The game’s 30-day NFT volume reached over $1.09 million, the second highest TGC in Immutable‘s ecosystem.
Cross the Ages has emerged as a notable contender in the blockchain trading card game genre. It boasts popularity on Immutable X and outshines similar games on other blockchains. This report examines its recent performance and factors contributing to its player appeal.
In recent years, collectible card games like Magic: The Gathering and Hearthstone, have captivated millions of players worldwide. The market’s astonishing growth is evident. Business Research Insights reveals that the global trading card game (TCG) market reached $12.9 billion in 2021, and is projected to touch $36.6 billion by 2028.
Dominating the market is the Asian Pacific region, followed closely by North America. The popularity of this game genre is not confined to traditional platforms, and the advent of blockchain technology has breathed new life into the world of trading cards.
Key takeaways
- Cross the Ages is one of the most highly traded card games, with over $1 million in trading volume occurring on its smart contract in 30 days by 1,040 UAWs.
- Regarding NFT trading volume, it has recorded $1.09 million in the last 30 days, contributing to its all-time trading volume of $5.73 million.
- Trading card games represent over 90% of the total trading volume on Immutable X, with Cross Ages being on the second spot with a dominance of around 5%.
- As of July 21, 2023, Immutable Market ranks as the fourth largest NFT marketplace, with a 30-day trading volume of $23.43 million, closely following Magic Eden’s $26 million.
Table of contents
- Trading card games fuel Immutable’s rise in NFT
- How popular is Cross the Ages as TCG?
- The most valuable NFTs in Cross the Ages
- The impact of Cross the Ages tokenomics
- Are CTA tokens a good investment?
- A look into the future of Cross the Ages
1. Trading card games fuel Immutable’s rise in NFT
The NFT marketplace landscape has undergone a notable shift, with new players entering and positioning themselves away from the dominance of the Ethereum blockchain. Emerging as strong contenders in the industry’s Top 5, Immutable Market and Magic Eden are engaged in a close battle for the third spot.
As of July 21, 2023, Immutable Market boasts a 30-day trading volume of $23.43 million, just slightly behind Magic Eden’s $24.66 million.
Exploring Immutable’s NFT ecosystem reveals intriguing discoveries. Among the Top 5 NFT collectibles, all trading card games take the spotlight. Notably, Cross the Ages (CTA) stands proudly at number 2, where Hro has also had increases in its trading volume.
Cross the Ages may still be trailing behind the top-ranked game, Gods Unchained, in terms of trading volume and sales count. However, a closer examination of the game’s recent trading dynamics and its thoughtfully designed in-game economy reveals its promising potential.
2. How popular is Cross the Ages as TCG?
As an emerging contender in the space, Cross the Ages has achieved several milestones on both on-chain and off-chain platforms. With native mobile apps available, its iOS version has especially received recognition. According to Data AI, CTA has ranked among the top 100 iOS card games across 27 countries, reigning as the top card game in France during May.
Furthermore, the on-chain version has left a strong impression on the DappRadar Card Game Ranking, securing the number 2 position with over $1 million trading volume in 30 days, a 15.29% growth. Moreover, it has attracted 1,040 unique active wallets (UAW) for the same period.
3. The most valuable NFTs in Cross the Ages
Cross the Ages became open to all players on 29 March 2023, following its early access in Q4 2022. In the last 30 days, the game has seen over 20,000 NFT transactions with over 1,800 users trading.
In July 2023, the most valuable NFTs in the game include Mint Passes, Special Rare Cards, and Prana bundles. But what makes these particular items so valuable?
Rarity Reigns
On 13 July, a Legacy Golden Mint Pass was sold for 129,990 USDC, making it the most expensive NFT item in the last 30 days on Immutable.
Furthermore, a Dezed card (token ID: 248543) with a rarity rank of 5 was sold for 15,520 USDC.
The steep prices of these NFTs can be attributed to several factors, including their utility, rarity, and the difficulty in acquiring them. For instance, these NFTs provide valuable advantages in advancing players’ in-game progress and excelling in battles. Moreover, their scarcity is heightened by the fact that they cannot be directly minted initially. Players must invest significant resources and time to obtain them.
- The Golden Legacy Mint Pass, for instance, has a less than 1% acquisition rate and is exclusively obtainable from opening a legacy presale pack.
- To acquire a Special Rare card, players need to own a high-level Mint Pass.
Essential items driving trading volume
In addition to rare NFT items, another significant contributor to the trading volumes is the in-game token bundles known as Prana bundles.
Players can obtain these bundles through various methods. Non-blockchain players can directly purchase these items in-app using credit card payments. Those who prefer a Web3 experience can acquire the bundles on the marketplace using USDC only. Moreover, Prana tokens can be earned as rewards during events or tournaments.
Even though existing off-chian, Prana tokens play a vital role in the game. They facilitate the acquiring of off-chain assets such as chests, boosters, or paid cosmetics, providing players with valuable advantages within the vast CTA universe. To use them, players need to burn Prana bundle NFTs to retrieve the tokens for future expenses.
It’s important to note that these bundle NFTs are likely not tradable between players, which means they directly contribute to the game’s revenue.
4. The impact of Cross the Ages tokenomics
Tokenomics is crucial in driving sustainability and user motivation in play-to-earn games like Cross the Ages. The game’s CTA cryptocurrency serves as a versatile utility token. It allows users to engage in various on-chain activities such as minting, trading, participating in tournaments, and transforming NFT cards into NFC physical cards.
Currently, users can obtain CTA tokens by using Prana to acquire chests, or by opening presale packs. A Standard Pack grants 10 CTA while the Level 7 Legacy Pack rewards 20,000 CTA.
As the game progresses, the CTA token also becomes a governance tool, empowering the community to actively participate in the game’s development.
5. Are CTA tokens a good investment?
Whether the token gains traction several factors should be considered. Among them, the game’s current heated trading activities inject substantial value into the company, providing more resources to enhance the project.
Additionally, all tokens are subject to lock-in and vesting periods, distributed in a linear manner over time to preserve their long-term value. These measures are vital in ensuring the token’s health growth.
Currently, these tokens can only be obtained through Prana conversion and gameplay. In the near future, users will have the opportunity to acquire CTA tokens on exchanges, which allows it to reach increased liquidity and trading dynamics. However, it’s essential to acknowledge that the future growth of CTA remains unpredictable.
6. A look into the future of Cross the Ages
Earlier this year, Blizzard’s departure from the Chinese market left millions of players heartbroken, including fans of Hearthstone, one of Blizzard’s most played games in that region. However, such scenarios are less likely to occur with blockchain games. This is because their decentralized nature ensures that players have more control over the game.
The rise of blockchain technology in gaming opens up new horizons for creativity, ownership, and player-driven economies. As demonstrated by Cross the Ages, trading card games on the blockchain have the potential to thrive in a unique way, with its intricate in-game economies that can benefit players as well.
Inspecting its recent traction and an ambitious roadmap ahead, Cross the Ages shows potential for future growth. The game’s exploration into new avenues, such as esports competitions and additional game genres, presents interesting opportunities for future development.