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The-Dangers-of-Cult-Like-Language-in-Crypto-featured-image

The Dangers of Cult-Like Language in Crypto

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The-Dangers-of-Cult-Like-Language-in-Crypto-featured-image

The Dangers of Cult-Like Language in Crypto

Crypto has a big problem with language. If it wants to truly go mainstream, it’ll have to find a way to solve it.

JUNE 9 2022. OPINION. WRITTEN BY ROBERT BAGGS.

The chasm between crypto and non-crypto folk is vast. I put much of this at the feet of the language used within the crypto community.

Often speaking in undecipherable phrases and acronyms, toxic positivity, and dismissive of all criticism, the crypto community employs cult-like language, and it could be doing substantial harm to our industry.

Dangers of Cult-Like Language - Child Reading in Bed with Torch

As a young boy, I used to go to bed obediently, then slither under the frame with the latest Goosebumps novel and a torch and read until I fell asleep.

In the grotty undercarriage of my racing car-themed child’s bed grew a love for words. Although I can’t help but be a pedant, I’ve never recoiled in disgust at new slang as it crops up – it’s how language has always developed.

I do have a bugbear with language, however, and that’s when it’s used to exclude.

Regular readers of mine (there must be one) will know I’ve been involved in crypto for over 4 years at this point, and there’s one thread that’s consistently run through the space that both irks and worries me.

It hasn’t necessarily got worse in recent years, but it certainly hasn’t got better either.

Every community will have some identifying characteristic with language I suspect, but too many nuances and it becomes its own language of sorts, and one that’s both insulating and alienating.

Dangers of Cult-Like Language - Group of People

This result isn’t always an accident, and it’s been identified as one way that cults are effective at keeping their members close.

Whilst I don’t believe there’s some large conspiracy within crypto to indoctrinate – although I suspect some crypto detractors may feel differently about that – the results can be the same: insulate members in an echo chamber and alienate those outside of the community.

If the aim of crypto is mainstream adoption – which isn’t everyone’s vision but it’s where I want to see most sectors go (blockchain games, NFTs, and so on) – then walling it off with language is detrimental. It undermines many of crypto’s successes by presenting the space as a caricature of itself.

Dangers of Cult-Like Language - Man Walking Alone

What Is Cult-Like Language and How Does it Relate to Crypto?

There’s several great books on the subject of language within cults – Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell being the one I refer to the most. These people know far more than I ever will on the topic, but fortunately, you needn’t dig deep to spot why it’s relevant to the crypto space.

The first important note to make is that a cult doesn’t necessarily mean the Peoples Temple in the Jonestown compound – that’s an extreme example.

As well as outcome and strictness, there’s characteristics that are common throughout many groups that are identified as cults, one of which is language. The objective is primarily coercion, and this isn’t necessarily damaging; it can be used for beneficial outcomes too.

Nevertheless, there are ways in which language can be used that only benefit the cult, and there are two that apply alarmingly well to large parts of the crypto community.

Dangers of Cult-Like Language - Cultish by Amanda Montell

The first is something Montell refers to as “thought-terminating clichés”.

These often positive phrases affirm beliefs whilst putting a halt to any discussion or debate of the topic. “We’re so early” is one thought-terminating cliché in crypto – although there are, of course, purely positive examples of this.

It’s regularly thrown out when people or groups criticize crypto, as if they’re simply slow on the uptake, whilst sidestepping any engagement with the content.

Dangers of Cult-Like Language - Criticism

The second is a criticism levelled at Scientology in particular.

In the paper, Understanding Scientology by Margery Wakefield, there’s an example sentence that anyone in Scientology can understand, but people outside of it have no chance of following.

Here’s an extract: “I’ve been a bit out ruds because of a PTP with my second dynamic because of some bypassed charge having to do with my MEST at her apartment.”

This persistent use of acronyms, abbreviations and initialisms isn’t by accident, it’s part of a cult’s linguistic toolbox (alongside redefining existing words and creating entirely new ones), and it serves several purposes.

Dangers of Cult-Like Language - Woman Holding Book

Firstly, it allows anyone who understands the sentences to feel a part of an exclusive club and a member of something bigger than themselves. Secondly, it obscures the conversation from the outside world – like when teenagers used to learn pig Latin. Thirdly, and connectedly, it insulates the group from those outside of it.

It’s this third point that I believe applies most to crypto, and whilst the other two may be true, they’re largely inconsequential.

Wakefield’s example sentence above means nothing to me – it might as well be in Sanskrit. However, if someone typed to me “GM HODLers! Remember, ignore FUDsters, BTD, and DYOR; WGMI! To the moon!” I would know exactly what they’re saying – I might even be tempted to holla back, “when Lambo?”.

This isn’t wholly negative, but it’s undoubtedly contributing to the divide between people inside and outside of crypto.

Dangers of Cult-Like Language - Moon

Many of these phrases also fall squarely within the bounds of toxic positivity too. This goes hand-in-hand with the aforementioned thought-terminating clichés.

For example, BTD (Buy the Dip) is wielded as a shield against market downturns, and whilst it is sometimes sound advice, it’s also seen around doomed projects – anything that’s heading south in crypto that has nervous investors.

Similarly, FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt) is thrust in the face of anyone who raises any sort of criticism towards a project in the space.

I’ve joined a blockchain game’s Discord, asked a question about the project on something that concerns me, and have been immediately accused of spreading FUD. This toxic positivity and block on criticism is not healthy for anyone within the space.

Dangers of Cult-Like Language - Crypto Dip

My Ironic Hesitation

I began writing this article in my head some months ago and have been subconsciously adding to it ever since. I’ve mentioned parts on the Mint One podcast and have had a document I would drop thoughts into regularly.

When my urge to write the article could be ignored no longer, I began, only to stop moments later.

I considered for a moment the reaction to this piece; I would likely come under fire as being some sort of crypto detractor for calling the language in the space cult-like. I then realized the irony of not writing this article because of the potential backlash for criticizing a group that has members who combat all criticism as ignorance or FUD.

Dangers of Cult-Like Language - Typing

The truth is, the crypto community, by and large, is one of the best and most exciting groups I’ve ever had the good fortune to be a part of.

I work full-time in this industry and at present, I foresee the rest of my working days (which is likely multiple decades) dedicated to furthering it and enjoying it. Nevertheless, like every industry, it has its flaws, and the strange cult-like language nears the top of the list from my vantage point.

Crypto is decentralized, transparent, and borderless. It’s built on inclusion, and alienating anyone who isn’t already a part of the space, or demonizing anyone who dares to criticize it is not in crypto’s best interests.

But, what do I know? I’m just a FUDster. DYOR. WGMI!

Dangers of Cult-Like Language - Magnifying Glass
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Robert Baggs
Full-time professional crypto writer and Editor of Token Gamer. Obsessed with MMOs. London based. Once ate lobster with Lionel Richie.
Token Gamer | Twitter | LinkedIn

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A Complete Newbie Explores The Metaverse

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A Complete Newbie Explores the Metaverse

The metaverse has become a buzzword of epic proportions – but what is the reality of the metaverse today? Jazz dives in to find out.

JUNE 2, 2022. BEGINNER’S GUIDE. WRITTEN BY JAZZ MEYER.

When I first heard the term “metaverse”, my mind conjured up images of some sci-fi dystopian future – a Matrix-like existence in which the lines between the real and the virtual blur, and which calls into question our very humanity.

It seems I’m not the only one with sci-fi-inspired misgivings, either.

In the months since Facebook has rebranded to Meta, I’ve seen my social feeds fill up with metaverse-inspired doubts that, at times, border on the vitriolic.

Complete Newbie Metaverse - Envelopes & Paper

Though the metaverse as we know it is a relatively new concept, tech reticence is not.

The inimitable author, Kurt Vonnegut, who dabbled in science fiction himself, was once implored by his wife to buy his envelopes online, rather than wasting time walking to the post office. 

Refusing, he explained that he’d have “a hell of a good time in the process of buying one envelope,” and went on to describe the people, babies, and dogs he might encounter along the way – a fire engine might even go by that he could give a thumbs up to. All these things, he argued, would make that walk to the post office an adventure in humanity.

“We’re here on Earth to fart around,” he said, “and, of course, the computers will do us out of that.”

Newbie Attends an NFT Digital Conference - DYGYCON 8 Welcome Room

As a fan of Vonnegut and something of a tech skeptic myself, it would’ve been tempting to simply jump on that bandwagon, but my relatively recent arrival in the NFT space has taught me to keep an open mind.

To be fair, I probably couldn’t have avoided this technology for long, even if I’d wanted to.

Increasingly, it seems it’s impossible to be part of the NFT community without, at some point, stumbling into a metaverse or two. I’d already got a glimpse of one when I attended DYGYCON – a three-day immersive virtual conference held by and for the NFT community.

At the time I hadn’t thought of it as a metaverse, but I was beginning to think my definition was either lacking or limited. This leads me to the question, “What’s a metaverse?”.

Complete Newbie Metaverse - Virtual Reality

When I asked my NFT aficionado partner, his answer was both confusing and illuminating. “Nobody knows yet,” he answered with a shrug. “That’s like asking someone in 1998, ‘What’s the internet?’ – “You can send emails and write on message boards.’”

Although his answer was a cryptic one, it did throw things into perspective for me. This technology is still in its infancy, and, much like NFTs themselves, we’re yet to discover what far-reaching applications it might have.

For now though, the metaverse is a virtual space, in a very literal sense. Part video game, part virtual reality, with a strong foundation of NFT integration – it’s a world that exists online, allowing users to do many of the things they can do in real life and more, on a virtual platform. 

I thought back to my DYGYCON experience – I’d interacted with virtual avatars inhabited by real people, had attended virtual events hosted by real projects, had dressed myself in virtual accessories and felt a real sense of identity. Perhaps my suspicions of blurring the lines were founded – but perhaps, too, that wasn’t a bad thing.

