Blockchain
Predict-and-Earn App Pooky Launching Free-to-Play Public Beta Ahead of FIFA World Cup Qatar
Milan, Italy–(Newsfile Corp. – November 16, 2022) – Pooky, the forthcoming gamified Web3 sports prediction platform, will release its free-to-play version in public beta on Nov. 16, 2022. The announcement follows Pooky’s closed alpha release on Oct. 21, which received extremely positive feedback.
Pooky
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The free-to-play beta launch of the much-anticipated game will be available in time for the FIFA World Cup, which kicks off a few days later on Nov. 20, and will run throughout the tournament. Those participating in the public beta will receive a whitelist spot to mint an exclusive Genesis Pookyball (NFTs) during the project’s private sale in January 2023.
Pooky is on a mission to transform sports betting, starting with football. The prediction game centers around Pookyball NFTs. Each Pookyball gives its holder the right to enter the prediction game, where they predict results from the major football leagues and tournaments on Earth, including the FIFA World Cup, English Premier League, Italian Serie A and Spanish La Liga.
Players never risk losing their NFT; it’s theirs to keep forever. The model encourages social interaction around the world’s most popular sport with none of the downsides associated with traditional gambling. Players get to enjoy the thrill of having something riding on a game without the risk of addiction or the financial worries that accompany it.
Players guessing the outcome of football games receive points for predicting winners, number of goals and exact scores. They’re ranked on a leaderboard and top players can win crypto and rare Pookyballs. The points scored matter – even for players not topping the leaderboards. Points scored will be converted into Experience Points (PXP) which are necessary to upgrade Pookyballs increasing chances to score more points in the next prediction round and therefore maximize players’ in-game rewards.
Pooky has worked with specialist crypto economists, token engineers and game designers to create sustainable game economics. A single, capped supply ERC-20 utility token will serve as the title’s in-game currency, providing a medium of exchange and player rewards. The game will operate using a rewards pool per season and per competition, and distribute payments based on token in-flow.
Unlike play-to-earn titles that suffer from rampant token supply inflation, Pooky does not award tokens for simply playing. Instead, gamers must demonstrate skill to top leaderboards rankings to maximize rewards. Spending tokens on upgrades not only increases their chances of receiving rewards but also burns a percentage of the amount spent, providing further value to the players. The result is a long-term, sustainable circular token economy absent in many of today’s play-to-earn efforts. Pooky is built on a “Play-and-Earn” model focusing mostly on gameplay and entertainment, rather than just the earning side.
The initial public beta will enable players to play the game’s free version, and can start unlocking rewards. Slightly different from the play-and-earn version described above, players receive two free Rookyballs and PXP rewards will be lower than in the full, NFT-driven version.
“We wanted to build a healthier alternative to traditional sports betting. By going back to the roots of sports prediction – challenging friends and demonstrating your knowledge of the beautiful game – Pooky encourages social interaction and fun whilst creating communities, both on and off the platform,” said Stefano Riff, co-founder of Pooky.
Pooky’s initial version will only support football. However, the company plans to add tennis, basketball, Formula 1 and other sports in 2023.
About Pooky
Pooky was founded in 2022 by Claudio and Stefano Riff. The brothers are big sports fans, and have first-hand experience with existing sports betting platforms and their shortcomings. Pooky was directly inspired by Stefano being blocked from using online sportsbooks for seemingly winning too much from it.
The pair committed to developing an alternative to the traditional betting model underpinned by blockchain technology. The company operated out of the public eye, recruiting senior team members during summer 2022, and was officially incorporated in September.
Pooky raised more than €3 million from pre-seed investors, including Claster Investments VC. Advising the startup is a highly experienced group of managers and executives within the sport, gaming and blockchain industry.
Website | Medium | Discord | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Whitepaper
Contact:
Gregory Liénart
Head of Growth
[email protected]
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/144485
Blockchain
Blocks & Headlines: Today in Blockchain – April 25, 2025 | BitNile, Dutch Blockchain Week, Citigroup, Philippine Blockchain Week, D.O.G.E Foundation
Blockchain’s metamorphosis from niche ledger technology to the backbone of Web3 has never been more evident. Today, we cover five stories that illustrate the evolving ecosystem: a gaming platform issuing its own token on Solana; Europe’s marquee Web3 summit; a major bank forecasting a “ChatGPT moment” for blockchain; a Southeast Asian conference aimed at busting crypto myths; and a foundation rebuilding blockchain from the ground up to solve scalability. Each development—whether product launch, industry gathering, macro forecast, educational initiative, or infrastructure innovation—offers a window into the trends shaping decentralized finance, NFTs, DeFi, and beyond.
1. BitNile.com to Launch Nile Coin on Solana
News Summary
Hyperscale Data’s subsidiary BitNile.com will introduce the Nile Coin on Solana starting May 1, 2025. The U.S.–based social gaming site chose Solana for its high throughput and low fees, aiming to enhance in-game economies, reward engagement, and deliver seamless micro-transactions. Details on tokenomics and governance are forthcoming, but management touts Nile Coin as a cornerstone of future gaming experiences.
