XRP Ledger Gets Its Game On As B3 Network Expands From Ethereum

In brief

Blockchain games are coming to the XRP Ledger thanks to an expansion of B3’s gaming ecosystem.
It will begin with five hyper-casual testnet games designed to be played by anyone, anywhere.
Ultimately, the goal is to bring more users to the XRP Ledger and add utility to the Ripple-linked asset, XRP.

Crypto gaming is coming to the XRP Ledger with the creation of the XRPL Gamechain, a dedicated space for gaming designed to onboard new users to the ecosystem.

The effort is spearheaded by appchain network and gaming ecosystem B3—which began life as a layer-3 network built on Ethereum network Base—in collaboration with XRPL Commons, an entity dedicated to fueling the growth of the network behind leading cryptocurrency, XRP.

“Gaming is universal to all of us. We have games on our phones we play now, or grew up playing video games as kids,” Viktoriya Hying, co-founder of B3 creator NPC Labs, told Decrypt. “Through our own research conducted when we were at Coinbase, the team realized the most successful way to have users participate and engage more meaningfully on-chain is through creating fun, frictionless, and novel experiences. On-chain games allow for that.”

The XRPL Gamechain will open with a testnet version of Xcade, an online arcade containing five separate casual or hyper-casual gaming titles designed with quick-paced gameplay and mobile-friendly sessions. The full version of the arcade is expected to launch this fall.

“The intent is to make participating on-chain and on the XRP Ledger accessible, fun, and entertaining,” said Hying. “Upon launch, the game catalog will grow and expand, but will still be in the same category. We want to update the catalog weekly for Xcade post-launch so there’s always new games to play, fun to have, and ways to participate in the XRP ecosystem outside of just holding the token.”

When playing on the XRPL Gamechain, users will be able to complete challenges and earn XRP rewards via tournaments, competitions, and game nights on the network—which was made possible thanks to the June debut of the XRPL EVM sidechain.

Now with greater composability and programmability, B3 and XRPL Commons are hoping to drum up activity and create greater utility for XRP–the Ripple-linked asset.

“XRP is a highly held token looking for new use cases,” said Hyling. “We aim to create novel ways to use that token, reward users for their participation, and grow the number of daily active users in the XRP community.”

B3, built by former members of the team that worked on Coinbase’s Ethereum layer-2 network Base, launched its first gaming ecosystem—BSMNT—on Base before building out a more robust network of appchains. It launched its ecosystem token in February, and boasts more than 100 playable games and 8.5 million onboarded wallets.