MetaMask Brings Web3 to Gaming
MetaMask just enabled access to 3.9B monthly active users with its SDK launch on Unity. Is this how NFTs go mainstream?
TylerD's Market Summary
GM!
Today's top news includes:
-MetaMask launches SDK on Unity
-Coinbase follows Jack's lead
-NFTs back in the green
-PV drops 43-page white paper
-Decentraland plans metaverse fashion show
🦊 MetaMask 🤝 Unity
It started with a spooky, first-person shooter teaser video from the MetaMask Twitter account along with the phrase "Something's coming..."
That's how they chose to make the blockbuster announcement that MetaMask has launched an SDK (software developer kit) in the Unity store.
This was coupled with a press release from Unity (the cross-platform game engine which powers major games like Pokemon Go) that they are now supporting decentralization in gaming.
What Does That Mean?
Gaming devs can now connect their games to the MetaMask wallet, enabling crypto and NFT integration into gameplay.
They are bringing gaming to Web3.
In-game assets can now be turned into NFTs with Unity's suite of products, and they can be bought and sold with crypto using the MetaMask integration.
These game developers also have several options now regarding where to build, including Ethereum, Solana, Algorand, Tezos, Aptos and Flow.
Why It Matters:
Unity is a massive player in gaming.
Some key figures (from 2021 but still directionally relevant):
71% of the top 1000 mobile game titles are based on Unity
5B average monthly downloads
3.9B monthly active end users
For comparison, MetaMask had just 21M monthly active users in November 2022.
I'm no math wiz, but 3.9B >> 21M.
This is the infrastructure move that can truly bring crypto and NFTs to the masses.
Well done, MetaMask.
🔵 Coinbase Learns from Jack
Coinbase's new NFT Base, Introduced became much more interesting yesterday, after the team shared an intriguing new update.
The NFT is evolving.
For the next 5 days, the team will be updating the artwork on the Base, Introduced NFT to "tell the story of the builders" who will bring Base to 1B+ people on-chain (their vision).
Holders should refresh their metadata each day at noon ET to see the new image.
Why It Matters?
The major debate around the Base NFT is whether Coinbase will have any utility or plans for it down the road (i.e. their de-facto crypto token), or if it is simply a POAP.
This move puts the POAP theory to rest.
Teams do not update the metadata for POAPs on a daily basis.
It also shows that the Coinbase team is paying attention to the space.
This idea of refreshing the metadata has become wildly popular this year after Jack Butcher has mastered the concept with his Checks performance art project.
The tactic is a great way of continuing to drive attention to a project over time, a desperately needed factor in an attention-driven space.
Coinbase using this tactic means 1) they are following the top players in the space and their best moves, and 2) likely have plans to continue updating or using their NFT to tell the story of the Base launch.
The game is on.
🚚 What else is happening in NFTs?
Here is a list of the other major headlines from the weekend:
Trading volume came in at 45k ETH on Tuesday, up slightly from Monday with Blur holding 75% share
Most NFTs were green on the day and up 5%-10%; PFPs were the leader, with BAYC +5% to 71.9 ETH, Captainz +7% to 5.5 ETH and Pudgy Penguins +7% to 5.9 ETH
Pixel Vault dropped a 43-page whitepaper for its new "flagship game" launched on Reboot; MetaHeroes up 46% on the week at 0.59 ETH
Yuga Labs is closing The Sewers today, shutting down the Toad Lick game for score validation ahead of The Summoning starting on March 8
Super Puma had their reveal event, with the floor dipping 11% to 0.2 ETH
The Ordinals market saw a new all-time-high of daily volume with over $1M after Yuga's TwelveFold announcement sent BTC speculators into a frenzy
🌎 Around Crypto and Web3
A few other Crypto and Web3 headlines that caught my eye:
The crypto market was up slightly on Tuesday; BTC +1.2% at $23,800 and ETH +1.2% at $1,660
Decentraland is preparing for a Metaverse Fashion Week, scheduled for March 28-31; they are partnering with big brands such as Diesel, adidas, Dolce & Gabbana, COACH, and several more
Crypto project Volt Inu ($VOLT) has launched an NFT battle royale game for PC, features Fortnite-like gameplay and is available on Steam
🚀 NFT Total Volume
BAYC (3,755 ETH, 71.1 ETH Floor)
BAKC (3,484 ETH, 7.9 ETH)
MAYC (3,365 ETH, 15.1 ETH)
Azuki (3,052 ETH, 14.4 ETH)
Doodles (2,667 ETH, 5.4 ETH)
📈 NFT Floor Price Increase
MG Land (180%, 0.18 ETH Floor)
Nouns (32%, 33 ETH)
Pudgy Rods (17%, 0.78 ETH)
PROOF (16%, 18.2 ETH)
Createra Genesis Land (15%, 0.49 ETH)
🗓 Upcoming NFT Mints and Reveals
Today is a busy day of drops and reveals.
The mint of the day is Art Blocks Curated, featuring an animated collection of just 255 supply by theoretical physicist Eric De Giuli. The artwork has seen mixed feedback from the community, but with the supply that low, this will see real demand.
Then DraftKings Reignmakers launches the first NFT in its new PGA Tour product with Greens Passes going live, exciting for golf fans.
The wildcard of the day is the $PRIME token unlock, as Parallel gears up for its game launch.
Memes by 6529 (11:00 a.m. ET); 0.069 ETH mint
Utopia Avatars - reveal (11:00 a.m. ET)
Art Blocks Curated: Calian by Eric De Giuli (1:00 p.m. ET); Dutch auction
2023 Reignmakers PGA TOUR Greens Pass (5:00 p.m. ET)
Parallel - $PRIME token unlock (TBD)
Enjoy this write-up? Follow along with me on Twitter @tyler_did_it or reach out via email tyler.warner@luckytrader.com.
For all volume and floor price data, see Lucky Trader's Project Rankings page.
For all upcoming mints, see Lucky Trader's Project Schedule page.