Blockchain
The Sandbox Attracts Strategic Gaming & Silicon Valley Partners to build Virtual Lands in its NFT Metaverse
Uken Games, Bill Lee, Ken Howery, Galaxy Interactive, Tyler Winklevoss, Gemini Frontier Fund, Nifty Gateway, Avenged Sevenfold, and others entered into strategic partnerships to acquire LAND and build experiences in The Sandbox’s NFT-based metaverse
The Sandbox, a subsidiary of Animoca Brands and the leading decentralized social metaverse platform, announced that it has added multiple partners from the NFT, investment, and music industries to its growing list of partners. As with previous partners, the new entrants have joined in The Sandbox’s virtual real estate by acquiring LAND NFTs in the open metaverse and committed to building experiences across the metaverse. To celebrate the new partners, The Sandbox will launch a new LAND sale on April 14 that allows players to purchase choice spots near partner LANDS.
The partners who acquired LAND in The Sandbox’s metaverse include crypto projects such as Nifty Gateway, 21x, and Gemini, as well as renowned Silicon Valley based VCs and investment partners including Galaxy Interactive (Global gaming VC and investors in over 50 companies across the interactive landscape, including RTFKT, Bitski, Mythical Games, Immutable, and WHALE), Bill Lee (Co-Founder of Craft Ventures, former Board Director of Big Fish Games, and early investor in Cloud9, Coinbase, Opensea, and Tesla), Ken Howery (Co-Founder and former managing partner at Founders Fund, Co-Founder of PayPal), Sundeep Madra (Serial entrepreneur and investor), Gemini Frontier Fund (Founded by Tyler & Cameron Winklevoss), Chris Ye (CEO of Uken Games and creator of top-grossing mobile games Bingo Pop, Ava’s Manor, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire), Alex Reece (Early investor in Unity, Draft Kings and Lyft), Michael Witz (Founder of Redemption Games and creator of top-grossing mobile games Cookie Jam and Sweet Escapes), Edward Saatchi (Founder of Virtual Beings company Fable) and Patricio Fuks (Serial Entrepreneur & Investor), and heavy metal band, Avenged Sevenfold.
“As a vibrant, growing NFT-based gaming metaverse, The Sandbox is attracting strong and diverse new partners each day, from gaming studios to IP brands to artists to celebrities to visionary entrepreneurs to technology companies,” said Sebastien BORGET, COO & Co-Founder of The Sandbox. “We’re shaping our virtual world to be an experience rich place where partners can plant a flag with virtual destination experiences on their LANDS in a powerful new entertainment community where creators, players and brands can build and grow alongside each other.”
The involvement of the partners announced follows the beta launch of The Sandbox’s NFT marketplace, which gives anyone the opportunity to earn SAND, The Sandbox’s utility token, by monetizing voxel-based NFT creations created with the dedicated software VoxEdit. Each NFT can be used inside the game platform in the future or used to build custom game experiences. LAND NFTs are the main gateway to publishing games in The Sandbox, as the platform prepares for opening its first public beta for players later this year. The Sandbox was recently featured by the Wall Street Journal and CNBC as a pioneer in the space.
The Sandbox is becoming a prime entertainment destination where brands, IPs, and celebrities can engage with their fans and offer virtual experiences including games, live performances, and social experiences. Brands will coexist through neighboring lands, able to function as digital concert arenas, theme parks, or malls that users of The Sandbox can visit and experience by themselves or with friends. Reflecting on this potential, partner VCs, investors, and celebrity brands share their thoughts below on what attracted them to The Sandbox:
“We have been tracking the progress of The Sandbox ecosystem from its earliest days, and have been impressed by the founding team’s consistent execution towards their mission of developing a community-owned sandbox of creativity and fun. We are delighted to do our part to develop the community through the land we’ve acquired, directly and through our portfolio companies, and cannot wait to witness how the broader ecosystem evolves,” said Richard Kim, GP at Galaxy Interactive.
“Gaming is a killer use case for the metaverse, and The Sandbox is the only metaverse tuned for high-quality games with a decentralized monetization ecosystem for developers, asset makers, and passionate gamers,” said Bill Lee, Co-Founder of Craft Ventures. “21x will be developing all of our parcels into THE premiere gaming destinations across any metaverse — stay tuned!“
“The Sandbox is revolutionizing gaming by empowering users to build, own, and monetize their gaming experiences in a virtual world that is decentralized,” said Tyler Winklevoss, Co-Founder of Gemini Exchange. “We plan to extend our existing platforms into The Sandbox and develop unique experiences on our properties that advance our mission of empowering the individual through crypto.”
