Play Games, Win a Bored Ape ⚡️

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Here, there, and everywhere making sure you're up to speed with what's really going on in the weird and wonderful world of crypto; it's another issue of The Reveal, pumping and dumping all sorts of news and views you won't read elsewhere right into your inbox.

It's a short and sharp issue today because I'm on holiday so cheers, and let's get into it 🍻

Newsround 🗞

1/ Finders Keepers 🏴‍☠️

Crypto.com accidentally transferred $10.5m to an Australian woman when processing a $100 refund, and somehow failed to notice the error for seven months.

In May last year, Melbourne resident Thevamanogari Manivel was supposed to receive a $100 refund but thanks to a fat fingered member of staff, got more than she bargained for, managing to buy the above mansion for her sister and then some.

Sadly, the courts have ordered the pair to sell off their assets and return all the money including interest to the tune of $27,000 for holding onto the money during court proceedings.

Here's some advice if this ever happens to you:

It's no surprise the exchange went in all guns blazing to retrieve the cash as they recently pulled out of a $495 million sponsorship deal with the Champions League, Europe's elite soccer tournament.

2/ Bot-to-Earn 🤖

Levan Kvirkvelia, the founder of Jigger, an anti-bot protection software, has released a report asserting that 40% of the player base of web3 games are bots. The study found evidence of a whopping 20,000 bots across over 60 web3 games.

Jigger can detect bots and multi-accounts by linking wallets belonging to the same person, with some projects having over 80% comprised of nasty, good-for-nothin' bots.

It confirms fears that the numbers of web3 games are inflated by reporting on the number of wallets interacting with the dApps.

Why?

Well, when you introduce real money incentives to a game and ignore how it will likely be compromised by malicious actors, you're asking for trouble.

This is why a lot of the new players on the play-to-earn scene, including the much talked about Gabe Leydon, are opting for free-to-play mechanics that don't require the Ponzi-style upfront payment to get started that we've seen in failing games like Axie.

3/ Ticketmaster Sort of Using NFTs 🎟

Ticketmaster stole the headlines this week as they announced they're going to be supporting NFTs for tickets.

Only, you can't actually use it as a ticket to enter.

According to their site, the tickets are called Virtual Commemorative Tickets and can be used as a memento or to prove that you attended, like a PoAP.

This really doesn't move the needle.

Artists already know who attends their gigs and can reward as they see fit, so really this is simply a way for people to have another memento from an event and for the big wigs to sell more tat – adding to the collectible fever that won't last in the long term.

Maybe buying into the NFT collection would give you priority access to an exclusive airdrop and then a few months later, merch which you could've just bought at the gig.

Introducing: Not Advice 🧠

What?Our new edition where VCs and traders tell you what you should buy, sent every Tuesday.

You'll also get access to our member-only Telegram group to network and share views, as well as entry to our monthly NFT giveaway.

How much?Just $10 per month or $99 per year.

So, for less than $2 per week you'll be clued up and ahead of the game.

Shiny New Toys 👀

Internet Game

On a similar topic of gaming in web3, Internet Game have nailed how to bring an exciting experience into web3, without focusing on the tech first – a problem we still see where founders want to create an NFT project and then think of utility.

Hopefully the bear market is changing things in this regard and investors certainly think so, with the outfit raising $7mil this week from notable investors including Rus Yusupov, founder of HQ Trivia and formerly Vine.

Internet Game, co-founded by Jordan Lejuwaan and venture partner Krish Jagidar, are minting tickets to its second season, Bear Market Battle, right now offering the chance to win life-changing sums of money.

All you need to do is buy a ticket, play the casual games when the time comes, bet everyone else and win this Bored Ape. Even if you do pretty well during the competition, this is reflected in your minted NFT in the fact that you can sell it to someone who fancies their chances, creating a real-time market to cash out on your progress.

Check their Discord out to get involved.

This ain't sponsored by the way but we spoke to the founders and know there's a lot more in store: one to watch.

Confessions 🤫

A Digestif 🍸

Following on from our Tezos NFT feature last week, here's a mesmerising piece by nikita that has garnered lots of attention, and has been acquired by the legendary XCOPY:

Short and sweet, so I can get back on the beers. Cheers all!

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