Gaming and NFTs

As we so frequently discuss, gaming is going to continue to be a big trend in the crypto markets. So today I have an interview for you with a gaming infrastructure project called Rainmaker.

We also have a report on ImmutableX which is a kety NFT gaming scaling solution and a big player in of itself which you should have on your radar.

Rainmaker Interview

For anyone not familiar, what is Rainmaker? 

Rainmaker Games is a free global platform to play hundreds of Play-to-Earn games, connecting gamers, games, and guilds worldwide, with $RAIN token as the common medium of exchange.

Why do you believe play to earn gaming will be big?

Play-to-earn is one of the fastest growing opportunities in the crypto market today. P2E games have created a lifeline for people in the developing world. The in-game rewards can be cashed out for real money, representing a living wage for many people in low-income countries. As many places are suffering the economic impacts of the pandemic, play-to-earn games are literally saving lives by creating income for individuals and families.

What does the RAIN token do? 

$RAIN is a functional multi-utility token which will be used as the medium of exchange between participants on Rainmaker Games in a decentralized manner. 

• Gamers can use the $RAIN token to swap to other game tokens and hold $RAIN to win more game rewards.
• Games are required to stake a certain amount of $RAIN token over an extended duration of time in order to access airdrops, or to gain more prominence and visibility on the platform. 
• Guilds must stake RAIN to gain access to the platform and pay for each player referred to their guild in RAIN tokens.  
• $RAIN investors can stake $RAIN today at https://staking.rmg.io/ to provide liquidity and earn rewards.

Your staking program is juicy, can you tell us a few details? 

Staking is available at: https://staking.rmg.io/ 

There are two types of staking:

1. Single-side staking — users deposit RAIN directly into the pool and earn staking rewards. Starts from 200% APY now. 
2. LP staking — users deposit their RAIN-ETH Uniswap LP tokens after adding liquidity to Uniswap. Starts from 800% APY now.

On top of this, investors could choose to lock up their staked tokens. The longer the lock duration, the higher the bonus:

• No bonus — staker does not want to lock their tokens
• 1.25x bonus — staker locks their tokens for a period if 13 weeks
• 1.5x bonus — staker locks their tokens for a period of 26 weeks
• 1.75x bonus — staker locks their tokens for a period of 37 weeks
• 2x bonus — staker locks their tokens for a period of 52 weeks

What games are you focusing on?

All play-to-earn games. We plan to bring on different games so gamers can choose based on their play level, and can level up as they go. We have already announced our partnership with Metastrike, Genopets, Solchicks and etc. More partnership announcement please follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RainmakerGaming 

Who are your biggest partners and how do they contribute to your success? 

We are lucky to have backers like Alameda Research, Merit Circle, Animoca Brands, Polygon, Republic and more. Game partners like Genopets, Solchicks, Metastrike, as well as the gaming community and platforms like Community Gaming and Ignite Tournaments.

What comes next for Rainmaker?

● January 2022 Beta Launch

Phase I: Beta Gaming Platform Launch

Phase II: Guild verification layer + Gamer personalization

Phase III: in-game NFT marketplace

● 2022 Q3 Game Audit System

● 2022 Q4 Game Penetration Test System

Immutable X by Sam

It’s no secret that Ethereum has scaling problems, and there’s growing opinion that its fees can render it close to unusable for many people. This comes at a time when interest in NFTs is higher than ever (the problem is, after all, one of scaling), and it might be advantageous when onboarding people into NFTs to avoid the impression that they’re only for the rich and crypto-fabulous.

Ethereum 2.0 should solve this but Ethereum 2.0 isn’t yet with us, so there is enormous demand for an immediate scaling solution. There’s a lot to be said for other Layer 1 protocols such as Cardano and Solana, but then, are we really going to abandon Ethereum altogether?

If instead we wanted to build on top of and improve Ethereum then there are Layer 2 solutions, and prominent among these you’ll find Immutable X, a product well worth diving into.

<h2 id="what-is-immutable-x?“>What is Immutable X?