Complete Newbie Metaverse - Upland Map

With this in mind, I decided I wanted to explore the possibilities that such an evolution might offer. Whilst there are innumerable metaverses at this stage, there were a couple of big players I wanted to learn about, and Upland was one of them. I’d heard the name floating around for some time and as it was an EOS-based project, it felt familiar enough to dip my toes into. 

What I found was not at all what I expected. Rather than a 3D cyberscape, I was greeted by a 2D map of the United States, with certain cities acting as hubs of activity.

What that activity was, I found out, was real-estate flipping and development, based on IRL properties. With my clunky little ‘Block Explorer’ – the game piece used to navigate the space – I trundled around the map in a seemingly random configuration, looking for property to buy. 

Complete Newbie Metaverse - Upland Street View

As a newbie, I’d been gifted a bunch of UPX, Upland’s native token, and after checking out a number of potential properties, I splashed out on a little patch of earth in Detroit to call my own. If I wanted to take things a step further, I could also start developing my property in this Monopoly-esque virtual world and earn money back by doing it.

This wasn’t at all what I thought a metaverse would be. I’d been expecting some sort of virtual reality, but this was perhaps closer to augmented reality – the real world overlaid with digital features.

Every property I looked at included a picture of its real-life counterpart from Google Street View, and perhaps one day it’ll work both ways and I’ll be able to walk down that Detroit street, hold up my phone, and see my property projected before my very eyes.

When the map expands to include the rest of the world, I’ll even be able to buy my own real-life house – something that gives me an inexplicable jolt of excitement.

Complete Newbie Metaverse - Decentraland Spawing in

Intrigued by these first steps into the metaverse, I was ready to see what else was out there.

I haven’t delved much into the Ethereum NFT space, but arguably the most well-known metaverse is Decentraland – an ETH-based project that can be accessed without the necessity of a wallet.

Much like DYGYCON, Decentraland features a customisable avatar that you can navigate around a virtual world. This was more like what I’d envisioned. I jumped into my digital skin and started exploring, and the first thing that struck me was how visually impressive Decentraland was.

My moustachioed alter-ego spawned under a velvety star-encrusted sky, surrounded by a cornucopia of other users’ avatars – their dress ranging from everyday casual to garish fantasy garb, all made possible by accessory NFTs. It was a feast for the eyes, and this was only the spawn point. 

Complete Newbie Metaverse - Decentraland Map

If I was impressed by the visuals though, that was nothing compared to the functionality.

I brought up the Decentraland map and was immediately overwhelmed by its enormity. Despite it being indicated in the name, I had no idea how big a metaverse might actually be. I chose a couple of random points on the map and off I went, hoping to catch a glimpse of the possibilities that a space like this can offer.

In my travels, I chanced upon a nostalgia-inducing nightclub, a lavish apartment building, an art gallery dedicated entirely to Super Mario, a couple of other users engaged in a treasure hunt, and an octopus manning (octopussing?) a labyrinthine Samsung store.

Dotted throughout were NFTs on display in what can only be described as their natural habitat, which I could have bought then and there if I’d wanted to. 

Complete Newbie Metaverse - Decentraland University

Perhaps the most impressive discovery for me though was the Decentraland University.

Just like a physical campus, the university was made up of numerous buildings, each one housing classrooms, lecture halls or study spaces in which students can simulate a real-world university experience. It was at this point that something clicked in my brain.

Even though my sci-fi preconception of the metaverse had been an all-encompassing replacement of reality, I hadn’t quite thought through what that could look like, and the possibilities that might unlock.

I already shop online, I look at art online, I talk to friends online, and I learn online, so why not experience those things in richer, more realistic ways?

Complete Newbie Metaverse - Immersys Catching Butterflies

My first intentional forays into the metaverse had brought me leaps and bounds from my initial misgivings, and I was curious to delve in further.

Closer to home, I’d heard plenty about Immersys – the metaverse/MMO that seems to be ubiquitous in the WAX space.

As I entered their virtual world I found myself spawned into an enormous courtyard, under yet another impossibly starry sky. On one side, the horizon was fractured by skyscrapers, on the other, looming mountains, and between them, a ferris wheel beckoned to me.

My first stop, however, was the enormous portal simply marked ‘The Wild’. Stepping through, I was transported to a forest where I went foraging for hemp, stone and butterfly NFTs with the tool NFTs I’d bought in advance. The recently implemented PVP feature meant I even engaged in a good ol’ round of fisticuffs along the way.

Complete Newbie Metaverse - Immersys Storefronts

Once I’d had my fill of gathering and fighting, I went back to explore the city I’d seen upon entering. At the foot of the giant ferris wheel, I found a quaint shopping square and was excited to see a few familiar names emblazoned across some of the storefronts, each of which housed a functioning NFT shop.

I spent a good long while there, perusing the wares of projects like Little Slimers, Floyd Jenkins’ Deck of Mythical Varmints, The Adventurer’s Guild and MetaForce Comics and was again struck by the richness that the metaverse can lend to an otherwise run-of-the-mill NFT shopping experience.

The adventure continued in a nearby apartment complex where I wandered in and out of virtual homes, some of which belonged to people I knew personally, decorated with NFTs that users had spawned within the game. I even spawned some myself, displaying a couple of prized possessions which other users could find and make offers on if they so wanted.

Complete Newbie Metaverse - NFT on wall in Immersys

To my delight, I also chanced upon a free NFT drop from HempExchange, in the form of a discarded moneybag. Grabbing it, I was taken to a drop link, and my wallet now houses two brand new digital collectibles.

Encountering so many familiar faces and names, discovering new projects and receiving the generosity of the WAX community brought me back to my DYGYCON experience. Once again, I had the feeling that all my friends were there, as well as plenty of new friends to discover.

The draw of the metaverse was revealing itself to me once again, and as the lines between the real and the virtual continued to blur, I understood more and more why that progression is only natural.

Complete Newbie Metaverse - Immersys Inside a Shop

Until now, I’d imagined this would spell an erosion of the real world – a degeneration of reality into fantasy. If anything, it’s an enrichening of the virtual world – bringing it closer to our existing real-world interactions and the robustness that lies within.

Vonnegut would be happy to hear that I still have no intention of giving up my walks to the local post office. I am, however, looking forward to my online endeavours evolving to include more people, dogs, and, if I’m lucky, a firetruck or two. Now all I need is an avatar that can offer them a thumbs up as they pass.

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Jazz Meyer
Multidisciplinary artist, exploring the space between old-world crafts and modern technology. Pagan silversmith and aspiring NFT artist. Figuring it out as she goes.
Halfmoon Craft | Twitter | Instagram

Halt Rug Pulls and Slips - Featured Image

The NFT Standard That Could Stop Rug Pulls

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Halt Rug Pulls and Slips - Featured Image

The NFT Standard That Could Stop Rug Pulls

The unscrupulous, the unforgiving and the unwise are running roughshod over the Web3 industry – and the most vulnerable are paying the price. Could this new NFT standard hold the key to a safer future?

MAY 26, 2022. OPINION. WRITTEN BY ROBERT BAGGS.

The Mint One podcast has been home to many discussions of both accountability and ethics in blockchain gaming and NFTs.

A “rug pull” – where a project is created with the intention of taking the proceeds and running – has moved from a vague and rare term to something rather familiar, thanks to some high-profile incidents in crypto.

This isn’t to say crypto is rife with criminal activity – it isn’t – but it is easier for a rug pull to succeed at the moment.

Halt Rug Pulls and Slips - Woman Worried

Then there is the term I’ve coined and jammed into every discussion since: “rug slip”.

This is where the creators of a project make mistakes that cause the project to crash and burn, but without the malicious intent of a rug pull. Although the victims don’t suffer the indignation of having been scammed, all other effects are the same.

What exacerbates this issue further is the amount of money flying around in crypto, with new blockchain games and NFT projects often attracting millions upon millions in investment from everyday folk.

This is a potentially explosive blend and has led to John and I regularly picking apart how we can improve the situation.

One direction would be to increase accountability.

Though not failsafe, the idea is that if people’s real identities were tied to the project they created, any rug pull or dubious behaviour would be immediately linked to their real-world person.

That might act as a deterrent, it might not – whatever the case, it brings about a problem singular to crypto: should blockchain users be forced to forgo their anonymity? It doesn’t seem very crypto-like, does it?

What we really need is a solution within the tech itself, as opposed to leaning on Web2 solutions for Web3 problems.

Halt Rug Pulls and Slips - Handshake
Halt Rug Pulls and Slips - Nuggets

One path for this is to use a platform such as Nuggets, which offers a decentralised, reusable and interoperable identity verification.

This would allow users to verify who they are, without making it public knowledge. It’s seen as an important solution to many problems encountered by exchanges and marketplaces, for example.

But, what if we came at the problem of accountability and trust from an even more tech-based perspective?

ERC721R: The First Step to Safeguarding Everyday Investors

There’s a great many solutions to a wide array of problems hidden within Web3 that we’re currently working to discover.

The value of blockchain technology may be high – extremely high, even – but we’re only just scratching the surface of what we can do with it.

There are many benefits being tested as we speak, such as logistics, but then there are plenty of hypothetical uses yet to come to fruition, such as my suggestion for whistleblowing. However, even in our fairly simplistic uses of the tech, we’re stuck with the issue of trust.

Halt Rug Pulls and Slips - Blockchain
Halt Rug Pulls and Slips - ERC721R

Blockchain is said to be trustless, and in many ways it is, but that doesn’t mean the people and projects using it are.

There are myriad examples of projects – particularly blockchain games – where, through no fault of the investors, it goes belly up. This has had so many high-profile occurrences that often people are reticent to invest in or support brand-new projects.

This is where the ERC721R standard enters the fray.

ERC721R’s tagline is “Bringing Greater Accountability to NFT Creators” which it does through code in the smart contract. It’s main selling point is that it allows for trustless, full refunds by purchasers and minters within a set refund period, no questions asked.

