Hello degens and welcome to funky Friday,

It’s our final newsletter for the week before we sign off for the weekend. We hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s offerings!

Let us know what you think by leaving us a comment.

Happy reading!

Writer: Vineet

Curator: Koko

Things looking a little different? Well, we have switched things up! Here’s a recap for you:

TL;DR:
Old To The Moon - daily recap of the previous day’s top stories
New To The Moon - Five curated edits focusing on all the Metaverse, NFT, Digital Fashion, AI, and Blockchain Gaming news of the week.

📈📉Gaming Tokens Making Moves

Gaming Tokens Movements: One token to watch this week is SAND. About 327 million SAND tokens will become available on August 14, which could cause the price to plummet. If the price of SAND doesn't change much, it might stay between $0.39 and $0.41. However, more traders are betting that the price will go up (bullish) rather than down (bearish). The situation SAND is in right now is very important, so keep your eyes on it.

🌚Full Moons - Free NFTs, 0 NFTs, and Everywhere NFTs

Web3 Gaming - The Amazon Way

Amazon Prime Gaming has teamed up with the NFT game Mojo Melee! The game, known for its user-friendly auto battler style, launches its debut season on the Amazon Prime Gaming platform. Prime subscribers get cool stuff, such as:

• a free NFT of the game’s champion character, Gwyn Rockhopper, and

• a hefty 885 Ore in-game currency.

This is all about mixing gaming and shopping in a new way! Safe to say Jeff Bezos is just getting his feet wet in cryptoland! While Amazon's broader NFT plans remain speculative, this move marks a significant stride in the mainstream adoption of blockchain-based gaming and NFTs. (We’ve also heard rumors of an Amazon NFT marketplace!).

• As the world’s biggest digital shopping mall, Amazon is not new to NFTs or Web3. They did something similar with Blankos Block Party before, giving subscribers free avatars and stuff.

While the global brand continues to deliver products and services IRL, its broader metaverse & web3 plans are yet to be unveiled. We’ll have to wait and see, until then, catch us playing Mojo Melee all the way! LFG Jeffrey!

Axie Infinity’s ‘Lite’ Version - Now With 0 NFTs

Blockchain gaming is undergoing a fascinating change, merging Web2 and Web3 traits. Play-to-earn Web3 giants Axie Infinity launched a “Lite” version, eliminating the need for NFT ownership.

This shift reflects a broader trend in blockchain gaming, where studios blend Web2's accessibility with Web3's blockchain nature, sparking discussions about a future where the two gaming worlds are indistinguishable.

• This evolving approach prioritizes substance over speed, attracting more players to Web3 while addressing user experience through thorough testing before launch.

• Some games now offer both Web2 and Web3 options, aiming to engage a diverse audience.

As the lines blur, the future promises a gaming landscape reshaped by this blend of accessibility and innovation.

Take Your Avatar EVERYWHERE

Crucible's Emergence SDK is making waves for interoperable gaming, extending from Unreal Engine to Unity. This move helps game developers with easy integration of new software. And that in turn helps build player experience and engagement.

• Emergence SDK is now on the Unity Asset Store, solidifying Crucible's position as a Verified Solutions Provider.

• It's a top-tier solution for scalable projects, offering seamless integration of avatars, inventories, crypto wallets, and player personas using blockchain tech.

• This basically means that in the near future, you will be able to take your NFT/Web3 Avatar across metaverses, possibly even across different blockchains!

This setup takes just minutes, encouraging innovation and cost-effective development. A groundbreaking feature is interoperable player avatars across different game worlds, filling a void for gamers and developers alike. Imagine taking your in-game assets (avatars, pets, weapons, and more) from one metaverse/chain to another, at the press of a button!

The phrase “My NFT is Me & I am my NFT” just got a whole lot realer, anon!

🔭The Scope

Gaming is going mainstream! With big Web2 players like Amazon gifting free game NFTs, and Axie Infinity creating Web2 versions of Web3 games, the wider blockchain gaming market is actively onboarding traditional gamers. Is this Web3, or Web 2.5? Either way, WLTSI.

🌓Half Moons

Sky Mavis has launched Mavis Hub: Greenlight, a platform under the Axie Infinity builders' program to support new game developers in the Axie ecosystem by allowing them to share early game builds, offering tools, funding, and community voting for game listings.

Game is releasing Season 2 of 'The Game Game' on August 4, 2023, introducing locally-inspired user-generated content on Roblox, and collaborating with South African designers to reflect the country's virtual fashion culture.

The Supreme Court has refrained from implementing a federal judge’s injunction, allowing Apple to appeal the decision and maintain the current App Store guidelines which prevent iOS apps from directing users to external payment systems, like Web3 wallets.

🔭The Scope

Gaming is all about community, and Sky Mavis and ‘Game’ are making sure that they are fostering wholesome communities with their respective in-ecosystem support for devs, and user-generated content which reflects their culture. However, Apple still doesn’t seem to recognize the power of blockchain gaming - or, it just wants to keep its 30% cut.

⚪Total Eclipse

We found THIS AWESOME TWITTER THREAD that gives you some cool facts about Web2 & Web3 Gaming! We’re JUST getting started with web3 gaming.

💫Shooting Star

This week’s feature is Pikamoon

Pikamoon is a p2e game/metaverse/ecosystem where you can buy NFTs, enter tournaments, and win crypto. There are virtual lands and you can build your kingdoms and expand your empire in the world of Dreva. Plus, by engaging in battles, you climb an online leaderboard with $PIKA as reward!

🌚 Dark Side of the Meme