Blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies have been present in gaming for some time, but their full potential is only beginning to be realized. While many blockchain-based games are currently simple 2D or card-based experiences, the industry awaits a major triple-A title that fully integrates this technology. The potential benefits of blockchain in gaming are significant. This technology promises to transform digital item ownership, allowing players to truly own skins, cosmetics, and other in-game assets, which they can then resell or trade. Furthermore, tokenomics and blockchain integration are creating opportunities for players to earn real money through gaming, which is a major shift in the industry. Rumors that the highly anticipated GTA 6 will incorporate blockchain technology suggest this is a burgeoning trend. Let’s examine the key changes expected to reshape the blockchain video gaming world.
True Ownership
The concept of digital ownership is a fundamental change. In traditional games, players purchase or earn valuable in-game items, but they don’t truly own them. These items reside within the developer’s database, and if the game is discontinued, the items are lost. In essence, all the items owned are locked within the game’s ecosystem.
With blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies, this paradigm shifts. Players acquire digital assets that can be transferred outside the game into their digital wallets. For example, games like Axie Infinity allow players to own Axie creatures as NFTs (non-fungible tokens), enabling them to sell their Axies on open marketplaces such as OpenSea. Similarly, a card like Parallel’s “Masterpiece” Earthen unit can be sold on open markets. This model is not hypothetical – NFT gaming sales hit $8.8 billion in 2024, with platforms reporting 10,000 daily trades by 2025. This shift gives players control over their assets – a $10 The Sandbox land plot or a $5 Gods Unchained card is truly owned, logged on-chain, and immune to server wipes. While developers still distribute free items, NFTs turn in-game rewards into real, tradable assets.
Play-to-Earn: Earning While Playing
Historically, gaming consumed time without providing tangible reward. The play-to-earn (P2E) model reverses this, allowing players to earn real money while playing. Axie Infinity pioneered this concept, where players battle and breed cartoon creatures, earning AXS or SLP tokens. While earnings have fluctuated, with peaks and dips, and with entry costs to these games, it demonstrates that it provides real income. Even though the entry costs, with the increasing number of games and platforms using this method, it is poised to change the industry.
By 2025, P2E games globally generated $2.8 billion per player with small cuts per session. This isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme — entry costs can be a factor. Developers take a cut (5-10%) on trades, funding more content, whereas players transform their time and effort into cryptocurrency which they can exchange for fiat currency or reinvest. Platforms such as online casinos are also taking the same route using cryptocurrencies where you can play Bitcoin Live Baccarat using your crypto wallet.
Faster Chains
Early crypto gaming faced obstacles. Bitcoin’s 10-minute block times or Ethereum’s high gas fees slowed down many games. Now, new chains are evolving rapidly. Solana, with its 65,000 transactions per second (TPS), supports games like Star Atlas. The result is instantaneous transactions with fees. Similarly Polygon, the Layer-2 sidekick of Ethereum, offers lower costs. Such developments mean instantaneous value transfer, such as trading skins in the middle of a video game or getting paid right way. These upgrades allow developers to sync blockchain capabilities with the speed needed in games using sidechains.
Decentralized Worlds
Traditional video games operate under a top-down structure, with studios controlling rules and updates. Crypto’s decentralized approach empowers players through blockchain governance. Decentraland, a metaverse built on Ethereum, enables players to buy virtual plots, build structures, and charge rent. The Sandbox mirrors this. Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) take it a step further—the community votes on events with GHST tokens, or Parallel’s players can approve major tournament pots via PRIME. By 2025, over 50 games are expected to employ DAO structures. They are not without their challenges, but it represents a major shift. The players co-run the game, a dynamic that the game’s studio cannot afford to ignore.
Tournaments on Chain
Esports thrives on high-value tournaments. Blockchain’s technology enhances these events. Parallel’s March 2025 Las Vegas event offered $250,000 on the Base blockchain. All wins, losses, and payout transactions were recorded on-chain, guaranteeing fairness. Crypto Space Commander’s $50,000 ship-battle pot in January 2025 used Ethereum. Tokens like ENJ (Enjin) or CHZ (Chiliz) are instrumental. Fees are low while payouts are fast, eliminating delays. This transparency, which provides assurance that the game is not rigged or that prizes are being skimmed, attracting both professional and casual players and sponsors.
The video gaming world is poised for a revolution, with the rise of blockchain technology. Players can anticipate new innovations from major game developers in the near future.