Halt Rug Pulls and Slips - Contract

ERC721R lists their 4 key benefits as follows:

  1. Preventing Rug Pulls: By adding an X number of days refund period, a project cannot perform a quick rug pull or not deliver on what they’ve promised.
  2. Greater Accountability: If the creators do not deliver, they’re held accountable by code, rendering their disappearance valueless.
  3. Protected Floor Prices: Prices cannot be tanked below the mint price as they could simply be refunded.
  4. Lower Risk: The buyer doesn’t have to have a reason to return the NFT for a refund; if they don’t like the direction the project is going or they have doubts, they can refund and walk away.
Halt Rug Pulls and Slips - Mouse Trap

The essence of this standard is that it removes a lot of the trust involved in investing into a project early. When creators use ERC721R, they’re committing to delivering the results or facing full refunds.

One difficulty that’s often raised in this area is what a creator would do if they needed some of the money they raise to develop the project. Well, it’s customizable insofar as the creator could offer, for example, 75% refunds.

This is far from the perfect solution, but it’s a great step that offers a lot of value to the community. Furthermore, it raises another method to safeguard everyday investors, collectors and gamers from being victims to the unscrupulous and the naïve.

For NFTs and blockchain gaming to prosper, there needs to be some overlap with how things work in the world outside of crypto’s walls; some protection, and some alleviation of risk. The current level of risk in investing in new projects is untenable.

There will often be a familiar reply at this point, along the lines of “you should do your own research.”

This is true, but this fails to observe two things: firstly, DYOR is not infallible, no matter how well versed you are in crypto. There’s too many unknown variables and it’s too easy to escape without consequence.

Secondly, as a society, we must protect the most vulnerable. Those who are perhaps unable to perform the level of research necessary to effectively evaluate a project (as much as anyone can), for whatever reason that might be, are currently without any form of safety net.

Halt Rug Pulls and Slips - Helping
Halt Rug Pulls and Slips - Protection

Protecting those capable of undertaking thorough research before investing is important, but protecting the most vulnerable is essential if we want the space to continue to grow and succeed.

This is why we need to turn to the source of the industry in the first place: tech. ERC721R is the first standard (at least that I’ve seen) that goes a substantial way to protecting today’s NFT buyers in a truly trustless and secure way.

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Robert Baggs
Full-time professional crypto writer and Editor of Token Gamer. Obsessed with MMOs. London based. Once ate lobster with Lionel Richie.
Token Gamer | Twitter | LinkedIn

Minting an NFT - Featured Image

A Complete Newbie Learns How to Mint an NFT

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Minting an NFT - Featured Image

A Complete Newbie Learns How To Mint An NFT

After taking part in a seasonal online event, our in-house NFT newcomer continues her journey by discovering how to mint an NFT of her own!

MAY 25, 2022. BEGINNER’S GUIDE. WRITTEN BY JAZZ MEYER.

One of the things I’ve discovered as I’ve entered the NFT space is that people come at it from all sorts of different angles.

What was once an arena relegated exclusively to tech nerds has become – dare I say it – relatively mainstream. Enough so that I myself was brought here by a couple of van-dwelling, dreadlocked, craft market hippies – not your typical crypto enthusiasts.

In my NFT travels, I’ve come across the likes of musicians, soldiers, marketers, filmmakers, astrologers, and basically any other type of human you can think of.

That goes not only for collectors but for creators too, and the more I explore, the more I see that this technology has the potential to reach areas that, at first glance, seem entirely unrelated.

Minting an NFT - HalfmoonCraft Jewellery

It’s this eclecticism that makes me feel a little less strange having entered this space as a jeweller. When my crypto-obsessed partner first started telling me about NFTs, it was with the admonition that I should start creating them, and somehow tie that in with Halfmoon Craft, my jewellery business.

Not knowing what the hell an NFT was, I promptly told him he was crazy and thought that was the end of the conversation. As evidenced by the fact you’re reading this article, it was not.

Minting an NFT - HalfmoonCraft Logo

Once I figured out what he was talking about and started collecting NFTs for myself, I quickly realised he was right.

Not only were these digital assets exciting in and of themselves, but they offered an amazing opportunity to expand my creativity into realms I’d never even thought about – or known existed, for that matter.

And so, one crisp February morning, I set about the daunting task of creating my very first NFT. 

Minting an NFT - HalfmoonCraft Discord Server Rules

I should back up a little bit though. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt here, it’s that the life of a project rests almost entirely upon the community built around it.

It’s all well and good to make an NFT and thrust it out into the world, but if nobody cares about it, it’ll sit quietly in my own wallet for the rest of time, gathering virtual dust.

In a bid to avoid such a shameful fate, I created the Halfmoon Craft Discord server to rally the beginnings of a community around my future creations.

Slowly, people started trickling in – some from my jewellery clientele, others from the NFT space – giving me the foundations of what I might one day dare to call a fanbase. 

Minting an NFT - Giving Away NFTs

With that accomplished and my confidence boosted, we return to me wrapped in a blanket in the chill of my unheated living room trying to figure out how to make an NFT.

I decided to start small, with a simple little promo sticker for the early members of my server. I wasn’t yet brave enough to try selling something, so what better way to dip my toes into NFT creation than with a giveaway?

Everyone loves free stuff, and I wanted to thank my members for being there from the very beginning – despite my only credentials in the NFT space being that I have no credentials in the NFT space.

Minting an NFT - Early Coven Member NFT

So, off to Photoshop I went to whip up a little something. As someone who’s been creating things her whole life, you’d think the process would be almost banal by now, but there’s always a jolt of nervous excitement when putting something new into the world, and this was no different.

Even though it was little more than my business logo, the knowledge that it would be released into a previously unexplored space gave me a feeling somewhere between butterflies and a rock in my stomach.

Overwhelmingly though, the WAX space has been incredibly welcoming, and it was with that knowledge that I headed to AtomicHub to mint my very first NFT. 

Minting an NFT - Create New Collection Button

I’d flirted with the platform’s NFT Creator once or twice before, clicking through to read the whitelisting requirements and casting an eye over the various how-to guides and explanations. The big ‘Create New Collection’ button was ever-alluring, and it was with nervous glee that I finally clicked it and began the shift from NFT collector to NFT creator.

Immediately, I was met with what one might expect – a form asking for my 12-character collection name, a picture, my website, and a description, along with what percentage of secondary market sales I would reap in much the same way a recording artist might receive royalties. Happily, I filled out these fields, feeling confident and pleasantly surprised at how self-explanatory it all was.

“This isn’t so scary after all”, I thought.

Minting an NFT - HalfmoonCraft Schemas

The next page invited me to create a schema, at which point I crumbled. “Oh no”, my thoughts went. “This is scary after all”.

My problem was that I’d only skimmed through the how-to guides, and most of that time I’d been daydreaming about the bright future of my collection rather than actually absorbing the material. Back I went to figure out what a schema was and how to use it.

It turns out there’s a few different levels to how NFTs are categorised. First, of course, is the collection. This is pretty self-evident – it’s an NFT project; assets connected by an overarching theme. A schema, then, groups the NFTs within that collection according to type. In my case, I’d be making a schema of promo NFTs to house this first one and, eventually, separate schemas for stickers, art, and redeemable NFTs respectively.

Armed with that information I typed in ‘hlfmoonpromo‘ as the schema name and hoped for the best. 

Minting an NFT - Crypton Sneaker Analogy

My next challenge was setting attributes for my collection, and, once again, I found myself consulting the documentation to decipher what that meant.

I’m a little embarrassed to admit how long it took me to understand this. I must have consulted five or six different guides, as well as bugging my partner at least four separate times to explain it in terms I could understand.

Eventually, I went back and properly watched the first how-to resource video in the NFT Creator and, with the help of Crypton’s sneaker allegory. I understood both what an attribute was and how much of my partner’s time I had unnecessarily wasted.

Minting an NFT - Schema Attributes

Attributes, it turns out, are the characteristics (or properties) of an NFT schema.

For my simple promo sticker, I needed nothing more than a name, an image, and a text description, and my NFT would be free to roam through marketplaces and wallets alike. Should I ever add another promo NFT to that schema, the types of attributes can remain the same, while the content of them, that is, the names, images, and descriptions themselves, will be different.

I’d overcome the second hurdle and was ready to move on, but yet more challenges lay ahead.

Minting an NFT - Create New Template Button

Now for the penultimate stage of the NFT creation process – creating a template. Once again, I consulted my notes and was relieved to find that this one was fairly straightforward. A template, I found, was pretty much what it sounded like – a way to pre-set the contents of the attributes I’d just created in order to make as many copies as I want of a particular NFT. 

If one day, I decided to make more of these early members stickers (which wouldn’t make any sense, but bear with me for the sake of the example) I could go back and recreate the exact same NFT, with the exact same name, image and description. Creating a template wasn’t mandatory, but I decided to give it a whirl for the sake of practice.

Minting an NFT - No Name halfmooncrft NFT

One of the great things about templates is that you can set a maximum supply – meaning you can limit how many NFTs will be created through that template. This is a good way to secure the rarity of a particular NFT, visible to anyone inspecting those assets at any point in the future.

For my promo stickers, this was the perfect way to tell the world; “these NFTs are special and limited!”, so I typed in the number ‘50’ whilst dreaming of their bright futures as rare collector’s items…

With that done, I clicked ‘Create Template’ and admired my work for a moment before realising I’d forgotten to name it. “Oh, I’ll just fix that”, I thought, adding the name ‘Early Coven Member’ before clicking ‘Create Template’ once again. To my horror, I had accidentally created an entirely new template, and given the nature of the blockchain, there was no way to undo it. My newbie blunder will now be recorded in the annals of the WAX blockchain until the end of time.

