play-to-earn-account-beats-a-bank-account/\"\u003eplay-to-earn\u003c/a\u003e” model. This concept involves giving players financial incentives to play and progress through games. In some cases, this has allowed gamers to earn a \u003ca href=\"https://www.coindesk.com/business/2021/05/11/for-filipinos-axie-infinity-is-more-than-a-crypto-game/\"\u003efull-time income\u003c/a\u003e by doing so.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"how-it-works\"\u003eHow it works\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll objects in these types of games are expressed as \u003ca href=\"https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2021/03/12/how-to-create-buy-and-sell-nfts/\"\u003eNFTs\u003c/a\u003e – digital tokens used to prove ownership of scarce intangible items. Think of things like plots of land, avatars, costumes, weapons, and gold bars. Once players find and accrue these items through gameplay, many have the option to trade these with others in \u003ca href=\"https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2021/07/12/nft-marketplaces-a-beginners-guide/\"\u003edigital marketplaces\u003c/a\u003e for different NFTs or sell them in exchange for cryptocurrency.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDepending on which game is played, users can increase their earning potential by dedicating time leveling up and improving their characters, creating monetized structures on their land that other gamers pay to use, or by competing against others in tournaments.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn order to keep track of what every player owns, all NFTs and cryptocurrency transaction data are stored on a public blockchain. This is a type of \u003ca href=\"https://www.coindesk.com/learn/what-is-a-distributed-ledger/\"\u003edistributed, digital record-keeping\u003c/a\u003e technology maintained by a global network of computers. Leveraging this technology in gaming provides a number of benefits, including:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePlayers can easily prove ownership of their in-game items.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThere is no single point of failure, meaning players will no longer be at risk of \u003ca href=\"https://pvplive.net/world-of-warcraft-bug-reverting-players-characters/\"\u003elosing track of what they own\u003c/a\u003e if the underlying gaming company experiences technical issues.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eItems accrued during gameplay cannot be counterfeited, removed, or destroyed.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGame-native cryptocurrencies can be sent and received without the need for intermediary settlement, clearing, or custody.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome \u003ca href=\"https://mobox.io/#/\"\u003egames\u003c/a\u003e also include DeFi elements such as \u003ca href=\"https://www.coindesk.com/learn/4-tips-to-maximize-your-crypto-investment/\"\u003estaking\u003c/a\u003e, where players can lock away certain tokens in order to earn annual interest, and other rewards they can save to purchase other in-game items or unlock new content.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"what-you-need-to-play\"\u003eWhat you need to play\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn order to take part in any of these play-to-earn games, users will need to do the following:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCreate a cryptocurrency wallet:\u003c/strong\u003e To store their virtual currency and NFTs, and make in-game transactions. Which wallet you need will depend on which blockchain the game was built upon. For example, MetaMask – an Ethereum-based crypto wallet service – will work with any GameFi game built on Ethereum.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePurchase starter items:\u003c/strong\u003e All GameFi games are free to download. However, many require players to first purchase characters, native crypto tokens, decks of cards, or upgrades in order to begin.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePre-funded crypto wallet:\u003c/strong\u003e You will need to pre-fund your crypto wallet with a particular cryptocurrency in order to purchase starter items and proceed. \u003ca href=\"https://cryptoblades.gitbook.io/wiki/getting-started\"\u003eCryptoblades\u003c/a\u003e, for example, requires users to download \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UFIN_ieh6U\"\u003eMetaMask\u003c/a\u003e, purchase Binance coin (BNB) and exchange it for the game’s native cryptocurrency, SKILL.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"where-did-gamefi-come-from\"\u003eWhere did GameFi come from?