Source: CoinTrus
Analysis & Commentary
Launching a proprietary token underscores two converging trends: the gamification of finance and finance-ification of gaming. By minting Nile Coin, BitNile.com taps into DeFi mechanics—staking, liquidity pools, NFT rewards—while leveraging Solana’s scalability. Strategically, BitNile.com positions itself for partnerships with NFT marketplaces and DeFi protocols, potentially opening secondary markets for in-game assets and generating new revenue streams beyond ad sales or subscription fees.
2. Dutch Blockchain Week 2025 Gears Up in Amsterdam
News Summary
From May 19–25, Amsterdam will host the sixth annual Dutch Blockchain Week, culminating in the two-day summit (May 21–22) at De Meervaart. Tier 1 exchanges (Bitvavo, Kraken, Coinbase), Web3 pioneers (WOW.ai, Blockrise), regulators (European Commission, De Nederlandsche Bank), and industry partners (Mastercard, Deloitte) will convene. Side events range from AI-powered hackathons tackling compliance to padel networking meetups—underscoring the event’s blend of technology, policy, and community.
Source: Dutch Blockchain Week
Analysis & Commentary
Dutch Blockchain Week typifies the maturation of blockchain conferences into multidisciplinary forums. Beyond token talk and yield farming, panels on regulation, institutional adoption, and security reflect Web3’s integration into mainstream finance. Anticipate announcements on CBDC pilots, DeFi compliance frameworks, and cross-chain interoperability projects that may emerge from the Block & Order Hackathon.
3. Citigroup Predicts Blockchain’s “ChatGPT Moment”
News Summary
In an April 23 report, Citigroup analysts argue that 2025 could be blockchain’s “ChatGPT moment,” driven by regulatory clarity around stablecoins and integration with traditional financial systems. They forecast stablecoin market capitalization ballooning to $1.6 trillion (base case) or as much as $3.7 trillion (bull case) by 2030—anchored by dollar-denominated issuers and collateralized with U.S. Treasuries. Regulatory frameworks like the GENIUS Act could catalyze adoption among banks and fintechs.
Source: Cointelegraph
Analysis & Commentary
Drawing parallels to generative AI’s explosive growth, Citigroup envisions a tipping point where blockchain moves from experimental to essential infrastructure. Successful integration will hinge on robust compliance tools, auditability, and clear governance models. Enterprise blockchain vendors should prepare for surging demand in tokenized payments, on-chain settlements, and embedded DeFi rails within legacy systems.
4. Philippine Blockchain Week 2025 Debunks Crypto Myths
News Summary
Scheduled for June 10–11 at SMX Convention Center Manila, Philippine Blockchain Week (PBW) 2025 will tackle misinformation and spotlight real-world use cases. Highlights include “Crypto, Unpacked” sessions demystifying the technology; “Smart Regulation” panels uniting policymakers and innovators; and “Blockchain for Impact” showcases on remittances, disaster relief, and digital identity. Founding President Donald Lim emphasizes government support and public–private collaboration to spur inclusive growth.
Source: UseTheBitcoin
Analysis & Commentary
PBW exemplifies how emerging markets leverage education to accelerate Web3 adoption responsibly. By engaging regulators early, PBW can shape balanced frameworks that encourage innovation while protecting consumers—an instructive model for markets wrestling with both hype and skepticism.
5. D.O.G.E Foundation Launches New Blockchain, Opens Seed Round
News Summary
The D.O.G.E Foundation announced a ground-up blockchain rebuild designed to solve the scalability and reliability challenges plaguing existing networks. This modular architecture separates validation from execution to enable parallel transaction processing—targeting real-time gaming, DeFi under high load, and AI-driven applications. A seed funding round is now open to investors who share the vision of a performant, decentralized infrastructure.
Source: D.O.G.E Altcoin GlobeNewswire
Analysis & Commentary
As layer-1 congestion and high gas fees persist, new entrants must justify a “why now” with clear architectural advantages. If the D.O.G.E blockchain delivers real-world throughput and maintains decentralization, it could spur a renaissance of high-performance DeFi protocols and NFT platforms hungry for cost-effective base layers.
Conclusion & Key Takeaways
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Tokenization of Entertainment: BitNile’s Nile Coin on Solana highlights blockchain’s expansion into gaming economies and NFT reward systems.
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Convergence of Tech, Policy & Community: Dutch Blockchain Week showcases Web3’s evolution into an ecosystem engaging regulators, enterprises, and developers under one roof.
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Mainstream Inflection Point: Citigroup’s “ChatGPT moment” thesis suggests blockchain is poised for exponential adoption given regulatory support.
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Education as Catalyst: Philippine Blockchain Week’s myth-busting curriculum underscores the importance of public–private dialogue in emerging markets.
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Infrastructure Innovation: The D.O.G.E Foundation’s modular, high-throughput chain exemplifies the next wave of layer-1 networks addressing real-time, real-world use cases.
Today’s stories convey that blockchain’s next chapter will be written through strategic token launches, global convenings, regulatory clarity, educational outreach, and radical infrastructure redesign. By tracking these threads, industry participants can anticipate opportunities in DeFi, NFTs, Web3 games, and enterprise integration. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s Blocks & Headlines, where we’ll continue to decode the innovations shaping decentralized finance.
The post Blocks & Headlines: Today in Blockchain – April 25, 2025 | BitNile, Dutch Blockchain Week, Citigroup, Philippine Blockchain Week, D.O.G.E Foundation appeared first on News, Events, Advertising Options.
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