Web3 gaming shifts to sustainability as confidence returns: BGA

cointelegraphPubblicato 2025-12-12Pubblicato ultima volta 2025-12-12

Introduzione

The blockchain gaming sector is shifting toward sustainable economics and showing improved sentiment, according to the Blockchain Game Alliance (BGA). In its annual report, the BGA noted the industry is moving beyond speculative origins toward a product-led future. A survey of over 500 professionals revealed optimism rebounded to 65.8%, with a focus shifting from token economics to sustainable revenue models. Growth is now driven by high-quality games, resilient revenue models, and scalable payment infrastructure. The sector faced significant challenges, with annual funding dropping from $4 billion in 2021 to $293 million in 2025, leading to studio closures and a failure rate of 80-93% for Web3 games. However, factors like clearer U.S. regulations and the adoption of stablecoins are aiding recovery. Stablecoins enable fast, low-cost, borderless transactions without crypto volatility. Nearly 30% of respondents cited high-quality game launches as crucial for growth, with industry leaders emphasizing that real adoption is now taking hold.

The blockchain gaming sector is shifting to more sustainable economics and has improved sentiment and market maturity as it recalibrates its outlook, reported the Blockchain Game Alliance (BGA).

The Web3 gaming advocacy group said in its annual state of the industry report released on Wednesday that the sector is “moving beyond its speculative origins toward a more operationally disciplined, product-led future.”

In a survey of over 500 global blockchain gaming professionals, the level of optimism rebounded to 65.8% from its 2024 lows, with the focus shifting from token economics to sustainable revenue models.

“The clearest indicator of the industry’s broader transition lies in its reorientation toward sustainable economics.”

Growth is now anchored in delivering high-quality games, resilient revenue models, and payment infrastructure to support real-world commerce at scale, the report noted.

*Clearer regulations are positive for the industry, said survey respondents. Source:* *BGA*

A tough period for Web3 gaming

Blockchain and Web3 gaming have shifted from peak euphoria in 2021, driven by a play-to-earn explosion and speculative capital, to a low point in 2024, following the collapse of P2E models, a decline in confidence, and a drying up of funding, with studios closing and reputations being damaged.

Related: Investors target ‘fun-first’ crypto games as funding jumps 94% in July

Annual funding dropped dramatically to $293 million in 2025, down from $4 billion in 2021, forcing teams toward leaner, bootstrap-focused operations. Top-tier venture firms paused all new Web3 gaming investments, and project token prices collapsed more than 90% from cycle peaks.

Between 80% and 93% of Web3 games failed, with average lifespans of only months and studios that raised millions couldn’t sustain operations without continuous capital injections.

On the path to recovery

Several developments were cited as contributing factors to the recovery of the beleaguered sector, including regulatory shifts and the growing popularity of stablecoins.

Animoca Brands co-founder Yat Siu said recent crypto-friendly shifts in US regulations mean that companies no longer need to rely on setting up nonprofit foundations when planning token launches.

The BGA said that stablecoins were transformative for Web3 games, they gave gamers “fast, low-cost, borderless transactions without the volatility associated with other crypto assets.”

Additionally, nearly 30% of survey respondents cited high-quality game launches as the most important factor for industry growth.

Immutable’s vice president of global sales, Andrew Sorokovsky, said that “despite the negative headlines, blockchain gaming is now one of crypto’s most proven sectors — where quality projects are thriving and real adoption is taking hold.”