\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe emergence of GameFi comes from a combination of factors that dates back to 2017 and the emergence of the NFT phenomenon \u003ca href=\"https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2019/09/12/cryptokitties-creator-raises-11-million-from-warner-a16z-to-launch-blockchain/\"\u003eCryptoKitties\u003c/a\u003e. The digital collectibles economy proved a viral success, with CryptoKitties amassing over \u003ca href=\"https://www.coindesk.com/business/2020/03/05/the-team-behind-cryptokitties-is-one-step-closer-to-leaving-ethereum/\"\u003e14,914 users a day\u003c/a\u003e at its peak. CryptoPunks, a collection of 10,000 pixelated NFT characters also built on Ethereum, enjoyed similar success, surpassing\u003ca href=\"https://techcrunch.com/2018/03/20/cryptokitties-raises-12m-from-andreessen-horowitz-and-union-square-ventures/\"\u003e $1 billion in sales \u003c/a\u003eover 2018.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnfortunately, the success of these NFTs showed both the good and bad sides of the state of blockchain technology at the time. Games like CryptoKitties caused heavy congestion on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.coindesk.com/loveable-digital-kittens-clogging-ethereums-blockchain\"\u003eEthereum network, leading to extreme spikes in transaction fees \u003c/a\u003eand much slower than normal transaction confirmation times. These technical issues highlighted a clear gap in the market for more efficient and scalable platforms that could handle the rising demand from online gamers and virtual asset collectors.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSince then, a number of new “\u003ca href=\"https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2021/09/01/solanas-sol-token-nearly-tripled-in-august-as-investors-bet-on-ethereum-killers/\"\u003eEthereum killer\u003c/a\u003e” blockchains have emerged that promise faster transaction speeds, greater scalability, and cheaper fees. These include the likes of \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/CoinDesk/status/1431980810631061513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"\u003eSolana\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2021/08/19/cardano-nears-all-time-high-as-investors-await-smart-contracts/\"\u003eCardano\u003c/a\u003e, both of which have recently set new \u003ca href=\"https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2021/08/20/cardano-price-hits-all-time-high-overtakes-binance-coin-as-third-most-valuable-crypto/\"\u003eall-time highs\u003c/a\u003e as investors \u003ca href=\"https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2021/08/16/solana-terra-hit-all-time-highs-as-markets-disregard-last-weeks-defi-hacks/\"\u003ebet big\u003c/a\u003e on new dapp competitors.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe proliferation of decentralized finance (\u003ca href=\"https://www.coindesk.com/what-is-defi\"\u003eDeFi\u003c/a\u003e) platforms over 2020 was the next critical component enabling GameFi’s growth, introducing a range of blockchain-native financial platforms that run entirely using smart contracts. This provided the infrastructure for decentralized exchanges where in-game cryptocurrencies could be launched from and traded, as well as additional features like \u003ca href=\"https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2021/07/13/defi-lending-3-major-risks-to-know/\"\u003elending\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2020/08/20/binance-launches-defi-staking-with-cryptos-kava-and-dai/\"\u003estaking\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn September 2020, \u003ca href=\"https://www.coindesk.com/what-is-yearn-finance-yfi-defi-ethereum\"\u003eYearn.finance\u003c/a\u003e founder and DeFi developer Andre Conje tweeted about the \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/AndreCronjeTech/status/1303969754907107329\"\u003egamification of monetary policies\u003c/a\u003e in a decentralized environment. He recognized the multiple benefits DeFi and NFTs could bring to the online gaming industry, and GameFi applications quickly started to form. Axie Infinity was one of the first play-to-earn games to take off in a big way, surpassing \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/news_of_bsc/status/1424686970442223617?lang=en\"\u003e$1 billion in revenue\u003c/a\u003e on Aug. 9, 2021.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eComing Soon: \u003cstrong\u003eTop GameFi Games\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSource: \u003ca href=\"https://www.coindesk.com/learn/gamefi-how-to-earn-crypto-playing-games-online/\"\u003eCoinDesk\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n","date_published":"2021-12-09T16:35:00+03:00","image":"https://ajulu.netlify.app/images/gamefi.jpg","tags":["technology","gaming","metaverse","crypto","cryptocurrencies","play to earn","play games","games","play","earn","play2earn","cryptocurrency","digital currency","currency","online gaming","defi","nft","decentralized finance","non fungible tokens","play to earn","blockchain","metamask","ethereum","solana","cardano"]}]}