Original title: VeradiVerdict - Issue #304
Original author: Paul Veradittakit
Compiled by: Alvis, Mars Finance
introduce
Over the past decade, the emergence of smart contract blockchains has unleashed a wave of innovations such as decentralized finance (DeFi), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs). These advances have not only reshaped the financial services landscape, but have also enhanced various industries, including the gaming industry.
The proliferation of public blockchain standards (e.g., ERC-721 for Ethereum NFTs) makes it easier than ever before for in-game items to interoperate not only with a wider variety of games, but also with the decentralized finance (DeFi) stack. As a result, in-game assets (avatars, skins, land, currencies, etc.) can now be truly owned and financialized like traditional assets (real estate, public and private equity, etc.). As a result, gaming economies can benefit from greater liquidity and price discovery for both cosmetics and in-game currencies.
However, while the original crypto gaming theory remains intact, many developers are frustrated by key issues between the needs of on-chain game developers and the reality. Game developers seek seamless user experience (UX), unified liquidity, one-click deployment, and compatibility with crypto on-ramps. But today, they are often faced with fragmented UX, dispersed liquidity across multiple chains, high aggregation-as-a-service (RaaS) overhead, and lack of compatibility with on-ramps.
B3 changes that!
Overview
Developed by NPC Labs, B3 is a horizontal ecosystem of third-layer (L3) blockchains built on Base, focusing on crypto games.
Base has quickly become one of the premier layer 2 (L2) blockchains in the crypto ecosystem, largely due to its partnership with Coinbase. Since its launch in August 2023, Base has been profitable, growing, and sticky. Today, Base has the second-largest number of L2 wallets (after Arbitrum) and is home to applications such as Uniswap, Friend.Tech, USDC, ThirdWeb, OpenSea, Zora, and many others.
By aligning with Base’s tools and culture, B3 can build a robust L3 gaming ecosystem, solidifying Base’s position as the leading venue for consumer crypto applications.
B3 Stack
Security layer: Ethereum, one of the most decentralized and secure first-layer blockchains.
Settlement layer: Base, a low-cost, builder-friendly L2 incubated by Coinbase.
Blockspace: B3, a L3 that allows for further scaling, provides dedicated blockspace for gamers, low gas fees, and faster transactions.
B3 Rollup Network: B3 achieves horizontal scaling through sharding at the application layer, orchestrating dedicated sidechains for applications, games, and compute-intensive operations.
Discovery Layer: Join.B3.Fun acts as a discovery layer for on-chain games, serving as a front-end landing page and game launcher where players can discover and play B3 rollups/games with seamless cross-chain UX.
Today on B3, you can play popular on-chain games like Dino Runner 3D, Anomaly Pinball, PewPew Tap, and more on web, mobile, desktop, and Telegram!
Key players and their contributions
At the core of B3 is its team, which has approximately 20 years of experience in the crypto ecosystem. In addition, the team has demonstrated incredible team-market fit, leading Base to grow its business and ecosystem from zero to one.
Daryl Xu serves as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of B3. Previously, Daryl led Base’s gaming and onboarding ecosystem during his tenure at Coinbase. There, he built impactful partnerships with on-chain developers, builders, and Web2 game studios.
Viktoriya Hying serves as Chief Product Officer (CPO) at B3. She previously led Base’s social and creator ecosystem, building partnerships with on-chain platforms, enterprises, and web2 brands.
Sean Geng serves as B3’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Sean previously worked as an engineering manager at Coinbase, where he led the development of the Coinbase Wallet and Coinbase NFT, and founded two companies before that.
Pantera is excited to lead B3’s (NPC Labs) $18 million round, along with other great investors including Mirana Ventures, Collab+Currency, Sfermion, Bitscaple Capital, and Mantle EcoFund.
in conclusion
In summary, B3 represents a major shift in the Base gaming ecosystem, solving key challenges faced by on-chain game developers. By providing a seamless user experience, unified liquidity, and enhanced compatibility with crypto portals, B3 will revolutionize the crypto gaming landscape. With strong leadership, innovative technology, and strong investor support, we at Pantera believe B3 will become a key player in the future of blockchain gaming.
