As of the end of 2023, the number of gamers worldwide stood at just about 3.2 billion and was predicted to hit 3.3 billion by the end of 2024. Asia leads in the stats, followed at a distance by Europe.
As the world of technology evolves, millions continue to show interest in gaming.
However, for many years, the gaming realm lacked decentralization. Most top gaming service providers centralized significant gaming aspects, including rewards, in-game asset custody, and more. The centralization brought complexities within the realm of gaming.
But blockchain gaming platforms brought a solution.
Defining Gaming Tokens
Gaming altcoins are a simple class of crypto coins designed with the primary aim of providing true decentralization in the realm of gaming. These tokens are launched as part of gaming projects to decentralize factors like:
- Ownership and custodianship of in-game asset
- Ease purchase and sale of in-game assets like characters, lands, armor
- The governance of the gaming network is fully decentralized, and players make decisions on the way forward.
Is The Blockchain Gaming Narrative Popular?
Well, Yes!
According to statistics, in 2022 alone, when the gaming narrative was actually at its peak, it attracted a revenue of over $4.6 billion. Popular stakeholders like Axie infinity and others attracted millions in funding over the season.
Ever since the dawn of the narrative many developers have been silently setting up proper foundations for the future of blockchain gaming. In fact, reports suggest that since 2022, over 550 have been developed.
With the recently concluded Bitcoin halving, and the bull run expected to ensue, the blockchain gaming narrative could see real adoption and acceptance. Billions are expected to flow into these tokens making them true gems.
What Are The Top 7 Gaming Tokens?
Decentraland Metaverse and Gaming Token
One of the biggest metaverse service providers, Decentraland, fits well in our top 7 list. Based on the Ethereum blockchain network, Decentraland is one of the crypto-focused inventions called Metaverse.
A metaverse is a decentralized but digital universe. While the term originates from a 1990s sci-fi novel, Metaverse is an invention built on blockchains that provides a virtual universe where people can meet, interact, play, and even earn.
In Decentraland, there are small lots of land that users can buy using the Decentraland token called MANA.
When this report was written, MANA was trading at $0.46, with a market cap of over $800 Million. With the increasing adoption of Decentraland and the post-Bitcoin halving bull run, MANA could see its price surge to upwards of $5.
Axie Infinity (AXS) Gaming Token
Launched in March 2018, Axie Infinity takes the second spot in our top 7 gaming altcoins list. It is the first crypto coin of its kind, offering users the ability to trade and purchase Axies.
The inspiration behind Axie network gameplay is Pokemon. Within the gameplay, players can battle, collect, raise, and even build kingdoms/empires for their Axies. The attributes of the Axies include a class, battle stat, four abilities, six body parts, purity level, rarity, and breed count. Axis are not just any form of asset; they are non-fungible tokens.
To earn within the Axie Infinity network, you must collect the Smooth Love Portion. Through this system, players earned millions in the early years.
Native within the Axie Infinity Network is a token named AXS, which has a unit value of $7 when writing this report. With the upcoming bullrun seemingly ready to replicate the previous bull seasons, we could see AXS making 5x gains.
Sandbox (SAND) Metaverse and Gaming Token
Another metaverse and crypto gaming network, Sandbox, takes a spot in our top 7 list.
A platform born in 2012, Sandbox has been offering a podium for players and gamers to unleash their creativity. Gamers can design games, 3D assets, and interactive experiences using voxels ( akin to LEGO blocks)
The primary ambition of Sandbox creators was to develop a platform that democratizes game development and leaves players with ownership of their creations. The twist in Sandbox is that coding knowledge is optional.
Encoded in Sandbox’s DNA is a native token, SAND, whose role is purely powering the network and service delivery. When this report was written, SAND was trading at just about $0.46 with a total market cap of $1 billion.
With massive partnerships, SAND seems ready to make 10x gains.
Ape Coin (APE) Gaming Altcoin
Apecoin, born in the throes of the crypto realm, is a project tailored for the gaming community. It revolutionizes the way we play, trade, and interact with the virtual realms.
The creators of ApeCoin were targeting a seamless bridge between the realm of gaming and blockchain tech. By combining the thrill of gaming with the decentralization and transparency of blockchain, Apecoin would be the next big thing in crypto.
The native token APE was designed to fuel the entire Apecoin gaming ecosystem. This altcoin gives access to in-game items, governance rights, and even land ownership.
With a unit price of $1.29 and a market cap of $783 million, APE is already catching the eye of big crypto players. As the gaming realm booms, Apecoin positions itself as the epicenter of a significant revolution.
Illuvium (ILV) Gaming Token
Another project from 2022 is Illuvium. Its creators aimed for a gaming system in which players capture mythical creatures and enjoy a masterful view of the universe.
In simple terms, Illuvium is a metaverse for gamers. The in-game characters are, in essence, humans on an alien planet. They discover mythical beasts called Illuvials with unique abilities. The Illuvials are NFTs whose rarity determines their power level.
ILV is the native token of Illuvium. When this report was written, ILV was trading at about $98, with a market cap of $632 million. Experts predict that ILV could hit $1K by next year.
Metacade (MCADE) Gaming Token
One of the most ambitious gaming projects in the crypto realm is Metacade.
Metacade focuses primarily on connecting developers, creators, gamers, and stakeholders in the Web3 realm. Imagine a hub where gamers can access every game while enjoying optimal earnings.
When writing this report, MCADE had a unit price of about $0.0105, with the market cap standing at just about $18 million. It recorded its peak price of $0.046 in May 2023 but was trading 76% below the AT when writing this report.
MCADE is an altcoin with 100x potential. But why?
Metacade has been a disruptive force in the gaming realm since dawn, especially with its unique P2E model. Factors like utility, market sentiment, and growing adoption also contribute to Metacade’s success.
Finally, Enjin Gaming Token
Born in 2009, Enjin has been bridging the gap between the realms of blockchain and gaming. Enjin empowers gamers by giving them actual ownership rights to their in-game assets.
The ENJ Token is the primary crypto asset of the Enjin network. At the time of writing, it was trading at just about $0.3. However, its market cap exceeded $400 million, a testament to its adoption and growth over the years.
ENJ has massive potential. Many in the crypto community believe that 10x, even 100x, is likely for ENJ in the coming years.
So, what do we do? Level up and hodl.
Final Word
This guide has explored the top 7 most popular gaming tokens in the blockchain realm today. While there have been dozens of such projects in the past, Decentraland, Axie Infinity, Ape Coin, Illuvium, Enjin, Sandbox, and Metacade seem to hold the best prospects, especially for the upcoming crypto bull run.
So, the big question is, what should you do now? To many investors, this guide has been a research kit before making decisions on their next investment move. Keep researching for more than 100x potential coins.