“We have officially purchased LAND in The Sandbox and are excited to build out a virtual space for our friends to explore,” said heavy metal band, Avenged Sevenfold. “Digital ownership and the metaverse have become increasingly interesting to us and The Sandbox felt like the right fit to enter this new world.”
Upcoming LAND Sale
The Sandbox’s upcoming LAND sale event on April 14th, 2021 will offer additional premium LAND located near the partners announced today. Each purchasable LAND will include exclusive premium NFTs and have the possibility to host events, gaming experiences, or social hubs when the game is released later in 2021. The Sandbox has already sold 45% of its 166,464 LAND NFTs, releasing them in successive waves that usually sell out in seconds. Existing LAND owners include Binance, CoinCheck, Metakovan, Pranksy, Socios, and CoinMarketCap among others.
The Sandbox has secured over 60 partnerships, including The Smurfs, Care Bears, Atari, CryptoKitties, and Shaun the Sheep, to build a fun, creative “play-to-earn” platform that offers virtual worlds and game experiences owned and created by players. The play-to-earn model gives players true ownership of anything they collect in the game, allowing them to trade it to other players (including outside the game on other websites), transfer it to other players, or even resell it.
The Sandbox is scheduled to launch its full Alpha for players in Q2 2021, enabling anyone to experience a social hub and gain the power to build a fantastic collection of fantasy and role-playing adventures that can be traded as NFTs with other players, creators, and artists on the platform.
Blockchain
Sovrun’s Vision Meets Hyperliquid’s Infrastructure and Virtuals’ AI: A New Era for Gaming
Sovrun’s vision takes a bold step forward with its groundbreaking milestone: one of the first gaming projects to secure a listing on Hyperliquid, a high-performance decentralized exchange redefining liquidity for digital assets.
Liquidity is the backbone of successful gaming economies. Hyperliquid is designed to not only deliver liquidity but also visibility for growing ecosystems, transforming game economies into robust financial systems.
Sovrun, formerly BreederDAO, helped define the rise of blockchain games by developing modular smart contracts that augmented, optimized, and automated in-game functionalities opening up unprecedented opportunities in gaming. Sovrun is well known for its Axie Infinity proprietary breeding bots that allowed them to supply over 120,000 in-game assets to 40,000 players, boosting player liquidity and driving growth.
In their next phase, Sovrun is empowering not only asset creation, but the co-creation of entire virtual worlds using blockchain, AI and modular infrastructure. Backed by prominent investors like a16z, Delphi Digital, Longhash and more, Sovrun is building an ecosystem where gaming communities can collaboratively create, govern, and evolve their digital experiences, broadening the possibilities of creator-driven economies.
Securing a listing on HyperLiquid is just the first step as they plan to strategically build fully on-chain gaming within the cutting-edge infrastructure of HyperEVM, an upcoming component of the HyperLiquid ecosystem. Sovrun’s L2 testnet is now fully live, and is one of the first Layer2s on Hyperliquid. By integrating HyperLiquid’s institutional-grade infrastructure with Sovrun’s growing platform, the project is setting the stage for a seamless convergence of gaming, blockchain, and financial liquidity.
Sovrun and Virtuals Joint Venture
While the HyperLiquid partnership is turning heads, the joint venture between Virtuals Protocol and Sovrun, known as Ready Gamer, is set to power up gaming by integrating AI-powered experiences into web3 ecosystems. Imagine an RPG where NPCs remember your choices across in-game years, their attitudes shifting dynamically, or a strategy game where AI opponents learn and adapt to your tactics with every session. Virtuals’ GAME framework, a decision-making engine enabling AI agents with dynamic interaction, forms the foundation of this collaboration.
Together, Virtuals and Sovrun are delivering unscripted, personalized, and deeply immersive gaming experiences.
Autonomous Worlds (AW), or self-sustaining, player driven ecosystems, are the focus as Sovrun unlocks new dimensions of interaction and scalability, still sorely lacking in the gaming ecosystem. Through Sovrun’s AW architecture, players and creators can shape, grow, and evolve their virtual worlds making them genuine architects of their gaming experiences.
Traditional games struggle with a heavy demand for fresh content, but AW offers a community led model where game elements can be continuously expanded and reshaped by the players themselves. But what exactly does that mean?
