Daily Insights: Updates on Crypto, Blockchain, NFTs, Web3, and Play-to-Earn Gaming

After selling the Dookey Dash Key NFT, Mongraal, the winner of Yuga Labs' Dookey Dash NFT game competition, received 1000 ETH.

Companies involved in blockchain and cryptocurrencies are thinking about changing the names of concepts like crypto, NFT, blockchain, Web3. Web3, Blockchain and NFT Projects are urging to Stop Calling it Crypto as it has become “Old school."Big companies are abandoning terms like NFTs and Web3, partly due to the bad name and bear market. Words and names have had huge importance in commerce and the economy since the inception of the crypto market. There was a time when companies used to add the “blockchain” word to their names and would see their valuations skyrocket. But now these terms have turned into toxic words, and people are trying to distance themselves from them. If you are looking for NFTs on social media, you will have to search for “digital collectibles” instead of NFTs; otherwise, you might never find one.Brynly Llyr, head of blockchain and digital assets of the World Economic Forum, recently suggested that the crypto market should renounce old names. And instead, rebrand itself as “decentralized systems.” If you think about it, it’s not that bad of an idea at all, as these terms and jargon have turned into a safe haven for all the digital pirates. A big Bitcoin mining company, known as Riot Blockchain, has recently rebranded itself and is now called Riot Platforms. Sounds funny, right?

Trip Hawkins joins Games for a Living GFAL to work on NFT games, starting with Elemental Raiders.Two of the gaming industry’s top veterans have joined hands to work on NFT games. Recently, the founder of Electronic Arts gaming studio, Trip Hawkins, joined Games for a Living video gaming studio. Along with Trip Hawkins, Manel Sort the VP at Candy Crush Saga developer King is also in this project. The team will start with Elemental Raiders which is already available in a free-to-play version on Steam. However, in March, the game will introduce NFT, token elements, and a battle pass. The studio plans to roll out its own token; Games for a Living token. Despite the slump in crypto and challenges in Web3, we are seeing industry veterans exploring the niche. Trip Hawkins, the original founder and CEO of Electronic Arts (EA), is the latest addition to the list of famed video game industry legends. Similar legends of the gaming industry are flocking to the crypto world. Another example includes developers such as Will Wright and Peter Molyneux. These developers are currently working on NFT-based games.A couple of days ago, Hawkins was announced as the co-founder and chief strategy officer of Games for a Living. GFAL is a startup that focuses on creating games using NFTs and blockchain-based tokens. Manel Sort, the former first vice president at King, the developer of Candy Crush Saga, is one of the co-founders of Games for a Living. He teamed up with Hawkins, his former colleague from the mobile gaming startup Digital Chocolate, to create this new venture.

Blockchain Gaming Takes Off in February: Ubisoft Launches Rabbids NFTs, and Wallet-Free Gaming Is Now a Reality! February continues to see plenty of blockchain gaming activity. We have new in-game content, NFT airdrops, beta testing, new partnerships, ease of access, and many more. The biggest news is that Ubisoft is still making progress in Web3, having launched its Rabbids NFTs on the Sandbox. Moreover, we have super news for gamers that do not want to indulge in any digital wallets: Champions Ascension goes wallet-free. Top blockchain game Gods Unchained launches its pre-alpha mobile test, Genopets adds minigames, and Planet IX brings new in-game drops. Let’s check out these blockchain gaming developments in detail.

Blur dominates the NFT marketplace and OpenSea trials; this article checks some of the facts and happenings in the Web3 NFT industry 2024. The hype was real surrounding the airdrop, as Blur has dominated OpenSea's NFT trading volume. According to Dune Analytics statistics, the marketplace had a volume of $601 million over the past seven days compared to the $104 million of OpenSea. These numbers correspond to Blur Marketplace controlling an 85.2% market share compared to OpenSea's 14.8%.Daily volume numbers are also evident in this comparison. According to DappRadar statistics, Blur achieved a trading volume of $98.6 million in the last 24 hours. While OpenSea, in second position, only managed $17.92 million. Additionally, compared to OpenSea, its daily average transaction price has consistently been greater.It's important to note that Blur has designed its incentives strategy to avoid rewarding volume in order to discourage wash trading. By tweaking its royalties reward structure, the market has attempted to bypass OpenSea's constrictive approach. This policy change is a defensive measure designed to safeguard its survival as it was forced to make this decision as a result of OpenSea's non-competitive position. Blur and OpenSea do not pay royalties to the same creator on both platforms.

Yield Guild Games (YGG) is pioneering the intersection of blockchain technology and gaming, marking a significant evolution in the digital world. This innovative platform transforms the traditional gaming experience by leveraging the play-to-earn model, where players are not just participants but also stakeholders in a decentralized ecosystem. YGG provides gamers with opportunities to earn through blockchain-based games, fostering a community where skills, participation, and contributions are valued and rewarded. By offering access to a wide range of games and digital assets, YGG is not just a gaming guild; it's a gateway to financial empowerment and a deeper understanding of Web3 technologies. Its unique approach includes the use of NFTs to represent membership and achievements, creating a transparent and verifiable digital identity for its members. YGG is at the forefront of creating sustainable gaming economies, promoting inclusivity, and shaping the future of gaming in the Web3 era.

NFTs are in the news once again with Spotify and the NBA making use of them in their respective Web3 projects; read more about this! NFTs (non-fungible Tokens) are making a huge comeback after a brief (and unexpected) fall in their popularity graph. With the recent buzz around NFTs, on-chain development, and the latest developments in the sector, almost every major sector is making efforts to be some kind of part of it. Some huge brands, including Spotify and the NBA, are pursuing and investing in NFTs. Here are some of the latest developments going on in the NFT sector: Spotify has been a huge revelation in the field of the music industry. Their business ideas and marketing strategies have been second to none. After finding huge success in the conventional music industry, they have now turned their attention to the world of NFTs. On Wednesday, Spotify acknowledged a new integration on its music platform. It includes music playlists with token functionality that only a small group of users can access. Token holders will access the community playlists created and curated by the participating NFT organizations and communities. In order to achieve the objectives, they have joined forces with some big Metaverse groups, including Overlord and Kingship.

Azra Games has secured significant funding to pursue its Web3 plans and its upcoming NFT game, Legions & Legends. Learn more about it!

The Appchain thesis offers distinctive solutions to two of the most significant issues faced by Web3 and blockchain gaming developers. Learn more.

With the recent launch of its Rabbids NFT Avatars in the blockchain game The Sandbox, Ubisoft is back in Web3 with a bang, learn more.

According to DappRadar on January 23, video gaming activity accounts for nearly half of all blockchain activity; read on for more interesting facts.

The partnership between India’s Loco and Avalanche will create esports and streaming services using Avalanche’s blockchain technology

Gods Unchained is a popular blockchain trading card game with valuable NFT card collections. Some of these collections are talked about here.

YouTube's new CEO, Neal Mohan, is bullish when it comes to Web3; check out his views on NFT, metaverse, and Web3.

Quadratic funding is a new term getting popular in Web3. It brings a new and exciting way to raise funds in a democratic way, but how?