The top 10 blockchains for GameFi development

Although Ethereum remains the blockchain of choice for the majority of GameFi development, there are a number of other names competing for a share of the market. In this article we will look at the most popular and powerful blockchains which are helping to develop the GameFi eco-system on the market today.

Ethereum

The worlds seconds largest open source and publicly owned blockchain, Ethereum was the first network to enable the development of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). With this kind of pedigree and first mover advantage it is easy to see why Ethereum has remained the most popular choice for continuing GameFi development. Ethereum’s reputation for flexibility, security and interoperability mean that the platform hosts some of the biggest names in GameFi (Gods Unchained, Iluvium, SoRare) and supports the largest number of blockchain gamers today, generating transactions worth more than a million dollars each day.

EOS

A popular alternative to Ethereum due to its faster speeds and transaction times, EOS continues to attract GameFi developers due to its strong decentralised and open source design which prioritises high performance, flexibility, security and developer experience. Alongside a strong and devoted community, EOS provides developers with the tools to build their vision in a way no other blockchain can match.

Polygon

Established Ethereum scaling solution Polygon branched into the world of gaming in July 2021 with the launch of their very own gaming eco-system, Polygon Studios. Since launch the studio has worked with some of the biggest names in gaming such as EA, Riot and Activism and is lauded for its scalable infrastructure, low gas fees and fast transaction times.

Binance Chain (BNB)

Compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) and its associated smart contracts, BNB has become one of the most popular networks for the creation of blockchain gaming. With a competitive business model BNB continues to attract a wide range of new and upcoming games including CryptoBlades, My DeFi Pet and NFT Farmer.

Ronin

Founded by world renowned Sky Mavis, Ronin is an EVM based blockchain that has been developed specifically for Play to Earn gaming. Ronin is proving to be a popular choice for developers due to its ability to offer fast and cheap transactions with an average confirmation time of 2–3 seconds. Furthermore, the network has a direct link to Ethereum via the Ronin cross chain bridge which allows players to seamlessly swap or trade in-game tokens for other cryptocurrencies. Finally, its easy to use and hassle free interface mean Ronin continues to be a popular choice for first time GameFi developers.

Wax

Originally designed to process e-commerce payments, WAX (Worldwide Asset Exchange) pivoted their business model toward blockchain gaming in 2019. Fully compatible with the EOS network, this delegated proof of stake (DpoS) blockchain powers three of the most popular Play to Earn titles on the market today — Splinterlands, Alien Worlds and Farmers World. The e-commerce functionality means that incentive mechanisms developed by WAX help optimize network utility, especially in the role of community governance.

MOBOX

A cross chain platform with full interoperability written into its core protocol, MOBOX is a ‘gaming platform and metaverse creator’ which combines elements of DeFi yield farming and NFT gaming. Whatever form the user decides to take the MOBOX platform ensures that all players, developers and collectors are rewarded for their engagement and enjoyment.

Wemix

Wemix is a high performance EVM compatible open source protocol powered by a stake based proof of authority (SPoA) consensus mechanism. This enables the platform to offer an ‘experience based, platform driven, service orientated decentralised blockchain protocol’ with an emphasis on high TPS and decentralised on-chain governance.

Bora

Marketing itself as a cost effect alternative to building on Ethereum, Bora is a two tiered blockchain which relies on the public Klaytn chain for cheaper transactions whilst using the Bora layer to execute decentralised apps. Praised for its easy to navigate API and high cross chain interoperability, Bora provides developers with a complete infrastructure to encourage innovative and functional game creation.

Reef

Built using the Substrate framework, Reef (Reliable, Extensible, Efficient, Fast) is a layer 1 blockchain network which has been specifically designed for DeFi, NFTs and gaming. Thanks to its core design Reef is able to offer almost instant low cost transactions with high scalability and supports both EVM and Solidity meaning developers can seamlessly migrate their apps from Ethereum without any change in the codebase.