The Sovrun Participation Layer allows communities to engage and influence game economies, and Sovrun is acquiring assets of top projects like My Pet Hooligan, Pixels, and Azra Games to name a few. In the crowd-built virtual world EVE Frontier for example, Sovrun developed a system that allowed for the development of eSports ecosystems into the game itself.
Now, by integrating with HyperEVM, tapping into the HyperLiquid ecosystem, and partnering with Virtuals, Sovrun is amplifying its mission to create a self-sustaining ecosystem where creators don’t just participate in autonomous worlds—they build them. This collaboration ensures that Sovrun is not only positioned as a leader in Web3 gaming, but also as a catalyst for the global adoption of decentralized gaming economies. HyperEVM’s ability to support high-scale, on-chain transactions ensures Sovrun’s platform can meet the demands of a rapidly evolving digital economy while the joint venture with Virtuals adds an immersive layer of dynamic interactions set to reshape web3 gaming.
The post Sovrun’s Vision Meets Hyperliquid’s Infrastructure and Virtuals’ AI: A New Era for Gaming appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Asia
Bety.com Introduces a New Era of Casino Gaming with Web3 Innovations and Exclusive Perks
Bety.com stands out as one of the most versatile crypto casinos in the Web3 landscape.
Bety.com, the first decentralized casino to enter the Web3 scene, continues to lead the revolution in the online casino industry. The platform has been at the forefront of innovation in blockchain-based casinos since its inception. As part of its ongoing development, the team reveals an enhanced offer proving why crypto casinos outrank traditional casinos in terms of user experience and perks.
Decentralized, Fair & Rewarding: An Unmatched Offer of New Crypto Games
Bety.com stands out as one of the most versatile crypto casinos in the Web3 landscape. As one of the pioneers in blockchain casinos, Bety.com built a solid reputation for gaming diversity and unequaled entertainment. The platform offers a wide selection of classic casino table games, including poker, blackjack, baccarat, craps, roulette, and more. A rich collection of slots, live casino games, Bingo, and game shows round off a unique and engaging offer.
Bety.com hosts 10,000+ games from reputable developers, including PGSoft, Evolution Gaming, Evoplay, Yggdrasil, Red Tiger, EG Games, and many more. These games are available in its casino and sportsbook. They are constantly updated to incorporate the latest industry trends and technological breakthroughs.
Here is some selections of the games Bety.com offers
Slots: With over 3,000 online slots, Bety.com offers something for every player. Explore classic three-reel slots or dive into the latest video slots packed with bonus features and the chance to win big.
Live Casino Games: Experience the thrill of a real casino from home with bety.com’s vast variety of live dealer games. Play Blackjack, Roulette, Baccarat, Gonzo’s Quest and more, streamed live with professional dealers.
Sportsbook: Bety.com offers a comprehensive betting platform covering a wide range of sports and esports. Traditional sports like soccer, basketball, and tennis are featured alongside niche options such as darts, snooker, and volleyball. Esports enthusiasts can wager on over 300 events across multiple popular games, including League of Legends and Dota 2. The platform also supports live betting, enabling users to place bets in real-time for a dynamic and engaging experience.
Introducing Original Bety.com Casino Games
One of the most visited sections at Bety.com is the “Originals” casino gaming page. This part hosts several in-house games with exciting gameplay and appealing RTP rates. Bety.com features its own versions of Plinko, Wheel, Keno, Limbo, Dice, Mines, Coinflip, and more. All of them have a remarkable 98% RTP, inviting players to indulge in their favorite casino games with a Bety.com twist.
Many crypto enthusiasts choose Bety.com for its standout selection of hash games, including Hash Banker Player, Hash Bull, 3-Min Bull, 1-Min Banker Player, and more. These blockchain casino games are an upgrade of traditional casino games, allowing players to predict hash intervals with numerous betting options.
Lastly, Bety.com provides a generous offer of crypto up-down casino games. These exciting games allow players to have substantially high leverage levels of up to 1,000x, generating the opportunity for high returns.
Why Players Choose Crypto Casinos Over Traditional Platforms
The advent of blockchain technology has changed the outlook for numerous industries, including the online betting sector. For decades, traditional online casinos had no competition and, thus, failed to evolve and meet the increasing demands for a better user experience.
As one of the first blockchain casinos, Bety.com saw how it can play a game-changing role in an industry hungry for innovation. The platform rose to the challenge, improving every aspect of the online casino gaming experience. Moreover, it developed its own original games, increased betting options, and boosted transparency and trust. Its probably fair game mechanics established one of the highest standards for fairness in the industry.
