Blockchain Gaming Sees Significant Growth In January 2025

According to Cointelegraph, blockchain gaming experienced a substantial increase in onchain activity in January 2025, with a threefold rise compared to the same period last year. A report from blockchain analytics platform DappRadar highlighted that Web3 games attracted over 7 million unique active wallets (UAW) daily last month, marking a 386% surge from January 2024. DappRadar analyst Sara Gherghelas noted that this growth indicates strong momentum and resilience within the industry, despite short-term fluctuations. She emphasized that blockchain gaming is entering a maturation phase, driven by advancements in layer-2 technologies, evolving token economies, and collaborations with AAA game developers, such as Gunzilla Games' "Off The Grid." The emergence of new gaming ecosystems, the increasing traction of artificial intelligence, and the refinement of gameplay mechanics, reward structures, and community engagement in top-performing titles were also highlighted as key factors in this growth. OpBNB emerged as the leading gaming blockchain in January, followed by Matchain, while Polygon recorded a 100% increase in gaming activity compared to the previous month. Gherghelas pointed out that new ecosystems, although not all meeting the traditional AAA gaming standards, demonstrated significant technical advancements and creative approaches that are shaping the future of blockchain gaming. The report also noted the growing integration of AI elements into gameplay, reflecting a broader industry trend. In related developments, stablecoin issuer Tether announced its venture into AI applications on February 6. CEO Paolo Ardoino revealed that the company is developing an AI translator, voice assistant, and a Bitcoin (BTC) wallet assistant. Across the entire decentralized application (DApp) ecosystem, there were 26.7 million daily UAW, with decentralized finance (DeFi) slightly outpacing gaming by a margin of 1%. Despite the growth in blockchain gaming activity, investment in the sector saw a decline. In 2024, blockchain gaming and metaverse projects attracted $1.8 billion, representing a 38% year-over-year decrease. Gherghelas attributed this drop to broader economic trends and a shift towards deploying previously raised capital into active projects. She added that while investment figures began conservatively, key funding rounds indicate continued confidence in Web3 gaming infrastructure and innovation.