Jazz Blog Images - Homer Simpson with Cake

It was only with this error firmly under my belt that I discovered the AtomicHub testnet – as it turns out, these sorts of teething problems have been foreseen. If you know that episode of The Simpsons in which Marge stops Homer from eating Maggie’s birthday cake with the caveat “I made a special cake for you to ruin,” it’s a bit like that.

If I hadn’t rushed ahead before doing the proper research, I would’ve realised this is where all these mistakes are supposed to be made.

Even though it was too late, I set up a test wallet anyway, just to see what could have been. To my simultaneous delight and chagrin, it was remarkably easy. I relived my template creation all over again, this time in the safety of an impermanent collection, authored by a wallet that didn’t really exist. Finally, I felt ready to mint my NFTs for real.

Minting an NFT - Managing RAM

Back on the mainnet – that is, the place where all these things actually exist in their immutable forms – I uploaded my image to the Mint Asset form with a newfound sense of properly-placed confidence.

I selected my Early Coven Member template, typed in the number 50 under ‘Number of Copies’, and with bated breath, I signed the smart contract responsible for minting my very first NFTs and… nothing.

Ah. I didn’t have enough RAM. 

Minting an NFT - Early Coven Member NFT Templates

After throwing a bunch of money at my resources, I tried again… but now, I’d exceeded my CPU and I would have to wait an hour to try again.

Frustrated, I scribbled some designs for upcoming NFTs in the meantime. When the hour was up, the butterflies returned, and I clicked the ‘sign contract’ button with eager anticipation… only to get the same message. I must have done this three times before I finally clocked what that error meant, and tried minting only half of the assets at a time.

After all that faffing about, I was hardly prepared when the action was accepted and my brand new NFTs appeared there, shiny and new, in my WAX wallet.

All of a sudden, I’d become an NFT creator!

Minting an NFT - Early Coven Member NFTs on the Market

It was a harder-than-necessary road to get there, but after all that, the sense of achievement left me glowing, and I eagerly began to distribute my very first blockchain-backed digital assets to my burgeoning Discord community.

I, a tech-luddite jeweller with an apparent reading impairment, had somehow figured it out and stepped into the wonderful world of NFT creation.

Next time, though, I’ll be sure to pay attention to the instructions first.

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Jazz Meyer
Multidisciplinary artist, exploring the space between old-world crafts and modern technology. Pagan silversmith and aspiring NFT artist. Figuring it out as she goes.
Halfmoon Craft | Twitter | Instagram

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5 Metaverse Projects To Watch in 2022

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5 Metaverse Projects To Watch in 2022

With “metaverse” set to be the buzzword of the year, Briley takes a look at five metaverse projects you should keep your eyes on!

MAY 6, 2022. NEWS. WRITTEN BY BRILEY KENNEY.

The metaverse is coming. Are you ready? 

Most already know about Meta (formerly Facebook) but there are many big names working on similar technologies, including Microsoft, Nvidia, and more. Tech news site Gartner named “the metaverse” as one of the five impactful emerging technologies of 2022.

It sounds exciting, but as popular as the topic is, it’s still puzzling to some. What does it mean? We’re going to break it down into simple terms, and discuss some of the most promising metaverse projects that are launching soon. Let’s dive in.

What Is the Metaverse, Anyway?

5-Metaverse-Projects-To-Watch-In-2022-Ready-Player-One

The metaverse is a persistent, shared virtual universe. You can work, play, create, and much more. Each digital world within the metaverse has a unique theme or format. Some will mimic our waking reality, whilst others take place in a fantasy setting, like the far reaches of outer space, or a Westworld-esque experience.

The ability to move seamlessly between these worlds is paramount. When you enter, you step into the virtual universe and become your digital avatar.

Imagine your favourite video game. When you play, you take control of a digital persona. You then interact with that game; buying and selling goods, engaging in combat, exploring the world and much more. Your avatar or character is a representation of you, and there are thousands, if not millions of others roleplaying as their avatars too.

Does the Metaverse Have Value?

In the real world, when you go to sleep, you don’t log out – and you don’t log in when you wake. You are resting, but the world persists. People still go to work, still live their lives, and the universe still thrives. So will the metaverse.

Because the metaverse is “always on,” and digital assets have value, it opens up a whole new world of possibilities.

There’s a virtual economy. Real estate in the metaverse has a monetary value, which can go up or down, just like the real world. Digital goods and services can be traded, just like the real world, and prices will fluctuate based on demand.

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Is the Metaverse a Video Game?

Parallels can be drawn between the metaverse and video games, but calling the metaverse a game is a huge disservice to the experience. There will be games you can play, but it’s so much more than that.

Here’s just a few things you can do:

  • Purchase land and monetize it
  • Play and create games, VR experiences, and more
  • Customize your avatar, home, and digital assets
  • Train, meet and collaborate with others (even for work)
  • Socialize and attend concerts, conferences, and gatherings
  • Shop for real-world and virtual products
  • Take virtual classes and learn real-world skills like musical instruments, trade skills, and more
  • Find virtual-world employment
  • Invest and trade digital assets
  • Collect art created by others, or make your own!
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How Many Metaverses Are There?

Whilst developers may want their metaverse to be the only platform you ever need, what happens is entirely up to the community. Some metaverses will rise, some will fall.

With that, let’s discuss 5 metaverses that are already available, or launching sometime in 2022.

1. Immersys

Best described as a “massively multiplayer metaverse”, Immersys allows players to earn NFTs and tokens whilst taking part in an MMO-like experience. Think chopping trees for wood NFTs, and fighting monsters for NFT loot.

Digital assets are earned as you play, and minted to your WAX wallet on-demand.

With rare, non-transferable blueprints, item crafting, tiered tools and more, Immersys contains all of the familiar foundations of an MMO.

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The game has developed at a swift pace, with retail property, avatar upgrades and a combat overhaul all coming in the last six months.

Residential properties are also available in The Hive, their first apartment block, with further opportunities to follow.

Immersys is online now, so give it a go!

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2. RFOX VALT

Billed as a commercial metaverse for retail and entertainment companies, RFOX VALT delivers an “immersive, virtual reality-driven” experience.

Combining cryptocurrencies, gaming, NFTs, e-commerce, entertainment and more, it’ll showcase the best of Web3 through a VR experience.

Hold fast however – it’s not just for retailers and businesses looking to sell their goods. Everyone will be able to enter the RFOX VALT metaverse.

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Players will be able to play games, earn rewards, and interact with their friends.

RFOX VALT has dedicated arms for various sectors, such as finance, media, and TV, with each offering unique experiences and content.

Shop owners already have access, with public access to arrive in due course.

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3. Bloktopia

Bloktopia is a “decentralised metaverse” that approaches the concept a little differently.

It’s a digital skyscraper with 21 levels, built to pay homage to the 21 million Bitcoins. It’ll offer a variety of experiences, from digital events and gaming to learning facilities and more.

Alongside being a participant, users have a variety of potential revenue streams, from advertising and staking to offering goods and services.

5-Metaverse-Projects-To-Watch-In-2022-Bloktopia1

Bloktopia will also feature virtual real estate that can be built upon, or leased to entrepreneurial users.

Their current roadmap, leading up to Q4 this year, includes a land sale and alpha launch in Q2 and beta launch in Q3, so it won’t be long until you can pay it a visit!

5-Metaverse-Projects-To-Watch-In-2022-Bloktopia2

4. NTVRK

Enter the metaverse. What a tagline.

NTVRK is a multi-chain metaverse which allows users to explore a variety of virtual worlds designed by both brands and other users.

Several blockchain projects are partnering with NTVRK, including Angry Ape Army, Cryptowalkers, Dinodawgs and many more.

5-Metaverse-Projects-To-Watch-In-2022-NETVRK1

For a little more context, Cryptowalkers is a collection of 3D characters, available as fully-rigged character models, all of which are “metaverse-ready.

They’re just one project of many. 

Everyone that enters NTVRK will have the opportunity to create their own VR worlds and experiences – or just participate if that’s more your style. With a long list of partners, an impressive list of blockchain support, and some cool ideas brewing, NTVRK is definitely one to watch.

5-Metaverse-Projects-To-Watch-In-2022-NETVRK2

5. Highstreet

Imagine if you could shop in a virtual marketplace, but your digital purchases corresponded with real-world goods? Moreover, what if those goods were from renowned high-street brands?

That’s the idea behind Highstreet, which adds a whole new spin to the metaverse. It will “bridge the physical and digital worlds” by offering a rich multiverse filled with multifaceted, interactive experiences.

Like others on this list, Highstreet will allow you to purchase tokenised products, customize and trade virtual real estate, and engage in an always-online world.

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You can also explore a vast player environment, taking on unique roles such as a Brawler or Archer to defeat monsters.

All of your actions in-game will have a real-world implication. For instance, if you buy armour in-game, you’ll get a jacket in real life. It’s a special play-to-earn, NFT-fueled marketplace with real-world benefits. 

It’s currently in Alpha, and available on a few VR platforms, from the HTC Vive series to Windows Mixed Reality.

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Conclusion

There you have it! A handful of exciting metaverse projects that will soon be available, or already are!

Keep in mind, many of these platforms are still in their early stages so things are subject to change.

Which one do you find most exciting? Is there another project we didn’t mention that you want to call out?

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Briley Kenney
Longstanding crypto and NFT writer & prominent copywriter. Loves video games, a good stogie, and a stiff drink!
Twitter | Website

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A Complete Newbie Takes Part in an NFT Easter Egg Hunt

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A Complete Newbie Takes Part in an NFT Easter Egg Hunt

With her first foray into blockchain gaming behind her, Jazz turns to an altogether different type of competition within the community!

MAY 4, 2022. BEGINNER’S GUIDE. WRITTEN BY JAZZ MEYER.

If, like me, you grew up somewhere in the western world, Easter probably conjures up fond memories of hunting for chocolate eggs in the back garden.