Meanwhile, traditional online casinos face the same challenges they did years ago. These platforms are famous for slow payouts, high deposits and withdrawal fees, and improvable game fairness and outcomes. More importantly, traditional casinos can take between 3 and 7 days to process withdrawals, depending on the user’s choice.
On the other hand, Bety.com processes payouts in only a few minutes, sometimes instantly, depending on the blockchain network’s congestion. It also facilitates instant Bitcoin deposits and withdrawals. Players can verify the fairness of each game on the platform’s dedicated verification page, using both server-side and client-side seeds and the cryptographic nonce.
Reshaping the Casino Gaming Industry’s Future
Bety.com allows crypto enthusiasts to play in complete anonymity and privacy. The platform guarantees equal winning odds for all players. It also supports quick deposits and withdrawals, provable fair game odds and outcomes, an exclusive VIP program, and high-quality, 24/7 customer support.
The platform’s rich selection of original, in-house game productions and games from prestigious developers caters to high-end players. The appealing offer of betting options and high-leverage opportunities confirm why thousands of expert players visit it daily.
Ultimately, Bety.com aims to reshape the casino gaming industry through maximum fairness, optimal security, and highly entertaining gaming options. To this end, it combines the best developments in casino gaming with a unique, user-centric approach to deliver a standout playing experience.
The post Bety.com Introduces a New Era of Casino Gaming with Web3 Innovations and Exclusive Perks appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Blockchain
Navigating Blockchain’s Future in iGaming: Insights from Michał Ftouni, Head of Sales at Zondacrypto
The European Gaming Congress 2024 concluded with resounding success, attracting nearly 200 participants who benefitted from premier learning and networking opportunities. In this exclusive interview, we are thrilled to host Michał Ftouni, Head of Sales at zondacrypto – our Selfie Mirror Sponsor – and a key voice on blockchain’s transformative impact in iGaming.
Given your extensive experience in fintech and payments, what key developments do you see as the most transformative for the iGaming industry when it comes to blockchain technology?
I would say that making use of the inherent nature of the blockchain, meaning the transparency, immutability and security of it, is the most disruptive and transformative development for the iGaming industry. Players are able to confirm that the outcome of games is fair and make sure they are not being tampered with. Their payments are also safe, quick and cheap, something that is highly sought after by players. Of course, one has to mention also the effect DeFi and web3 has had on iGaming, by adding great features like staking and yield farming which brings a whole new dimension to user engagement. As for merchants, blockchain technology reduces operational costs by cutting out intermediaries, enabling instant settlements, lowering transaction fees. The biggest advantage in my opinion is the adherence to compliance and regulation since everything on the blockchain is transparent and traceable. Every transaction is securely recorded and easily auditable. Last but not least, we have to talk about chargebacks and fraud. These are the biggest pain for merchants when it comes to payments, and blockchain technology completely eliminates these risks.
During the panel discussion on ‘Chain Reaction: Securing and Disrupting iGaming with Blockchain Innovations,’ you shared some compelling insights on how blockchain is transforming the industry. Could you expand on the unique perspectives you brought to the panel and how your experience at zondacrypto has influenced your views on blockchain’s role in iGaming?
At zondacrypto, we see blockchain as so much more than just a tool for payments. We see it as a foundation for reshaping the entire gaming experience. It’s not just a buzzword but a foundational technology for addressing key challenges in iGaming, such as trust, security, and efficiency. My insights are rooted in real-world applications we’ve implemented at zondacrypto, particularly through our zondacrypto pay gateway. For example, our payment solution uses blockchain technology to streamline payments and cross-border transactions, reduce costs, and ensure transparency in the payment flow. All are critical elements for operators catering to a global audience.
Additionally, my experience has taught me that blockchain’s potential extends beyond payments for iGaming. A key role is in enhancing trust through permanent and unchangeable records and smart contracts that automate processes like custom wagering limits, automated payouts or unique bonus structures. This means that iGaming companies can improve efficiency and build strong trust among their clients. Throughout the years, I’ve seen firsthand how blockchain can elevate player engagement and operational integrity. This leads me to believe that Blockchain Innovations are a game-changer for the industry.
Blockchain is often praised for its potential to enhance transparency and trust in various industries. What specific blockchain features do you believe are most beneficial for iGaming platforms, particularly in the areas of security and data management?