As mentioned, Immutable X is a Layer 2 protocol built on the Ethereum network, meaning that you get the security and reach of Ethereum, but you cut out the gas fees and the congestion.

Essentially, transactions are taken off-chain (to Layer 2), but the underlying platform (Layer 1) remains the same, meaning you’re still connecting back to the Ethereum mainchain.

Among Layer 2 solutions, you’ll also come across names such as Arbitrum and Optimism, both of which look useful. One difference between these and Immutable X is that they use optimistic rollups, rather than Immutable X’s ZK rollups.

This is where it gets technical but if you want to go deeper, then it’s interesting to read up on the details.

However, as NFT adoption becomes more mainstream, keep in mind that the majority of collectors and traders aren’t overly concerned about technical distinctions and will never check under the hood. Most people simply want platforms that are trustworthy, inexpensive and frictionless, and Immutable X goes some way to addressing those needs.

<h2 id="how-is-it-used?“>How is it used?

If you’re already set up with a MetaMask wallet then you just need to go to the Immutable X website, connect MetaMask, and click through the process from there to set up your Immutable X wallet.

After that you’ll need to transfer some funds across to your new wallet and you’re all done. Currencies supported are ETH, the native IMX token, USDC, and also the GODS token (from the Gods Unchained game) and the GOG token (from the Guild of Guardians game).

There is also the option to purchase ETH, IMX and USDC directly with your credit card through Moonpay.

Marketplaces and connections

Immutable X is actually a coming together of two organizations: Immutable, who were formerly a gaming outfit called Fuel Games, and Starkware, a blockchain startup building Ethereum scaling solutions.

Immutable’s flagship blockchain game is Gods Unchained, and looking through the Immutable X marketplace, it’s gaming oriented compared to something like OpenSea.

Token Trove is an Immutable X marketplace that’s aimed squarely at gamers.

You can also trade Immutable X NFTs on Mintable, while OpenSea integration was announced last year and is in the pipeline, but hasn’t yet happened.

On the whole, Immutable X looks likely to be a key player in the rapidly expanding blockchain gaming space, powering productions such as Illuvium and Ember Sword (which moved across from Polygon), while also partnering with the world’s leading esports organization, ESL.

What’s more, Immutable X is working with both TikTok and VeVe. This means that some extremely big names will have their NFTs on Immutable X, including Marvel Comics and DC Comics (both through VeVe).

<h2 id="imx-tokens“>IMX tokens

If you want exposure to the NFT market without all that pesky business of buying NFTs, then you can do so by getting hold of the various tokens that power different arms of the NFT world.

In the case of Immutable X, that would mean the IMX token. At the time of writing it’s ranked as the 112th cryptocurrency by market cap, so there’s plenty of room for growth.

Is it a good long-term hold? Going on the strength of the partnerships and connections that Immutable X has established–and of course the power of the technology itself–it certainly could be. But that also depends on whether or not potential pitfalls are avoided.

Obstacles for Immutable X

When Ethereum 2.0 comes along there could plausibly be no further need for Layer 2 solutions. However, it’s far from clear exactly when Ethereum 2.0 will be ready to go.

There’s also competition from other players, including the various so-called Ethereum killers. No-one can accurately predict who will thrive, but what you can do is try out the competitors, see how they feel, assess whether they’re bringing in developers, users and collaborations, and then place (or spread) your bets accordingly.

A minor drawback to be aware of is that Immutable X currently charges sellers a 2% fee. That’s negligible compared to Ethereum’s gas fees but still, it means Immutable X is not entirely without transaction costs.

And then there are wider fluctuations in the NFT world. All of these scaling solutions would ultimately come to nothing if–just theoretically–everyone lost interest in and stopped buying NFTs. I don’t think that will happen, but there must be corrections (and they could at some points be severe) as markets don’t heat up at this pace forever.

That said, NFT technology appears to be a core part of the coming web3 transition, and so looking to the longer term, Immutable X should certainly be on your radar.

 

Final Notes

Thank you so much for your support, and I truly hope that today’s issue will give you insights needed to help you master your wealth.

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Lark and the Wealth Mastery Team

 

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