1KIN Labs: Revolutionizing the Web3 Gaming Landscape
1KIN Labs is an innovative force in the world of Web3 gaming, bridging the gap between decentralized gaming platforms and traditional gaming experiences. With a vision to unite the fragmented world of Web3 gaming, 1KIN Labs has quickly become a central hub for discovering, accessing, and enjoying a diverse range of blockchain-based games.
At its core, 1KIN Labs fosters a growing and interoperable gaming ecosystem, offering a next-generation platform that connects gamers with some of the best decentralized, community-driven titles in the world. With nearly infinite possibilities, a top-tier catalog, early access opportunities, and tangible rewards, 1KIN Labs allows players to seamlessly manage their digital assets from a single login.
In an exclusive interview, Jack O’Neil, CEO of 1KIN Labs, provides insights into the company’s journey, the challenges they’ve faced and overcome, and their vision for the future of Web3 gaming. Join us as we dive into the world of Web3 gaming with a visionary leader who is pushing boundaries and paving the way for the future of gaming as we know it.
Q1. Can you introduce 1KIN Labs and explain what motivated you to create this company?
1KIN Labs has created a growing and interoperable gaming ecosystem for the distribution and discovery of Web3 titles and exclusive content. Our next-generation platform connects gamers with the best decentralized, community-driven titles available. With 1KIN, we are opening up a new world of gaming that offers endless possibilities, a top-tier catalog, early access opportunities, and tangible rewards. Additionally, players can conveniently access and manage their digital assets from a single login.
Our motivation for creating 1KIN Labs stems from the need to address the scaling issues in Web3 gaming. One major problem was the lack of a central hub in the Web3 space, similar to what Web2 platforms like Steam or the Epic Games Store offer. Games and gamers were scattered across different protocols, making it challenging for even the most dedicated Web3 gamers to navigate multiple titles and creating a significant barrier to entry for newcomers.
We also realized that a single game launcher wouldn’t solve the fragmentation problem, as Web3 games exist across different platforms and protocols. Furthermore, we saw the potential of Web3 to create more immersive digital experiences beyond traditional walled gardens. For the past two years, we have been on a mission to build a network of applications and tools that encourage players to embrace a seamless, interoperable, and unified Web3 gaming ecosystem.
Q2. As 1KIN Labs has recently emerged from stealth mode, can you tell us about your journey so far and the milestones you’ve achieved?
Recently, 1KIN Labs successfully completed a $3.3 million series A funding round led by major chains and foundations, including Polygon Labs, Solana Foundation, Aptos Network, Avalanche, and Fantom Foundation. We also received support from prominent venture capital firms, funds, and angel investors such as Zee Prime Capital, Devmons, ED3N, Avalanche’s Blizzard Fund, Wave Digital Assets, and Aurory. Notable angel investors include Anil Lulla, CEO of Delphi Digital, Jacob Cantele, founder of HyperPlay, Gerry P Smith, CEO of The Odp Corp, and others.
In 2023, we conducted a successful closed beta test of our game discovery platform, with tens of thousands of users participating. Nearly half of the participants claimed all exclusive content during the activation.
We have shared our vision at prominent industry conferences like GDC 2024 and the Harvard Blockchain conference, participating in panels and speaking engagements that continue online through platforms like Benzinga. In collaboration with our Ecosystem & Growth team, we have partnered with over 100 studios, publishers, and titles to expand the 1KIN ecosystem.
Q3. You’ve partnered with over 100 games, protocols, and partners. How did these partnerships come about, and what do they mean for the Web3 gaming ecosystem?
Strategic partnerships with protocols play a crucial role in realizing our vision of interoperability. Chains and foundations recognize the value of consolidating user acquisition across the entire industry, which has led to their belief in 1KIN Labs.
When it comes to studios, publishers, and games, our Ecosystem & Growth team presents a simple case – 1KIN Labs products simplify the process for players to enter the Web3 gaming world, creating a large pool of players who can easily access partnered games.
Partnerships between 1KIN Labs and games directly benefit players. Additionally, games can partner with 1KIN and utilize our tools without abandoning their existing protocols.
Q4. What are some of the challenges you’ve faced in integrating such a diverse range of games and protocols into a single entry point?
Integrating a diverse range of games and protocols into a single entry point is a significant challenge in Web3 gaming. In the spirit of collaboration, 1KIN Labs will soon announce a strategic partnership that will help tackle this challenge even more effectively.