For iGaming platforms, the most valuable aspects of blockchain are decentralization, immutability, and its built-in cryptographic security. Decentralization eliminates the reliance on a single authority, which helps ensure that game outcomes are fair and tamper-proof. Immutability is crucial because it guarantees that once data, such as bets or transaction histories, is recorded, it can’t be altered—this builds a strong sense of trust with both players and operators. Lastly, the security provided by blockchain technology protects sensitive data like personal information and payment details, which significantly reduces the risk of breaches and fraud. These features make blockchain an ideal solution for addressing the unique challenges of the iGaming industry.
Since joining the cryptocurrency space in 2017, you’ve seen significant changes in the industry. How has the perception of blockchain evolved among iGaming stakeholders, and what misconceptions still persist?
Back then, there was a lot of skepticism around blockchain, particularly in the iGaming sector. Blockchain was often seen as a niche concept, mostly associated with speculation and volatility. Over time, iGaming stakeholders have become more aware of its practical benefits, especially in areas like transparency, security, and faster payments. However, some misconceptions persist. One common one is that implementing blockchain is overly complex or requires a complete overhaul of existing systems, which isn’t true—there are many plug-and-play solutions now available. Another is the idea that blockchain automatically means anonymity and is therefore linked to illegal activities, overlooking the advancements in compliance, like KYC-enabled systems, that make it secure and regulatory-friendly for businesses.
zondacrypto offers a range of B2B services, including crypto payment processing and OTC services. Could you share some insights into how these services have impacted gaming platforms, and what trends you anticipate in the near future for crypto in iGaming?
Our B2B services, especially crypto payment processing, have made a significant difference for gaming platforms by speeding up transactions, lowering costs, and enabling operators to cater to players globally. For instance, quick settlements and reduced fees give operators a competitive edge, while OTC services are perfect for managing larger transactions, particularly for VIP players. Looking ahead, I expect stablecoins to gain more traction because they address concerns about crypto volatility while keeping the benefits of blockchain intact. Another big trend I see is the growing use of NFTs within games—not just as collectibles but as tools that enhance player engagement and create new revenue streams for operators.
As zondacrypto expands its footprint across the EU, what challenges do you face in driving blockchain adoption, and how are you working to overcome them, particularly in the iGaming sector?
One of the biggest challenges we face is navigating the regulatory landscape, which varies significantly across EU countries. Some jurisdictions are very supportive of blockchain innovation, while others remain cautious or unclear about their policies. To address this, we actively engage with regulators, provide education, and advocate for clear, fair rules that balance innovation with compliance.
We must of course mention the upcoming implementation of the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation by December 2024 which marks a significant milestone for the crypto industry, as it will introduce a unified regulatory framework across all EU member states, providing much-needed clarity for businesses operating in the space. As zondacrypto was one of the first centralized exchanges to be fully MiCA-ready, it will allow us to streamline operations and scale more effectively across multiple markets.
Another challenge is convincing traditional gaming platforms to embrace blockchain. There’s often hesitation due to concerns about complexity or the resources needed for integration. To overcome this, we focus on demonstrating how blockchain simplifies operations, reduces costs, and enhances trust. Sharing real-world success stories and showing the long-term value of blockchain solutions have been effective strategies in driving adoption.
Looking ahead, how do you envision blockchain continuing to disrupt and reshape the iGaming landscape over the next five years? Are there any upcoming innovations from zondacrypto that you’re particularly excited to share?
Over the next five years, I see blockchain becoming deeply embedded in the iGaming industry, not just for payments but across the entire gaming experience. We’ll likely see innovations like DAOs giving players a voice in decision-making, blockchain-based loyalty programs enhancing player retention, and NFTs creating new ways for players to own and trade in-game assets. These developments will make gaming more interactive and engaging while giving players more control.
We’re particularly excited about enhancing zondacrypto pay with a strong focus on MiCA compliance to align with the EU’s evolving regulatory framework. By integrating MiCA-compliant features, we aim to provide gaming operators with a secure, transparent, and fully regulated payment solution that meets the highest standards. This will not only ensure smooth, legally sound operations but also build trust with operators and players alike, solidifying blockchain’s role as a dependable foundation for iGaming transactions.
Michał Ftouni provided his valuable insights at the European Gaming Congress 2024 as a panelist at the discussion “Chain Reaction: Securing and Disrupting iGaming with Blockchain Innovations”, and with his Keynote Presentation “Leveling up your payments with crypto”.
The post Navigating Blockchain’s Future in iGaming: Insights from Michał Ftouni, Head of Sales at Zondacrypto appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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