As you scrambled under bushes and peeked into knotholes, hoping for a glimpse of that shiny silver wrapping, your parents watched on with smug, knowing smiles, almost as excited as you in their own way. I was convinced those days of childlike glee were behind me, forever lost in the sands of time, to be relived only through the looking glass of nostalgia.

I was wrong. 

Complete Beginner Easter Hunt - Waxel World Crossword

This Easter, I was delighted to find those hours of egg hunting were back, only this time the eggs would be NFTs and my smug parents would be AtomicHub’s Community Managers and WAX’s collection creators.

Throughout the weekend, a bunch of clues and riddles were to be posted, and if I was smart enough (or lucky enough) to be in the first ten players to crack them, I’d be in the running for a massive WAXP prize pool.

Each clue would lead to a well-known WAX collection and their specially-made Easter NFT that, along with the potential for the competition prizes, would announce to the world that I was a smart little cookie. 

As a lover of puzzles, and of other people’s validation, I was all-in from the moment I heard about it. 

Complete Beginner Easter Hunt - Waxel World Easter NFTs

When the event launch came around, the AtomicHub Discord server burst into life as the community readied themselves for an intense weekend of hunting, and I was ecstatic to be a part of it. 

AH Community Managers Nuno and z3us – two of the aforementioned smug parents – teased out the treasure hunt details and when the first clue was posted, I felt the collective pulse of the community race as we scrambled en masse to claim the first NFT. 

An extensive crossword puzzle from Waxel World – a P2E game featuring generative ninja NFTs and in-game asset crafting – would kick-off the event.

With a flurry of frantic searching and scribbling, I felt I was well on my way to victory, but before long I looked up from my crossword to find that the NFT prizes had already been claimed by ten other smart cookies! 

This was already far more exhilarating than any childhood Easter egg hunt – I’d had my first taste of the competition and I was hooked.

What was immediately apparent was that the weekend would be a fun and intense one.

The next challenge flew by in a flurry of schema-searching and NFT-hunting and within eight short minutes, ten lucky players had claimed the next prize from Corporate World – a series of collectible trading cards in a comic-book style.

The prize NFT was a Hard-Boiled Egg, dressed in 1940s detective garb, and my heart leapt to find that I had answered the riddle correctly! For a moment, my adrenaline subsided, replaced by the sweet endorphins of victory!

Complete Beginner Easter Hunt - Corporate World Clue

No childhood Easter egg hunt that I know of requires its participants to stay up ‘round the clock. This, however, was no ordinary Easter egg hunt, and as the weekend continued it became clear that sleep was to take a back seat.

The server stayed active with eager players and periodic giveaways until the wee hours of the morning and, at 4am, my brain whirred into life as the next riddle dropped:

“From the depths of the grave, you will find the crown. The holder of bros will seek to be found.” 

Complete Beginner Easter Hunt - Floyd Jenkins' Deck of Mythical Varmints Clue

Whilst a horde of players bombarded the Hasbro website, others of us had stumbled upon an NFT called ‘Broholder Holder’ from Floyd Jenkins’ Deck of Mythical Varmints – a DnD-inspired collection powered by fantasy trading cards.

I mustered all my cunning to get through the RPG taking place in Floyd’s server – but my hopes of winning were dashed as I drank a poisonous red potion.

By far the most difficult challenge thus far, it took a solid eleven hours for all ten NFTs to be claimed. 

Complete Beginner Easter Hunt - RPG in Floyd's Discord Server

Saturday morning started with an eagerness that cut through my mounting exhaustion. While the holder of bros continued to allude many, the fourth challenge had been posted and I awoke only to find I had missed out on the excitement!

As I rubbed my bleary eyes, I saw that the server had been alive with activity as those with more stamina than I vied to solve a series of clues.

Complete Beginner Easter Hunt - AH Announcement NFT StoryCards

I was ecstatic to find that I immediately knew the answer to the next riddle, and frantically jumped into Costume Clash, the P2E racer and platform game that first tempted me into blockchain gaming.

After a solid two hours of breaking an in-game egg, losing it to attackers, and accidentally dropping it in a river, I finally transported my treasure towards the mouth of a secret cave, where I was ambushed mere seconds before reaching my destination. Those seconds apparently made all the difference as the announcement rang out in the AtomicHub server that all ten NFTs had been claimed.

There was buzz in the space as players recounted their own Costume Clash gameplay – many of us had come so close, and were yet so far.

Complete Beginner Easter Hunt - Jazz Playing Costume Clash Egg Hunt

The sixth one, I determined, wouldn’t pass me by.

Oh how wrong I was – I had failed to take into account the mad genius that is MikeeMyk, and I wasn’t the only one.

We started by piecing together the literal puzzle that revealed the Red Panda Adventures and Waxy collections – two endearing collectible art projects that have captured the hearts of the WAX community.

In that puzzle was a code, and I went to Mikee’s server to see what I could do with it.

Complete Beginner Easter Hunt - Red Panda Adventures Easter Puzzle

I arrived to find the server had already devolved into chaos as the horde of players scrambled to decipher the challenge.

After a veritable eternity of random and desperate attempts to crack the code, all ten NFTs were miraculously claimed and Mikee revealed the method to his madness. I wasn’t quite sure whether to laugh or cry – it was an emotional rollercoaster, to say the least.

What I did know, was that, against all odds, this rollercoaster had brought the community closer together in a shared sense of confusion. With a broken brain (but a smile on my lips) I went reluctantly to bed and dreamed of hunting NFTs.

Complete Beginner Easter Hunt - Red Panda Adventures Discord Egg Hunt

When I awoke on Sunday morning, I found I’d missed the clue for NFT number 7.

In the middle of the night, a riddle had been posted which led players to two almost-identical NFTs from Glummy Bears – a collection of irreverent bears who, according to the collection description, “don’t give a sh** about you.”

I kicked myself for missing out on another of these remarkably diverse challenges – this one involved spotting the difference between two spinning eggs inscribed with letters, then crafting a code word out of the missing letters.

I logged in to find a server full of dizzy but excited players who seemed to be enjoying the hunt just as much as I was.

Complete Beginner Easter Hunt - Glummy Bears Spinning Egg

I didn’t have to wait long to jump back into the game. At 9am, we were presented with another riddle, and this time I went way off in the wrong direction at first.

After an embarrassing amount of time digging around the NeonSpace website – them being well-known streamers and NFT creators in the WAX community – I realised I should have been taking that clue much more literally.

When I finally redirected to CryptoMoonies – a collection of 3D space explorer figurines by the artist CREEK – I found myself frantic at the thought of being left behind. 

Complete Beginner Easter Hunt - AH Announcement Crypto Moonies Clue

Thankfully I wasn’t too late.

I joined the hustle and bustle in the Moonies server, where players cryptically swapped notes on the in-depth questionnaire which promised to lead ten of us to glory.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t one of them, despite my best efforts. The ten winners rejoiced while the rest of us showered them with proverbial pats on the back. 

Complete Beginner Easter Hunt - Crypto Moonies Easter Quiz

Though I was disappointed I’d missed out on another NFT, I was genuine in my congratulations, and I was pleasantly surprised to find the general sentiment echoed my own. The WAX community, once again, far exceeded my expectations and reminded me just how lucky I am to be in this space.

By the time the penultimate clue rolled around seven hours later, I was in good spirits.

It’s a good thing I was because it featured one of my favourite collections. Cat Stickers – that is, the cutest little feline friends on WAX – provided another multi-level challenge involving a mind-bending hidden cat photo that led to a word cipher, that led to a puzzle, that led to a claim link. 

Complete Beginner Easter Hunt - AH Announcement Cat Stickers Clue

I heard some people later remark that “Cat Stickers fans are hardcore”, and they’re not wrong.

After some frantic clicking, puzzling, and transcribing, I was in – and I’d finally made it before all ten NFTs were gone!

Another round of congratulations and a flurry of cat memes was sufficient to tide us over until the final clue.

Complete Beginner Easter Hunt - Cat Stickers Easter Puzzle

When, at 1am, I read the first line of the last riddle, I immediately knew I should be looking at The Adventurer’s Guild – the Discord-based role-playing game that I was already hooked on.

Once again, however, I had fallen prey to misdirection.

After guilelessly playing a few rounds of the game itself and getting nowhere, I realised I must be in the wrong place.

Complete Beginner Easter Hunt - AH Announcement TAG Clue

Finally, I went searching through the TAG wiki page where, with that longed-for childlike glee, I cracked the riddle in a matter of seconds. I could barely believe it when I discovered I was one of the lucky ten! 

As I had congratulated others, the community turned to congratulate me and I felt my heart fill with pride and gratitude. To me, that sense of belonging and community was worth more than any prize.

With a mixture of warmth, gratitude, and exhaustion, I closed my laptop for the last time that weekend.

Complete Beginner Easter Hunt - Aventurer's Guild Wiki Cluck Cluck Page

During those sleepless nights, I’d made new friends, learned more about the WAX space, discovered some great collections, and had an enormous amount of fun.

I had belonged to something greater than myself. As I closed my eyes that night, I drifted into sweet dreams of rummaging under blockchain bushes and in crypto knotholes, pulling out a glittering Hard-Boiled Egg, and, with a huge smile plastered across my face, sharing it with my friends.

Complete Beginner Easter Hunt - Jazz's Opinion on the Easter Hunt Event
jazz-icon

Jazz Meyer
Multidisciplinary artist, exploring the space between old-world crafts and modern technology. Pagan silversmith and aspiring NFT artist. Figuring it out as she goes.
Halfmoon Craft | Twitter | Instagram

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A Complete Newbie Explores Blockchain Gaming

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A Complete Newbie Explores Blockchain Gaming

With her first virtual event under her belt, it’s time for Jazz to dip her toes into one of the most popular elements of the NFT industry – play-to-earn gaming.

APRIL 21, 2022. BEGINNER’S GUIDE. WRITTEN BY JAZZ MEYER.

