What is Axie Infinity (AXS)?
Axie Infinity is a blockchain game where players raise, battle and trade non-fungible token (NFT) pets called Axies. The game features two native cryptocurrencies, Axie Infinity Shards (AXS), which can be traded, and Small Love Potion (SLP), a reward token for players who spend time in-game.
In brief
- Axie Infinity is a Pokemon-inspired game on the Ethereum blockchain.
- Players can collect, raise and battle digital pets.
- AXS is the game's native currency.
Who created AXS?
Axie Infinity was founded in 2018 by tech game development studio Sky Mavis. The team was initially based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and was co-founded by Trung Nguyen and Aleksander Larsen.
Trung Nguyen is the CEO of the Axie platform. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in computer software engineering and worked as an engineer at Anduin Transactions before co-founding Sky Mavis.
Aleksander Larsen is an ex-competitive gamer, credited as the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of the Axie platform. Larsen has been in the blockchain gaming space since 2017. Before that, he worked as a security officer for the Norwegian Government Security and Service Organisation and still sits on the board of directors at the Blockchain Game Alliance.
The Axie team is made up of a team of experienced game developers.
How does it work?
Axie Infinity is a "play-to-earn" game in which players buy or sell items such as Axies, in-game property and accessories like flowers or barrels using the game's NFT marketplace.
Participating in the economy also generates in-game tokens called Small Love Potion (SLP). To participate, users must own AXS, which can be traded for major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin and others.
Axie Infinity Shards (AXS) are the native assets of the game and can be bought and sold on the platform. AXS serves as a governance token, allowing users to vote on updates in the game's development cycle. Specifically, holders have a say in how the Axie Community Treasury funds are spent.
The Pokémon-esque creatures in the game, called Axies, take various forms. There are over 500 available parts for their "bodies", including aquatic, beast, bird, bug, plant and reptile parts. These parts are class-ranked based on a rarity scale which includes the common, rare, ultra-rare and legendary levels of rarity.
An Axie's composition can be extremely diverse, making Axies highly variable, potentially rare and almost always unique.
Every Axie has various strengths and attributes needed for three versus three online battles, where the winning team earns more experience points. These points are necessary to level up an Axie, upgrade body parts and progress in the game.
The parts can also be cross-bred to create a new "offspring", which can be used in-game or sold in the NFT marketplace.
As briefly mentioned earlier, SLP is a secondary token awarded to players who spend time in-game and complete in-game quests. SLP tokens are required to breed new Axies, and each Axie can only do this a total of seven times. This helps achieve market control (Axie population control) and avoids spam.
Finally, token rewards will be available to users who stake AXS tokens. However, users must also vote, participate, and play to claim rewards.
Recent Developments in Axie Infinity
In the Axie Infinity Universe, there have been significant developments and updates, especially with Axie Classic's resurgence and advancements in the Homeland feature.
- Axie Classic's Comeback: On November 22, 2023, Axie Classic made a significant return, bringing a surge in user engagement and feature updates. Since its comeback, there have been over 218,900 unique users, 30.1 million battles fought, and a peak concurrent user activity of 10,000.
- Homeland Features: Homeland introduced Land Delegation in June, allowing non-landowners to play and giving landowners new powers. The first Ragoons were spotted, introducing a PvP element with their shapeshifting abilities. Homeland's Pre-Beta phase began in September, focusing on a reward structure that allows landowners to earn AXS.
- Origins Updates: The Origins Pre-Season Balancing Patch went live, introducing Parts Evolution Utility and balancing updates for the upcoming season. Collectible Axies now have higher base HP, and the Origins Shop welcomed back characters like Momo, Venoki, and Pomodoro in packs that grant extra Honor Medals and Class badges.
What to Expect in 2024
- Axie Classic Updates: February 2024 will see changes to AXP Mechanics, the introduction of the Collectible Coliseum, a Golden Wheel feature for exclusive stickers, and the third iteration of the Grand Tournament (GT3). A Guild system will also be introduced, allowing players to join or create guilds, contribute to a guild leaderboard and earn Contribution Points through activities.
- Homeland Beta Launch: In Q1 2024, an upgraded land delegation system is expected to launch with the Homeland Beta. This will enhance the land delegation feature, making it more robust and user-friendly.
- Further Enhancements in Origins: Continuous testing and feedback gathering for the balancing changes in Origins are expected as the platform approaches Season 7. The balancing changes aim to refine gameplay and make collectible Axies more coveted in Lunacia.
These updates and future plans indicate a dynamic and evolving ecosystem within Axie Infinity, aiming to enhance user experience and engagement through new features, balancing updates, and community-driven activities.
What is the AXS token?
AXS is the governance token for the Axie Infinity game. It is also used for staking and as a means of payment in the Axie marketplace.
Token holders can participate and help in shaping the game, as stated previously. They can also stake their tokens to earn more AXS, thus increasing their voting rights on governance proposals.
The maximum supply of AXS is 270,000,000. Upon launch, developers released the tokenomics breakdown shown below:
- Sky Mavis development team: 56,700,000 (21%)
- Advisers: 18,900,000 (7%)
- Private sale: 10,800,000 (4%)
- Staking rewards: 78,300,000 – issuance from Q1-Q2 2021 over 5.5 years (29%)
- Play to earn: 54,000,000 – issuance from Q1-Q2 2021 over 4.5 years (20%)
- Ecosystem fund: 21,600,000 – community growth (8%)
- Public sale: 29,700,000 (11%)
Based on various estimates, 100% of the AXS tokens will be in circulation by early 2026.
The bottom line
Axie Infinity is a crypto game that thrives on user engagement. It is a DeFi project that attempts to merge gaming, crypto and circular economies.
The game has acquired a strong community following, with its Twitter handle reaching nearly 1 million followers. Become part of that community by purchasing the AXS token using the SwissBorg app! Through this integration, SwissBorg provides AXS token holders with seamless access to a diverse range of financial services. Now, users can effortlessly buy, sell, and exchange AXS and other cryptocurrencies using 16 different fiat currencies like EUR, CHF, and GBP. This integration not only enhances the accessibility and usability of AXS but also promotes broader participation in the Axie Infinity ecosystem.
With SwissBorg's user-friendly platform, investors can simplify the investment process and explore new opportunities within the rapidly growing world of blockchain gaming.