An Interview with Jack O’Neil, CEO of 1KIN Labs

1KIN Labs is a pioneering drive within the Web3 gaming panorama, bridging the hole between decentralized gaming platforms and conventional gaming experiences. Based with a imaginative and prescient to unify the fragmented world of Web3 gaming, 1KIN Labs has swiftly emerged as a central hub for locating, accessing, and having fun with a various array of blockchain-based video games.

1KIN Labs fosters a rising and interoperable gaming ecosystem, leveraging a next-generation platform that connects players with a few of the world’s finest decentralized, community-driven titles. Providing almost infinite prospects, a top-tier catalog, early recreation entry alternatives, and tangible rewards, 1KIN Labs permits gamers to handle their digital property seamlessly from a single login.

On this unique interview, Jack O’Neil, CEO of 1KIN Labs, shares insights into the corporate’s journey, the challenges confronted and overcome, and their imaginative and prescient for the way forward for Web3 gaming. Be a part of us as we delve into the world of Web3 gaming with a pacesetter who’s pushing the boundaries and paving the way in which for the way forward for gaming as we all know it.

Q1. To start with, are you able to introduce 1KIN Labs and what motivated you to create this firm?

1KIN Labs fosters a rising and interoperable gaming ecosystem for the distribution and discovery of Web3 titles in addition to unique content material. It has a next-generation platform that connects players with the world’s finest decentralized, community-driven titles. 1KIN opens up a brand new world of gaming with almost infinite prospects, a top-tier catalog, early recreation entry alternatives, and tangible rewards. What’s extra, gamers are capable of take their digital property wherever they go, all from a single login.

For the previous two years, 1KIN labs has been on a mission to construct tooling to assist remedy the scaling points in web3 gaming. The primary main downside was that Web3 lacked a central hub, one thing akin to what Web2 will get from locations like Steam or the Epic Video games Retailer. Video games and players have been being fragmented throughout completely different protocols, making it difficult for even essentially the most devoted Web3 players to navigate a number of titles and creating an enormous barrier to discovery and onboarding for newcomers.

Furthermore, a single recreation launcher wouldn’t remedy the fragmentation downside, since web3 video games exist throughout completely different platforms (PC, cell, browser) and quite a few protocols. Moreover, we noticed that web3 has the potential to create deeper interactive digital experiences that goes past conventional walled gardens. So for the previous two years, we’ve got been on a mission to construct a community of purposes and instruments to impress gamers into embracing a seamless, interoperable, and unified Web3 gaming ecosystem.

Q2. As 1KIN Labs has just lately emerged from stealth mode, are you able to inform us about your journey thus far and what milestones you’ve achieved?

For one, 1KIN just lately held a $3.3 million sequence A funding spherical led by main chains and foundations, together with Polygon Labs, Solana Basis, Aptos Community, Avalanche, and Fantom Basis. The funding spherical additionally noticed participation from outstanding VCs, funds, and angel traders, together with Zee Prime Capital, Devmons, ED3N, Avalanche’s Blizzard Fund, Wave Digital Property, and Aurory. Angel traders corresponding to Delphi Digital CEO Anil Lulla, HyperPlay founder Jacob Cantele, The Odp Corp CEO Gerry P Smith, and others.

2023 introduced with it a profitable closed beta take a look at of our recreation discovery platform, the place dozens of 1000’s of customers participated. Almost half of all members claimed all unique content material through the activation.

We’ve shared our imaginative and prescient at outstanding trade conferences corresponding to GDC 2024 and the Harvard Blockchain convention, attending panels and talking engagements that proceed on-line by means of shops corresponding to Benzinga. Alongside efforts from our Ecosystem & Development group, 1KIN Labs has partnered with over 100 studios, publishers, and titles to fill out the 1KIN ecosystem.

Q3. You’ve partnered with over 100 video games, protocols, and companions. How did these partnerships come about, and what do they imply for the Web3 gaming ecosystem?

Strategic partnerships with protocols are some of the vital elements of realizing a imaginative and prescient of interoperability. Chains and foundations see the worth in amalgamating consumer acquisition throughout the trade as an entire, which led to their perception in 1KIN Labs.

For studios, publishers, and video games, the 1KIN Labs Ecosystem & Development group makes a easy case- 1KIN Labs merchandise make it easy for gamers to leap into Web3 gaming as an entire, which can result in a big pool of gamers that would simply acquire entry to a partnered recreation.

Partnerships between 1KIN Labs and video games instantly profit gamers. As an added perk, Video games may accomplice with 1KIN and use instruments with out backtracking on the prevailing protocol they already use.

This autumn. What are a few of the challenges you’ve encountered in integrating such a various vary of video games and protocols right into a single entry level?

Integrating a various vary of video games and protocols right into a single entry level is the holy grail downside inside Web3 gaming proper now, and in and of itself an enormous problem. Within the spirit of collaboration, 1KIN Labs will probably be asserting a strategic partnership that may assist in tackling that problem even quicker.

The scope of the problem has spilled over into the participant base of the complete trade. Gamers of video games on a number of networks need to cope with a number of onboarding processes, wallets, networks, and Web3 asset varieties, which makes selection gaming in Web3 troublesome. In the identical vein, builders have to buy and evaluate networks in addition to study a number of distinctive schemas to seize the most important participant base attainable.