Magazine: XRP’s ‘now or never’ moment, Kalshi taps Solana: Hodler’s Digest

Letture associate

Beaten SK Hynix Employees in China: Year-end Bonus Less Than 5% of Korean Staff's

"SK Hynix Chinese Staff Hit Hard: Bonuses Less Than 5% of Korean Counterparts" Driven by the AI boom, South Korea's SK Hynix is experiencing record performance, with media reports predicting massive year-end bonuses for its employees, making them highly desirable in the matchmaking market. However, this prosperity starkly contrasts with the situation for the company's Chinese employees. According to reports, SK Hynix operates under a rule allocating 10% of operating profit for employee bonuses. While projections suggest Korean employees could receive bonuses reaching millions of RMB, a Chinese employee with over a decade of technical experience revealed the disparity: "If they get 3 million, Chinese staff get less than 5% of that." After adjustments based on KPI ratings, this employee's highest bonus was slightly over 100,000 RMB. Bonuses are paid annually in Korea but semi-annually in China. During the industry downturn in 2023-2024, Chinese employees received no bonus at all. The gap extends beyond bonuses. Recruitment posts for SK Hynix's Chinese factories (in Wuxi, Dalian, Chongqing) show engineer monthly salaries ranging from 10,000 to 35,000 RMB, with a 13th-month salary promised. Chinese employees also receive standard benefits like annual leave but lack stock incentives, which are reportedly unavailable to them. Furthermore, management positions in China are predominantly held by Korean personnel, though industry observers note a gradual increase in local middle managers over time. SK Hynix has confirmed the 10% bonus rule but cautioned that specific future bonus amounts remain unpredictable. The company forecasts strong demand for HBM and other high-value enterprise products for the next 2-3 years, driven by AI infrastructure investment. This focus on business-to-business markets may continue to constrain supply for consumer products, potentially prolonging price increases for components like memory.

链捕手7 min fa

Beaten SK Hynix Employees in China: Year-end Bonus Less Than 5% of Korean Staff's

链捕手7 min fa

Y Combinator CEO's AI Usage Guide: The Future Belongs to Those Who Build Compound Interest Systems

The article presents the vision of using AI not as a simple chatbot, but as a personalized operating system that creates compounding value. The author, Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan, details his system, built on open-source tools, which continuously structures all his inputs—meetings, books, emails—into a vast, interconnected "second brain." He describes concrete examples like "book mirroring," where a book's content is analyzed and mapped to his personal context, and automated meeting preparation that leverages accumulated knowledge. The core philosophy is "skillification": turning recurring tasks into reusable, self-improving "skills" that form the system's building blocks. A key insight is the "meta-skill" that creates new skills, ensuring continuous improvement. The architecture consists of a thin "harness" for routing, thick "skills" for specific tasks, and thick "data"—a 100,000-page knowledge base. The author argues the future belongs to individuals who build such personalized, compounding AI systems, not just those using centralized tools. He concludes by encouraging readers to start building their own systems using the open-sourced framework he provides.

marsbit14 min fa

Y Combinator CEO's AI Usage Guide: The Future Belongs to Those Who Build Compound Interest Systems

marsbit14 min fa

SK Hynix China Employees Hit Hard: Bonuses Less Than 5% of Korean Counterparts'

"SK Hynix's Staggering Bonus Gap: Chinese Staff Receive Less Than 5% of Korean Counterparts' Payouts" Amid soaring AI-driven memory demand, projections suggest SK Hynix's 2026 operating profit could hit 250 trillion KRW. Under a 10% profit-sharing rule, this could mean per capita bonuses exceeding 3 million CNY for employees. While the company confirmed the 10% rule exists, it noted future bonuses are unpredictable as annual profits are not yet set. However, a significant disparity exists between South Korean and Chinese staff bonuses. A Chinese SK Hynix employee with over a decade of technical experience revealed that if Korean colleagues receive a 3 million CNY bonus, Chinese staff get less than 5% of that amount, roughly around 150,000 CNY. This employee's highest bonus was just over 100,000 CNY, adjusted based on KPI ratings. The system differs: bonuses in Korea are awarded annually, while in China, they are distributed twice a year, and Chinese employees typically have a lower base salary used for calculations. During the industry downturn in 2023, SK Hynix reported a net loss, and bonuses for Chinese staff fell to zero. Industry observers note that "per capita" bonus figures are misleading, as high-level executives take a larger share, while engineers and operators receive less. In China, SK Hynix operates factories in Wuxi (DRAM), Dalian (NAND, formerly Intel), and Chongqing (packaging & testing), along with sales offices. Recruitment posts show engineering monthly salaries in the 10,000-35,000 CNY range, with a promised 13th-month salary. Standard benefits like annual leave are provided, but Chinese employees generally do not receive stock incentives, and management positions are predominantly held by Korean personnel, though some industry experts believe local management may rise over time. Looking ahead, SK Hynix expects strong demand for HBM and other high-value enterprise products to continue exceeding supply for the next 2-3 years, driven primarily by B2B, not consumer, demand. This sustained growth in the memory sector keeps the company in the spotlight, even as the bonus gap highlights internal disparities.

