When it comes to the universe of blockchain gaming, Star Atlas is fast becoming a celestial body you can’t ignore. Developed on the Solana blockchain, Star Atlas has been making a considerable dent in Solana’s daily transaction volume, accounting for over 15% of all activity. This surge has been particularly significant given that the project only lifted off in 2021 and has navigated through some turbulence, including downsizing its workforce by more than 60% last July.
The Solana-based gaming platform, which immerses players in a space-themed role-playing adventure, operates with two native cryptocurrencies: ATLAS serves as the in-game exchange currency, while POLIS acts as a governance token for the Star Atlas community. Their utility goes beyond mere gameplay, however. On October 3, the blockchain firm ATMTA, which is the driving force behind Star Atlas, released a new toolset for game developers across Solana and other blockchain ecosystems. This move was synchronised with the launch of the browser-based game SAGE Labs, and together these initiatives are designed to turn Star Atlas into a multifunctional platform, rather than just another game in the ether.
The transparency of the initiative is also remarkable. Star Atlas has open-sourced the game mechanics and documentation for SAGE Labs, making it easier for developers to incorporate new player profiles. Furthermore, players can now use ATLAS tokens for trades on the Solana network as opposed to the network’s native cryptocurrency, SOL. According to Michael Wagner, CEO of Star Atlas, these new features metamorphose Star Atlas “from just being a set of gaming products to a development platform.”
Since the rollout of these upgrades, the ecosystem has recorded an explosive surge in daily transactions. Data analytics from Flipside Crypto indicate that SAGE Labs is contributing to more than 2.29 million transactions—15% of the total—over the past 24 hours on the Solana mainnet. This buoyancy contrasts sharply with recent struggles, including the aforementioned workforce cut and a narrowed focus on developing only SAGE Labs and the branded Crew Mobile app.
While Star Atlas shines brighter in the Solana sky, Polygon seems to be dimming despite its recent successes in the GameFi sector. According to CoinMarketCap, MATIC’s price slipped from $0.93 to $0.88 over the past week. This decline comes in the backdrop of Polygon dominating 34.93% of the overall GameFi market, outperforming other Layer 1 protocols like Solana and Binance Smart Chain in terms of activity.
DApps such as Planet IX and The Sandbox have been pivotal in Polygon’s ascendancy in GameFi, both showing a rise in unique active wallets over the last week. However, this surge hasn’t corresponded to an uptick in NFT transactions. Even though Polygon’s DeFi sector and DEX volumes continue to show strength, MATIC’s transaction volume has simultaneously dwindled.
What this means for the future of blockchain gaming is still unclear. But as it stands, the strategies adopted by Star Atlas appear to be paying dividends, making it a rising star in the Solana ecosystem. Meanwhile, Polygon’s once bright GameFi star seems to be waning, even as it maintains a robust presence in the DeFi universe. As these platforms evolve, the only certainty is that the game is far from over.