This challenge extends beyond just the industry’s player base. Players of games on multiple networks have to navigate through various onboarding processes, wallets, networks, and Web3 asset types, making Web3 gaming a complex experience. Similarly, developers have to explore and compare different networks, as well as learn multiple unique schemas, to reach the widest player base possible.
1KIN Labs aims to address these challenges once and for all, ensuring that players and developers never have to deal with these issues again. While it hasn’t been an easy journey, 1KIN Labs’ technology is already integrated with 14 different Web3 networks.
Q5. Can you highlight some of the top games and tools that you’ve partnered with? What sets these games apart in the Web3 gaming space?
We are working with a diverse ecosystem of over 100 projects, including Aavegotchi, Aurory, BLOCKLORDS, BloodLoop, Legends of Venari, and many more. Each project we bring into the 1KIN fold offers a unique experience in the Web3 space.
Similar to traditional gaming, there is a sea of different titles in Web3 gaming, each with its own unique appeal. We aim to bring that same diversity to blockchain-based gaming by partnering with as many high-quality IPs as possible.
Q6. What are the main challenges facing Web3 gaming today, and how is 1KIN Labs addressing them?
One of the main challenges in Web3 gaming is the difficulty of finding Web3 titles. There is no central or simple place to discover content. Moreover, most Web3 titles have their own unique wallets and tokens, which can be overwhelming for players to manage, even if they are already sold on Web3.
1KIN Labs addresses these challenges by being a centralized hub for Web3 gaming, providing a single login, wallet, and token to make the user experience as seamless as possible. Players can browse countless titles from one store, knowing that these products have been vetted for a level of quality that surpasses many first-generation blockchain games.
Q7. Looking ahead, how do you envision advancing the Web3 gaming space?
In addition to our current efforts, we aim to continue building partnerships and developing the most comprehensive ecosystem possible for Web3 gaming. Our goal is to make this space not only functional for gamers who are already interested in playing blockchain games but also appealing to Web2 newcomers who have yet to explore this world. We will soon announce a large distribution channel that will introduce Web2 gamers worldwide to Web3 gaming and our partnered games.
Furthermore, we are passionate about enabling new gaming mechanics and capabilities that can only be achieved in the Web3 environment. Gaming has evolved beyond the confines of traditional consoles, and we believe that blockchain technology holds the key to creating more immersive, interoperable, and exciting digital experiences.
Q8. What do you see as the future of Web3 gaming, and how does 1KIN Labs fit into that future?
The future of Web3 gaming incorporates many of the positive aspects of Web2 gaming, along with additional benefits like real-world value, true asset ownership, and enhanced privacy and security. Web3 already has the potential to offer these benefits. What is currently missing is a central access point that simplifies the onboarding process. This is precisely what 1KIN Labs provides, positioning us as a major player in the emerging Web3 gaming industry.
Q9. How important is community involvement and feedback in shaping the development of 1KIN Labs and the games you support?
Community involvement and feedback are crucial to our development process. Providing feedback for individual games enhances their quality, but contributing feedback within the 1KIN ecosystem elevates the entire Web3 gaming landscape. By nurturing a community with high expectations for seamless user experiences across different protocols, 1KIN Labs can deliver effective results more efficiently.
Q10. Lastly, for those unfamiliar with Web3 gaming, how would you explain its significance and potential impact on gamers and developers?
Web3 gaming allows players to leverage decentralized systems to tokenize in-game assets and currency. This means that players can truly own these goods in a way that was not possible with Web2 titles. It also enables the creation of an ecosystem where value and assets can be seamlessly transferred across different games. Players have real ownership of what they acquire or earn, and they can fully utilize the utility of their assets.
For developers, Web3 offers a new economic model that enables open-ended income generation without resorting to practices like loot boxes or microtransactions. Instead, developers can release new items into the ecosystem and let the market organically trade them, while earning a nominal residual on every secondary sale. This allows users the freedom to conduct business as they please and provides ongoing income streams for supporting developers.
This is just the beginning. Over time, there will be more use cases and utilities for both players and creators in the Web3 gaming space.
In summary, Jack O’Neil and 1KIN Labs are leading the way in revolutionizing Web3 gaming by transforming fragmented ecosystems into a seamless and unified experience. Through their centralized hub, 1KIN Labs is addressing critical challenges in Web3 gaming, offering endless possibilities, top-tier content, and tangible rewards through a single platform. As they continue to expand their ecosystem, engage the community, and innovate new gaming mechanics, 1KIN Labs is shaping the future of gaming and making blockchain gaming accessible to all.