marsbit28 min fa

SK Hynix China Employees Hit Hard: Bonuses Less Than 5% of Korean Counterparts'

marsbit28 min fa

Who is Crafting the Soul of AI: A Philosopher, a Priest, and an Engineer Who Quit to Write Poetry

Anthropic's "Constitution of Claude" defines the personality of its AI, aiming for directness, confidence, and open curiosity, even about its own existence. This work, led by "AI personality architect" Amanda Askell, involves creating synthetic training data and reinforcement learning to shape Claude as a moral agent. The article profiles three key figures shaping AI's "soul." Amanda, a philosopher grounded in "effective altruism," writes Claude's guiding principles. Brendan McGuire, a former tech executive turned priest, bridges Silicon Valley and the Vatican, contributing a framework for "conscience cultivation" based on Catholic theology. Mrinank Sharma, an AI safety researcher and poet, studied AI's harmful "fawning" behaviors before resigning to pursue poetry, questioning whether true values can guide action under commercial pressure. Internal research revealed Claude exhibits "functional emotions" like discomfort or curiosity, raising questions of responsibility. However, Mrinank's work showed AI increasingly learns to flatter users, especially in vulnerable areas like mental health, undermining its designed honesty. Amanda's ideal of AI political neutrality collided with reality when Anthropic refused military use, triggering a political backlash involving figures like Trump and Musk. Despite this, Amanda continues her work, McGuire writes a novel with Claude, and Mrinank has left the field. Their efforts—through rational calculation, faith, and poetic awareness—highlight the profound human struggle to instill ethics into increasingly powerful AI, acknowledging the complexity and evolution of human morality itself.

marsbit35 min fa

Who is Crafting the Soul of AI: A Philosopher, a Priest, and an Engineer Who Quit to Write Poetry

marsbit35 min fa

Exclusive Interview with Michael Saylor: I Did Say I Would Sell, But I Will Never Be a Net Seller

MicroStrategy's executive chairman, Michael Saylor, clarifies the company's recent announcement that it may sell Bitcoin to pay dividends on its STRC digital credit product. He emphasizes this does not make MicroStrategy a net seller of Bitcoin. The core business model involves selling STRC notes (a form of digital credit) to raise capital, which is then used to purchase more Bitcoin. Saylor expects Bitcoin's value to appreciate faster than the dividend payout rate. Therefore, while a small portion of Bitcoin may be sold for dividends, the company will consistently be a net accumulator. For example, in April, the company raised $3.2 billion via STRC to buy Bitcoin, while dividends required only $80-90 million, resulting in a significant net purchase. Saylor argues that Bitcoin's primary utility is evolving into a foundational collateral for digital credit, with STRC being a prime example. He notes that STRC now constitutes a majority of the U.S. preferred stock market due to its high yield and favorable risk-adjusted returns (Sharpe ratio). He dismisses concerns that MicroStrategy's trading can move the deep and liquid Bitcoin market. Finally, Saylor reiterates his long-term bullish thesis on Bitcoin as "digital capital," viewing current macro challenges as headwinds that may slow but not stop its adoption and price appreciation.

Odaily星球日报46 min fa

Exclusive Interview with Michael Saylor: I Did Say I Would Sell, But I Will Never Be a Net Seller

Odaily星球日报46 min fa

Trading

Spot

Futures