1KIN Labs goals to deal with these challenges as soon as and for all, so gamers and builders alike by no means need to cope with these points ever once more. It hasn’t been straightforward, however 1KIN Labs tech is already built-in with 14 completely different Web3 networks.

Q5. Are you able to spotlight a few of the prime video games and instruments that you simply’ve partnered with? What makes these video games stand out within the Web3 gaming house?

There’s an entire ecosystem of 100+ initiatives that we’re working with, together with Aavegotchi, Aurory, BLOCKLORDS, BloodLoop, Legends of Venari, and plenty of extra. Each undertaking we deliver into the 1KIN fold gives a singular expertise within the Web3 house.

Conventional gaming is a sea of various titles which are all distinctive not directly, and gamers are free to gravitate in the direction of what makes essentially the most sense to them. We wished to deliver that to blockchain-based gaming, so we’re partnering with as many high quality IPs as attainable.

Q6. What are the largest issues going through Web3 gaming right now, and the way is 1KIN Labs addressing these points?

To seek out Web3 titles, gamers have to already know the place to look. There’s no central or easy place to search out content material. Furthermore, most Web3 titles have their very own distinctive pockets and normally a token. Even for gamers who’re bought on Web3 already, this can be a lot to handle.

1KIN addresses all of this by being a centralized hub for Web3 gaming that makes use of a single login, pockets, and token to make the consumer expertise as frictionless as attainable. Gamers can browse numerous titles from one retailer and know that these merchandise have been vetted for a degree of high quality that may be a lower above most of the first-generation blockchain video games.

Q7. Wanting ahead, how do you envision pushing the Web3 gaming house ahead?

Along with what we’re already doing, we need to proceed to construct partnerships and develop essentially the most complete ecosystem attainable for Web3 gaming. We’re dedicated to creating this house not solely useful for players who already need to play blockchain video games but in addition enticing to Web2 newcomers who haven’t but taken the plunge into this world. We’re asserting a big distribution channel quickly that can introduce Web2 players world wide to Web3 gaming and our partnered video games.

Along with distribution, we’re additionally very keen about serving to to allow new gaming mechanics and capabilities that may solely be completed in Web3. Gaming has expanded past the console and we consider that blockchain know-how holds the keys to creating extra immersive, interoperable, and thrilling digital experiences.

Q8. What do you see as the way forward for Web3 gaming, and the way does 1KIN Labs match into that future?

The actual fact is, the way forward for Web3 gaming carries most of the constructive elements of Web2 gaming, with the addition of advantages like a real-world retailer of worth, true asset possession, and hermetic privateness and safety. Proper now, Web3 already can provide these advantages. What’s lacking is a central entry level that makes onboarding straightforward and intuitive. That is precisely what 1KIN is offering, and we concentrate on being a significant participant within the budding trade of Web3 gaming.

Q9. How vital is neighborhood involvement and suggestions in shaping the event of 1KIN Labs and the video games you help?

It’s essential. Offering neighborhood suggestions for a recreation can improve its particular person high quality, however contributing suggestions throughout the 1KIN ecosystem elevates the complete Web3 gaming panorama. By nurturing a neighborhood that has excessive expectations for seamless consumer experiences throughout disparate protocols, 1KIN Labs can ship efficient outcomes quicker.

Q10. Lastly, for these unfamiliar with Web3 gaming, how would you clarify its significance and potential affect on each players and builders?

For players, Web3 titles leverage decentralized techniques to permit for the tokenization of in-game property and foreign money. Which means gamers can actually personal these items in a manner by no means earlier than attainable with Web2 titles. It additionally makes it attainable to arrange an ecosystem the place worth and property may be moved throughout completely different titles seamlessly. Gamers really personal what they buy or earn, and so they can notice the total utility of what they purchase.

For builders, Web3 gives an entire new financial mannequin that may enable for open-ended revenue technology with out resorting to practices like loot bins or microtransactions. As a substitute, builders can merely launch new objects into the ecosystem and let the market commerce them organically, all whereas taking a nominal residual on each secondary sale. This permits customers the liberty to do enterprise as they please and brings ongoing revenue streams to the builders who help this house.

That is simply the beginning- in time, there will probably be extra use circumstances and utilities for each gamers and creators.

Interview Abstract

Jack O’Neil and 1KIN Labs are on the forefront of revolutionizing Web3 gaming, aiming to rework fragmented ecosystems right into a unified, seamless expertise. By offering a centralized hub for locating and accessing a various array of blockchain-based video games, 1KIN Labs is addressing crucial challenges in Web3 gaming with progressive options.

From securing a big Collection A funding spherical to efficiently conducting closed beta exams and forming partnerships with over 100 studios and protocols, 1KIN Labs has demonstrated its dedication to pushing the boundaries of Web3 gaming. These achievements underscore 1KIN Labs’ pivotal position in shaping the way forward for gaming, providing almost infinite prospects, top-tier content material, and tangible rewards—all accessible by means of a single platform.

As we glance forward, 1KIN Labs continues to broaden its ecosystem, foster neighborhood involvement, and innovate new gaming mechanics that capitalize on the potential of blockchain know-how. By offering a central entry level for Web3 gaming, 1KIN Labs isn’t solely making blockchain gaming accessible but in addition making certain that the house evolves to satisfy the wants of each veteran players and newcomers alike.