These days, everyone wants to get their hands on cryptocurrency one way or another. There is a good reason for this as cryptos have proven to be very valuable. Besides tokens like Bitcoin and Ether that have seen great success in the market, you also have meme coins that are making quite a splash. As Kane Pepi writes, some of the leading meme coins have seen up to 20x growth.
But while buying cryptos is the most popular way to get them, you can also acquire them by simply playing games. The play-to-earn market is booming these days and these are some of the biggest options:
- Hamster Kombat
One of the biggest releases in the play-to-earn space this year was undoubtedly Hamster Kombat. The game, which has a tap-to-earn format, sees players tapping to earn points, upgrade their hamster, and manage a virtual cafe. The game saw millions of users in a very short period and while it saw a decline in popularity, its management is gearing up for season 2. Anyone who favours simpler gameplay and accessibility will love this Telegram-based title and, ahead of Season 2, can get started with developing their crop of virtual hamsters. At the centre of all of this is the $HMSTR token, which acts as the reward system within the game.
- Axie Infinity
One of the long-standing play-to-earn games, this title has players breeding and trading Axies- virtual characters that are represented as NFTs. Along with this, land and other resources are traded and developed within the game and Axie Infinity operates as a form of virtual economy. $AXS and $SLP are the cryptos used within the game and while the former is a governance token that gives players a voice, the latter is used for the breeding of creatures. The tokens earned within the game can be cashed out every 14 days and AXS is one of the biggest gaming tokens by market cap.
- The Sandbox
The Sandbox is one of the most prolific play-to-earn platforms because it allows players to create their own gaming experiences, as well as monetize them. On the Sandbox, virtual worlds and gaming adventures can be made from scratch and money is made from selling assets. These include land and other in-game items that other players will need. The native token of the project is called SAND, and it is based on the Ethereum blockchain. Besides the viability of the native token, the Sandbox acts as an open universe that players can explore and create to their tastes.
- Alien Worlds
Alien Worlds is essentially the definition of play-to-earn via tokenisation. The goal of the game is to acquire a digital mineral called Trilium (TLM), and this is done through mining. Every aspect of this game is tokenized, from the players themselves to the assets they use on their adventures. At the centre of Axie Infinity is its AXS token, which has a market cap in the billions.
Founded in 2020, Alien Worlds uses a delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS) that empowers players to vote and make decisions within the ecosystem. This is done by staking tokens while playing as their characters, which are outlined in The Tokenized Lore Book.
- My Neighbour Alice
This is one of the more dynamic play-to-earn projects on the market because it doubles as a game and a DeFi platform. On the gaming end, you can earn points by developing virtual islands and using your avatar to socialize with others. While this is already interesting in itself, players have even more avenues to maximize their earnings. Many of the in-game assets are represented as NFTs and the game allows players to lend their tokens and these NFTs in exchange for interest. Finally, players can sell off their assets, essentially creating a stream of revenue.
Conclusion
The gaming sector has no shortage of projects that leverage blockchain technology and crypto assets. Some of the options we’ve highlighted in this article allow for the trading of in-game assets for money and even the creation of your own native projects. But most of all, they offer players the chance to profit from their efforts. Whether that’s finding virtual treasure, going on adventures with friends, or even socializing with other avatars, your gaming experience can be made much more enjoyable and profitable.