When I say I’m not a gamer, I really mean I’m not a gamer. Despite my childhood attempts to like Crash Bandicoot as much as all the other kids, my adolescent desire to fit in when my friends played Mario Kart, and my recent attempt to play Overcooked at the request of my partner, I just can’t get into it.

I’m finding, however, that I can’t write about NFTs without writing about blockchain games, and I can’t do that without actually playing them – and so once again I’ve been drawn into a world of RPGs, racers and card games that I thought lay fixedly in my past.

Complete Newbie Starts Blockchain Gaming - Gamer

This time, however, there’s an incentive that Crash Bandicoot just couldn’t offer.

Play-to-Earn (P2E) is a phenomenon that is revolutionising gaming and, given my recent investment in the world of NFTs, is suddenly a very appealing aspect of a hitherto unappealing hobby. Aside from the joy of gameplay, there’s a veritable fortune to be made from reselling game assets on the secondary market, as well as earning tokens that can be exchanged for cold hard cash, and I won’t pretend that I don’t like the sound of that.

So, off I went to figure out how to become a gamer. The truth is, I’m a lover, not a fighter, so games that involve any kind of conflict are automatically anxiety-inducing to me. Couple that with a complete lack of hand-eye coordination, at least when it comes to gaming controllers, and you can see why I never got on board with gaming in general. If I can’t button-mash, then I’m not interested.

The Adventurer’s Guild

For that reason, I decided to start with something that wouldn’t require any skill with a controller, and immediately found the perfect thing.

I’d already heard a lot about The Adventurer’s Guild (TAG) on Discord and Twitter, as well as witnessing the ever-present and helpful creator himself, and, as a Discord-hosted, text-based RPG, it was exactly what I needed to dip my toes into the world of blockchain gaming.

I spent a handful of WAX on a Beta Pass NFT and set off to connect my wallet and start my adventures. I had no idea what to expect, but I found myself immediately fighting goblins and slimes and training up for the quests that would await me.

Aside from being a lover, I’m also a big reader, and the words on the screen came to life in my head, making it a remarkably rich experience. The sharp-fanged, pointy-eared, ghoul-eyed goblins in my mind would put any graphics engine to shame.

Complete Newbie Starts Blockchain Gaming - TAG Gameplay
Complete Newbie Starts Blockchain Gaming - TAG Branch NFT

Surprisingly, I still felt that rush in my chest as I struck out with my imaginary fists against my imaginary enemy, but it was less anxiety than excitement. I even found myself thinking things like ‘Suck it, goblin!’ with genuine gusto.

After completing my initial training, it was time for my first quest, and, embarrassingly, I promptly died in a battle against a wooden chest. This was a good sign that it was time to equip myself a little better, and that’s where the NFTs come in. 

I’d already earned a Branch NFT during one training battle, and felt a little jolt of glee at seeing it appear automatically in my WAX wallet. Unfortunately though, without a couple more elements I couldn’t craft any weapons. The noble choice would have been to keep training until I’d earned a few more NFTs, but impatience got the better of me, so off I trotted to the secondary market to find myself something nice and shiny and deadly.

I perused my many options before happily forking over a mere 20 WAX (about $5), and my Adventurer was now ready to face that dastardly chest with a Burning Javelin.

I battled my way through several other foes too, accompanied by plenty of internal exclamations of ‘Take that, Slime!’ and ‘This Mimic is a bastard!’ and I must say I had an excellent time.

When I emerged victorious with the villager’s stolen magic boots, I was rewarded handsomely with half a GUILD – the TAG token earned through gameplay, and exchangeable for WAXP and other tokens.

That reward mechanism, along with the excitement of battling foes, makes for an addictive experience, and at the end of my first session, I’d completed my allotted 10 quests and earned back a small fraction of what I’d spent on my weapon, as well as the title of Level 5 Adventurer.

Complete Newbie Starts Blockchain Gaming - TAG Burning Javelin NFT

Splinterlands

Complete Newbie Starts Blockchain Gaming - Splinterlands

Emboldened by my victory, I decided it was time to try something else. Splinterlands is a name that’s unavoidable once you enter the blockchain gaming world – the fantasy card game is one of the most well-established in this space and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

Although I got into Pokémon cards as I kid, I have to admit that I’ve never played a trading card game in my life – I just liked collecting things. For that reason, I started out with some practice battles – to get a taste before investing in the Summoner’s Spellbook required to play the game proper and start earning.

For someone who’s played Magic: The Gathering, or Hearthstone, this sort of game will probably come as second nature, but for me it was a whirlwind of Summoners and elements and Mana points that surprised me with their complexity and layers. Soon, though, I started to get a feel for the basics and, once again, found myself muttering curse words to myself whenever my opponent killed one of my cards, and cheering whenever I returned the favour.

What’s interesting about Splinterlands is that the gameplay itself is automatic, playing out without any user interaction, which means it’s all in the pre-game strategy. The more you play the game, the better you know your cards, and the more strategic your decisions can be. That sort of preparation literally pays off when each winning game is rewarded with in-game tokens.

If I wanted to take advantage of its Play-To-Earn nature, I could complete daily quests to win NFTs, packs, tokens, or in-game currency.

Splinterlands is one of the heavy-hitters in terms of earning potential, and if you’re into that sort of thing, you can make a very pretty penny from such a hobby. This became painfully apparent when I stumbled across their secondary card market, and saw some cards priced in the five figures. That information alone left my head spinning and I exited quickly before I was tempted to throw in the towel on this writing gig and leave you, dear reader, without an end to this story.

Complete Newbie Starts Blockchain Gaming - Splinterlands Gameplay

Costume Clash

Complete Newbie Starts Blockchain Gaming - Costume Clash Magicoon NFT

After regaining my bearings, I finally felt I was ready to try my hand at something in three dimensions.

I’d been hearing about Costume Clash since the moment I landed in the WAX NFT space, and had already witnessed the racer’s gameplay many times on various Twitch streams.

As a former noughties emo-kid, the Halloween-themed game is actually right up my alley, and my partner, ecstatic that I was finally showing an interest, gifted me a Magicoon NFT. This cute little creature sounds like a raccoon and looks like a cat and, either way, is responsible for driving my car.

So, with my Magicoon in the driver’s seat, and my fingers on my keyboard, I was off! I’d like to report that I whipped through the racetrack with grace and aplomb, elegantly sliding in at first place, but what really happened was that I smashed into every wall I possibly could, and got stuck in a rock several times. I cheered to myself when I crossed the finish line, despite coming in last, because, honestly, it was an achievement for me to make it there at all.

Although I continued to get myself stuck in a lot more rocks in subsequent races and basically blow myself up trying to get out, I can say I’m already a huge fan. There are plenty of fun, colourful, themed maps to race through, populated by a smattering of head-nods towards other projects in the WAX space. This, once again, illustrates just how supportive and inclusive the WAX crowd is, and gives me an extra incentive to keep playing Costume Clash and digging deeper into this community.

Speaking of incentives, just by owning my Magicoon, I earned a handful of Hallow Cores, which I can cash out for WAXP if I want to, and, if I eventually get myself away from those rocks, I can compete in weekly leaderboards for NFT rewards. There’s already a whole microculture springing up around the battle for first place, and I’ve witnessed, live, the intense but playful races between users intent on reaching that coveted position. 

Complete Newbie Starts Blockchain Gaming - Costume Clash Gameplay
Complete Newbie Starts Blockchain Gaming - Costume Clash Hallow Cores

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Blockchain gaming is expanding rapidly, and, whilst some of the games I started with required buying entry to start earning (or having a generous boyfriend with a spare Magicoon), many titles are free-to-play, making the barrier to entry virtually zero.

While I might not be a gamer at heart, I’ve certainly rethought my previous disinterest in this space – and it’s not just the earning potential that’s convincing me.

I’ll be honest and say that I was almost late in completing this article because I got caught up in the ‘research’ portion of things – battling goblins, and learning my cards, and trying desperately to avoid rocks. I guess that’s a good sign that I may have found a new hobby in blockchain gaming after all.

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Jazz Meyer
Multidisciplinary artist, exploring the space between old-world crafts and modern technology. Pagan silversmith and aspiring NFT artist. Figuring it out as she goes.
Halfmoon Craft | Twitter | Instagram

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Should Project Creators in Crypto Be Completely Anonymous?

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Should Project Creators in Crypto Be Completely Anonymous?

Should Project Creators in Crypto Be Completely Anonymous?

The cryptocurrency industry was built with anonymity at its foundation – but with bad actors running amok, that core ideal is proving troublesome. Rob explains the current dichotomy between Web3 creators and this sense of obscurity.

APRIL 13, 2022. OPINION. WRITTEN BY ROBERT BAGGS.

There’s an uncomfortable irony in the NFT and blockchain gaming scenes. Formed off the foundations of crypto, it’s a little bizarre how something that held transparency and trustlessness at its core could give birth to two brilliant children that have problems with both of those values – and yet that’s where we find ourselves: in a land of smoke and mirrors.

I write and speak about issues in these sectors regularly, but my motivations aren’t to discredit NFTs or blockchain technology, but rather to raise the standards and to help us all identify bad actors. One article on that very subject was right here on NFT Insider.

However, of late, I have noticed an uptick in projects that revel in the fog of a new industry, particularly one that is pseudonymous as standard. It’s important, therefore, that we open, and keep open, a conversation on what is permissible and what ought to be criticized in this new world.

NFTs and Blockchain Gaming: The Land of Smoke and Mirrors

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There is some cognitive dissonance in crypto and I’m experiencing it as much as anyone. That is, there is a cherished level of privacy and anonymity (well, it’s pseudonymity, really) in all corners of crypto. Those who do not want their real identities attached to their wallets needn’t be publicly connected to them.

Conversely, these pseudonyms (wallet addresses) are as public as is humanly possible via decentralized ledgers, with all their actions logged for anyone to see – but that’s not where the dissonance lurks.

The issue is with how at odds the separation between how real life and crypto operates, particularly with regards to money.

Outside of the world of crypto, any request for money, be it investment or purchase of goods, would require some personal information given up by the recipient – and yet, with NFT collections and blockchain games, inordinate sums of money are asked for (and often received) with little mind paid to the lack of information available about the person or people behind the project.

This falls squarely under the remit of “accountability” in my list of common red flags in crypto; could you hold anyone accountable if something went wrong? Too often the answer is no, and there’s a distinct lack of recourse for recovering your funds too.

So, is this a state of play we’re comfortable with? Is it acceptable? Is it anti-crypto to expect information from people who want money from their endeavours in the space?

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We’ve already seen major exchanges having little choice but to integrate “real-world” accountability measures into their processes. The most common example, and one you’ll have likely encountered, is KYC (Know Your Customer/Client). This is where you must provide proof of identity and address to use the exchange’s services, for instance. It isn’t particularly desirable giving your information to major organizations – Web2 showed us why – but it does feel necessary.

When collections or games are looking to raise any significant amount of money for their project, I believe it’s both reasonable and necessary to require some verification of the person or people behind it. There ought to be at least one person who could be held accountable should things go sideways down the line.

They could be bypassed (to an extent) if platforms (marketplaces, games libraries, and so on) take that responsibility themselves by offering private KYC of the project’s creators, so that the creators can remain anonymous/pseudonymous, though that’s a big ask.

The concession of identity can be beneficial not only in that it offers a way to get “justice” if you have been wronged by a project, but it also acts as a deterrent against bad actors. If you’re interested in being duplicitous, you’ll prefer the shadows to the light. If, when caught out, you can simply vanish and return under a new name, there will be far more people with malleable ethics tarnishing the space.

In the short time blockchain gaming has been popular, we’ve seen a wealth of projects start, gain some funding and support, waver for a while, then vanish before starting something new instead. This is not a sustainable path for NFTs or blockchain gaming.

As for the question of whether relinquishing anonymity is anti-crypto, I don’t believe it is. For crypto to achieve mainstream adoption and prevalent utility in ordinary life, it cannot bear the risk it did back in the days of Silk Road. There are two key details, however.

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Firstly, I believe it’s only necessary – at least in the current state of crypto – for the people selling NFTs or blockchain games to make themselves accountable in some way, not everybody.

Secondly, and on that note, the way in which someone makes themselves accountable doesn’t always mean they must offer their real name to the public. Though, the creator must ask themselves, in lieu of pseudonymity, what can they offer as collateral?

Projects pulling in millions of dollars off the back of whitepapers and promises, but offering no information about who they are or how to contact them, cannot continue, even if they are trustworthy. It forms a hotbed for the untrustworthy to do as they please without much risk of repercussions.

Without naming the project, there is one blockchain game that has made a fortune by anyone’s standards without being contactable, communicative, or having any people attached, even with pseudonyms. Furthermore, their company structure is more smoke and mirrors with numerous parent companies and offshore entities.

Conclusion

As wary as we’ve become over being free and open with our information in the modern world, and the shelter that crypto has provided from that, we cannot swap one extreme for the other.

Complete anonymity from project creators within crypto, particularly when the project is open for investment in any number of ways, is incompatible with a safe and accessible system in real-world terms.

When bad actors can exploit people with relative impunity, the whole ecosystem will fall apart or it will begin to regulate itself, as we have seen with white hat groups.

This is why I believe that while much of crypto can remain hidden behind pseudonyms, as is its right, any person or project that is looking to receive money (fiat or crypto), must concede at least some of this right.

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Robert Baggs
Full-time professional crypto writer and Editor of Token Gamer. Obsessed with MMOs. London based. Once ate lobster with Lionel Richie.
Token Gamer | Twitter | LinkedIn

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A Complete Newbie Attends a Virtual NFT Event

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A Complete Newbie Attends a Virtual NFT Event

Follow along with Jazz as she explores DYGYCON 8, a metaverse experience hosted by Splinterlands, to see what all the hype is about!

APRIL 7, 2022. BEGINNER’S GUIDE. WRITTEN BY JAZZ MEYER.

Remember when you were a kid and your parents told you your eyes would turn square if you stared at the TV too long? Well, after attending DYGYCON 8, I can confirm that that’s true – and furthermore, that it’s entirely worth it.

Newbie Attends an NFT Digital Conference - DYGYCON Twitter Profile

I’d heard about DYGYCON’s last iteration back in January, and, at the time, I just didn’t get it. Why would anyone stay up all night, feverishly chatting with internet strangers, ‘walking’ around a building that didn’t actually exist, and living vicariously through a digital avatar?

I glanced at it briefly at the time, curious to what all the fuss was about, but ultimately my ancient laptop struggled with anything beyond the welcome screen, and I gave up without putting too much effort into finding a solution.

All that, however, was before I was really part of the NFT community myself, and this time around I could barely contain my excitement in the lead-up to the eighth iteration of the virtual event.

After having explored the NFT space a little more, I recognised why an event like DYGYCON, hosted by the team behind Splinterlands, was an important part of the evolution of this community.

Over three days, NFT creators and collectors from all over the world, and from all different backgrounds, meet in a virtual conference hall to learn about new projects, attend talks, and generally just have a good time together. For a community as widespread and disembodied as ours, this is the most accessible way to get everyone in the same place at the same time, even if that place exists only on our screens.

I’d never attended a virtual event before, or anything remotely like it, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. All I knew was that this would be an opportunity to meet some of my newfound internet friends in slightly realer life.

Newbie Attends an NFT Digital Conference - Hosted by Splinterlands
Newbie Attends an NFT Digital Conference - DYGYCON 8 Welcome Room

Determined not to be thwarted by my laptop this time, I’d procured a decent PC just for the purpose of DYGYCON.

On the Friday of the event, I arrived home from work right as the official start of the conference was kicking off, and eagerly rushed to the computer, not wanting to miss a single waking moment. I got myself comfortable on the living room couch – keyboard, mouse and headphone cables snaking all over the floor, TV hooked up as a monitor. I already knew I’d be spending the better part of the next three days here.

My first task was setting up my avatar, and I was pleased to find that there were enough combinations to make a relatively unique character. Purple hair was even an option, and with that I felt myself become one with my avatar. My digital body inhabited, I entered the event proper, and found myself spawned in front of a huge conference hall.

The blue sky overhead shone with promise, soothing music played in the background, and the logos of dozens upon dozens of NFT projects beckoned to me from inside. At that invitation, I sent my digital self into the building to begin my very first digital conference experience.

Immediately I was presented with a number of portals, each of which would whisk me away to a different hall which, in turn, would be filled with a huge collection of project booths.

My first stop, of course, was the AtomicHub Hall. This is where I knew I’d find much of the WAX community that I’ve grown to love, and where I hoped to see a few familiar names, transformed into faces. It was still quiet when I arrived, but I immediately stumbled across a name I’d seen prolifically, and the voice to go with it.

Newbie Attends an NFT Digital Conference - Portals at DYGYCON
Newbie Attends an NFT Digital Conference - chatting with others at DYGYCON 8

Having been a part of the AtomicHub Discord server for a while now, I was more than familiar with z3us – one of the community managers, and co-host of the weekly stage calls and Twitter Spaces. I found her chatting with Larcey from the WAX team, and I was immediately struck by the accessibility that an event like DYGYCON offered.

I joined their conversation on the presence of women in the NFT space – something I’m becoming increasingly passionate about – and despite the initial awkwardness I felt within my digital body, I also felt an immediate sense of welcome and belonging.

This set the tone for the rest of the weekend. All my favourite creators – MikeeMyk of Waxy and Red Panda Adventures, Sas of Cat Stickers, Floyd of Floyd Jenkins’ Deck of Mythical Varmints, Stuck of The Adventurer’s Guild and SixPm Software, Josh of Costume Clash, Dan of Immersys, alongside countless others – were all there, ready and willing to chat with me. Red Ro, of Order of Other, even gifted me my first accessory unlock code, allowing me to don a witch hat, and making my avatar an even more accurate depiction of my real-life self.

After a long first evening of virtual socialising and booth exploring, I went to bed, tired but already excited for the following day, which I knew would be full.

The Saturday of DYGYCON is always the pinnacle of the event, featuring the majority of the presentations slated for the weekend. However, the fact that everyone is in different time zones means there’s never a moment when the halls are empty.

Overnight, MikeeMyk had done an impromptu live drawing session and, as much as I value sleep, I was kicking myself for succumbing to the needs of my physical body and missing it. As Floyd Jenkins so eloquently put it, “The FOMO is real at DYGYCON.”

Nevertheless, my regular sleep schedule meant that I was up and raring to go when Stuck hosted his presentation on The Adventurer’s Guild in the SixPM Hall the next day.

Newbie Attends an NFT Digital Conference - DYGYCON 8 TAG AMA
Newbie Attends an NFT Digital Conference - Laptop & Monitor Setup

Much like a real-life conference, DYGYCON is the perfect opportunity for projects to announce new developments. Along with a few dozen others, I was one of the first to see the amazing new TAG avatar NFTs – an exciting moment for a recent blockchain gaming convert like myself! We had the opportunity to ask questions, and Stuck proceeded to screenshare some live gameplay while he chatted with the audience.

Later in the day, as the halls filled up again, I found myself jostling for a position in the Cat Stickers booth to listen in as Sas presented ‘the cutest little cat stickers on the WAX blockchain’. I say jostling as though I were literally shoulder-to-shoulder with other people, but in fact, I was standing in the booth alone, waiting for a good 10 minutes before I realised I was in the wrong instance.

This is how I discovered the limitations of the conference. In much the same way that a physical space has a certain capacity, so, too, do digital spaces. The Cat Stickers AMA had filled up and I hadn’t made it. Fortunately, there’s more than one way to skin a… never mind. There’s more than one way to take part, and I was able to catch the rest of the AMA through Discord, as Sas streamed live from DYGYCON.

As a burgeoning creator myself, I was spending a great deal of my time scheming about the future possibilities for my own collection. I’d already gotten to know some amazing new creators, as well as becoming even more invested in projects I was already connected to, and I could see what an amazing opportunity DYGYCON was creating for visibility. Never in a million years, however, did I expect that any of that would apply to me this time around. That’s where I was wrong.

About 15 minutes into a casual chat with StabbyQuack of Digital Ducks, he offhandedly announced, “I just bought your NFT.”

I thought I’d misheard. The only NFTs I’d minted until that point were the free promo stickers that had been mostly claimed by flippers with no interest in my project, and had then been listed on the secondary market for laughable prices. This new friend had gone and bought one without a second thought, simply for the sake of supporting me as a new creator in the community. I was floored, and spent the rest of the day with a huge grin on my face. I had just earned my very first WAX and I was ecstatic.

Newbie Attends an NFT Digital Conference - chatting with Digital Ducks
Newbie Attends an NFT Digital Conference - DYGYCON 8 stream by Hydropwrd

Perhaps the highlight of my weekend, though, was the AMA and live drawing session that MikeeMyk held later that day. I was determined not to miss out this time and made sure to show up nice and early to the booth that was to house the talk. This time, I really was shoulder-to-shoulder, the space packed to the brim with fans of Waxy and Red Panda Adventures.

Not only had I made it, but all my friends were there too! Mikee himself, as it turns out, is a man of few words, preferring to let his art do the talking, and so it became more of a group hang-out session than a presentation.

As Mikee wowed us with his incredibly efficient illustration skills, the rest of us alternated between showering him with compliments and making jokes about his secret Waxy factory. It was the most heart-warming and community-building experience I’ve had in this space so far and it makes me want to dig in even more. Hydro even live-streamed the event on Twitch, meaning I can relive that moment all over again if I want to.

From there, I went to check out the Digital Ducks AMA one booth over, along with everyone else, and we executed a mass exodus – jumping as one enormous group from one booth to the other in a comic arrival. It might sound silly, but in that moment I felt like I was one of the cool kids – that I’d chanced my way into a group of amazing creators, artists, and community builders, in whose company I felt like a complete imposter. The magic of all this, though, is that I was a very welcome imposter, and once again, that huge grin spread across my face. I like to think my avatar had an extra sparkle in her eye too.

After the Digital Ducks AMA, which ended up moving to a theatre out of sheer popularity, I spent the rest of the evening in a dedicated chill space, chatting with Sas, Stuck, Phoenix of AtomicHub, and Mikee, who proceeded to comically harass Sas with an ever-increasing number of hilariously-named alt-avatars. I was thrilled to catch Sas in an impromptu live-drawing session, and felt my FOMO melt away with each line she added to her DYGYCON cat.

I went to bed late that night, satisfied and happy, and ready for one last day of digital socialising.

Newbie Attends an NFT Digital Conference - Digital Ducks AMA
Newbie Attends an NFT Digital Conference - CryptoPups Booth

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t struggling with the screentime by then, but I knew that I’d miss the conference as soon as it was over, and I battled through my TV-induced headache to make the most of one last day. I’m so glad I did.

The Sunday of DYGYCON is comparatively quiet, as people recover from the late-night conversations of the night before, and prepare to return back to the ‘real world’. I spent this day visiting all the booths I hadn’t had the chance to see yet, signing up for the enormous array of swag that so many of these projects offered. In between, I took as many opportunities as I could to chat with familiar folks I’d met along the way.

I learned about so many new projects, and met so many new people, that by the time I arrived at the AtomicHub giveaway that night, I felt like I was surrounded by a little virtual family. As the closing remarks were made, and the event wrapped up, I took a moment to reflect on the weekend.

My first digital conference was an entirely unique experience, and yet it was imbued with such a sense of familiarity. I realised, as I often have before, that the heart of the NFT space is the people, and I was so grateful for the chance to connect even more deeply with this incredible community.

With reluctance, I left the event for the last time that weekend, leaving a trail of heart emojis behind me – my eyes square, my heart full, and already yearning for DYGYCON 9.

Newbie Attends an NFT Digital Conference - chatting in a group at DYGYCON 8
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Jazz Meyer
Multidisciplinary artist, exploring the space between old-world crafts and modern technology. Pagan silversmith and aspiring NFT artist. Figuring it out as she goes.
Halfmoon Craft | Twitter | Instagram

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Why Tribalism in Crypto Could Hold Us All Back

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Why Tribalism in Crypto Could Hold Us All Back

The passionate communities of the crypto space are one of its shining lights – but coupled with that passion is often a faultlessly loyal, one-above-all mindset. Rob explains how fervour doesn’t have to, and cannot, equal division.

MARCH 31, 2022. OPINION. WRITTEN BY ROBERT BAGGS.

Crypto has one of the most impassioned and warm communities I’ve ever been a part of. It is, of course, housing some miscreants and beacons of hostility, but for the most part, it is welcoming and positive. It’s refreshing really, in a time where it feels as if toxicity has engulfed much of the internet.

That said, crypto is not without its flaws and one is based in the very community I hold in such high regard. It’s a breed of linear thinking that if not corrected, will weigh down on the industry’s progress, hamstringing innovation. I’m talking of tribalism in blockchain.

This is a subject I’ve soapboxed about for 4 years on a monthly basis, in articles, on the podcast, and in private. It’s a blight that too many people inflict upon themselves and its damage is far-reaching.

Multi-Chain Support is Not Cognitive Dissonance

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In 2018, I made my first investments in blockchain; one was in Enjin and one was in WAX.

These two chains are considered competitors, and many of the investors, influential community members, and even the occasional employee, will throw stones at whichever of the two they aren’t invested in.

These two chains are pioneering, early developers of gaming-centric blockchains. That is, they have broadly the same vision: blockchain can and will revolutionize gaming.

I was once on a call with a senior figure at another blockchain I won’t name, but they’re also a top 100 coin. Whilst discussing some of this person’s points of excitement for the future, I mentioned the functionality of another chain and how well they had achieved it too. This person instantly fired back with light-hearted but genuine derision; the chain I’d mentioned is far inferior.

Is it? I gently pushed the topic more, supporting my argument, to which this person replied “to be honest, I don’t know anything about them.”

Here lies the problem. Somebody senior in the space, highly experienced, passionate about blockchain’s role in a better future, had tunnel vision, for what? Loyalty? Imagine the opportunities to be missed with this kind of linear thinking. Imagine the inaccuracies in self-reflection. I am the most attractive man on earth if I never look at another human.

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I’m not blind as to why rivalry forms. I realize that McDonald’s and Burger King’s board members are unlikely to be going on team-building holidays together. I also realize that competition is inevitable, and McDonald’s success leads to Burger King’s strife.

But, we’re not discussing opposing companies battling over the same piece of the pie. Two blockchains with similar aspirations can happily co-exist and enrich each other’s ecosystems through collaboration, rather than diminish them.

Not only can they enrich each other by collaboration, they ought to – it will be central to much of the crypto world, NFTs and blockchain gaming, in particular, going forward.

Blockchain Interoperability Will Be Foundational to the Space

In 2021, a lot changed in the blockchain gaming space. For the first time, it came to the forefront and garnered the attention of major studios and mainstream media.

As we neared the end of last year, the term “interoperability” became in vogue. This refers to the ability of a blockchain to interact with one or more other blockchains, typically through bridges or similar means.

In fact, many NFT collections and blockchain games have started to broaden their scopes. One of the leading games of 2021, Splinterlands, is on WAX and Hive, for instance. Similarly, Crazy Defense Heroes is ETH and Polygon, DeFi Kingdoms is Harmony and AVAX, and of course Alien Worlds is on WAX and BSC.

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The last example, Alien Worlds, utilizes WAX and BSC, no doubt in part due to the bridge being built between the two and the relationship the two chains have formed.

This relationship could have raised eyebrows given WAX and BSC have been the two primary chains fighting over DappRadar’s gaming charts dominance. Instead, they announced a portal between the two, and a cross-chain game, Blockchain Brawlers, released yesterday on 30th March, 2022.

This sort of interaction between chains must be encouraged and tribal thinking is entirely undesirable. Blockchain games, in particular, stand to gain a lot from multiple chains, not least because it opens projects up to a larger potential player base – though this problem goes a way to solving itself with the removal of tribalism!

Blockchains ought to focus on their niche, their products, and what they bring to the space, but trying to fence themselves off from the wider crypto community is short-sighted.

The Community’s Role Going Forwards

When it comes to NFTs and blockchain games, maximalism doesn’t make much sense.

For a digital currency, I’m sure you could argue that Bitcoin maximalism is the right stance, but when it comes to the plethora of utility that blockchain provides outside of money, we want widespread innovation.

To hold that only one blockchain should run all games is flawed in numerous ways, from current technological limitations through to a psychological level. Whilst in theory, one chain to rule them all might be best, it’s almost certainly never going to happen – and I don’t believe we want it to, either.

If capitalism has taught us anything, it’s that a monopoly is not in the best interests of the end user.

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As a community, passionate and enthused as we are, we must move on from this “my chain’s going to the moon, your chain’s a scam” mindset.

Diversify your interest and support, dip a toe in other waters, and revel in the sunshine of chain-agnosticism. Back networks based on merit as opposed to loyalty and the desire for ludicrous gains from the chain you got into early.

We’re at the start of something big and I want us, the community, to continue to be a positive feature of this fledgling industry, rather than an anchor through antiquated thinking.

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Robert Baggs
Full-time professional crypto writer and Editor of Token Gamer. Obsessed with MMOs. London based. Once ate lobster with Lionel Richie.
Token Gamer | Twitter | LinkedIn

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