December is here and Stratis is busier than ever as the year draws to a close. This past month has brought with it some exciting developments to share with you, including the announcement of Stratis’ first decentralized NFT platform and the inauguration of the Stratis Blockchain R&D Center at the GL Bajaj Institute of Technology & Management in India.
As 2022 fast approaches, we’re excited to see how these updates unfurl over the next year as the Stratis community continues to grow.
Stratis’ $100,000 Hackathon
After the success of the first two hackathons, Stratis launched the third edition, the Stratis Build Hackathon, on the 29th November. This hackathon aims to shine a light on new talent in the blockchain technology space by setting a criteria free from restrictions: the only requirement is that your submission utilizes Stratis Blockchain Technology.
The Hackathon Prize Pool boasts $100,000 USD, including a $30,000 USD Grand Prize and many other prizes ready to be won by participants. Stratis Build Hackathon also has several sponsors, including the APPG, CMS, and Triad Group Plc, with the latter two set to offer a bonus of $5,000 to entries that meet some of their specific requirements.
The Stratis Build Hackathon will close on the 30th January 2022 and winners will be announced on the 23rd February 2022, so join the 100+ participants in developing blockchain solutions now!
Stratisphere NFT platform announced
Let’s launch NFTs into the Stratisphere. In November 2021, Stratis announced the imminent release of their long-awaited NFT platform, Stratisphere. Stratisphere is the first decentralized NFT platform to be built on the Stratis platform, and it operates with 0% platform fees. You can follow the platform on Twitter @StratisphereNFT to participate in upcoming giveaways and to be the first in line to hear about new collections launched on the platform.
Stratis commissioned industry-first research into NFTs and blockchain
Stratis recently collaborated with the insight agency Opinium to release an industry-first piece of research into how game studios truly feel about the integration of blockchain technology into video gaming. Across 197 developers surveyed in the United States and the UK, 58% of developers are beginning to use blockchain and 47% have started to introduce non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to their titles. Two-thirds of studios expect the presence of blockchain to dominate the gaming industry within the next two years, and 56% of respondents plan to use such technology in the next 12 months. This confirms a perspective already held here amongst the Stratis community: blockchain and NFTs are an inevitable part of the future of video games.
Genesis NFT collection
This month, Stratis announced a Genesis NFT collection that is minted explicitly for InterFlux Decentralized Government Board members who carry out their operations through a Stratis Sidechain Masternode. At Cirrus Block 3,430,000 this December, active Stratis Sidechain Masternodes will receive a unique NFT from this new and finite collection. As not all members of the Stratis community can operate a Stratis Sidechain Masternode, Stratis will also launch an additional collection for its community, so watch this space for updates on how you can own one of the first NFTs issued on Stratis.
Cirrus tokens began trading
After recognizing that it is optimal to execute smart contracts on a sidechain rather than the Stratis mainchain, we devised the Cirrus token to avoid the mainchain congestion seen in common blockchains such as Ethereum.
On the 22nd of November, the resulting Cirrus token (CRS) began trading on DigiFinex. Cirrus tokens are required to pay for smart contract transactions conducted on the Cirrus Sidechain for DeFi, NFTs, and other uses. As Stratis extends its reach with the launch of our Stratisphere NFT platform, the demand for smart contract execution will soon surge, so we’re pleased to have the Cirrus token in place as our Stratis ecosystem continues to thrive.
You can read more about the Cirrus token here: https://www.stratisplatform.com/2021/11/19/explaining-the-cirrus-token/
Dawn of Ships update
Eagle-eyed members of the Stratis community may have noticed the Stratis flag featured on the updated cover art for the upcoming Dawn of Ships game. This latest update is a part that users will be able to buy and sell once the game goes live. Stratis is excited to be working with Dawn of Ships to develop an immersive and interactive game that allows the player to obtain and use NFTs as they play. Keep an eye out for updates on when Dawn of Ships will launch via their Twitter: @DawnofShips!
Polycarbongame proposal passed SDA vote
Stratis Masternode operators recently approved the proposal from Polycarbongame to create a gallery space that incorporates modern XR interfaces and revolutionizes the 3D gallery experience by allowing users access to interactive views of the NFT items that they can trade in the marketplace. Congratulations to Polycarbongame on a successful vote!
The Astroverse NFT giveaway
To celebrate the launch of Stratisphere, Stratis will distribute the first 2000 of the 20,000 NFTs from The Astroverse Club through giveaways on the platform’s Twitter account, @StratisphereNFT. Be sure to follow the account to be in the running to win one of them!
New Stratis Tutorials
We recently added a series of tutorials to our YouTube channel, Stratis Platform, to help our community master Cirrus and STRAX transfers. These videos are no longer than 4 minutes apiece and are quick and easy to follow. Find them here: https://www.youtube.com/c/StratisPlatform/videos
New NFT games released for community testing
Over the past two months, Stratis announced that they would be modifying the games Red Runner and NFT Knives to install new functions that can reward the player with various tokens. Red Runner, an open-source game developed by Bayat Games, was updated to include features such as a non-custodial wallet, NFT minting, and a play-as-you-earn function that rewards the player with tokens based on the distance they travel and the coins they collect in a session.
NFT Knives is an endless one-touch game in which animated knives are used to defeat obstacles and collect coins. Both of these games enjoyed exciting new updates when they were released for community testing this month, and we look forward to receiving feedback from players.
Launch of Stratis Blockchain R&D Center
Another exciting development this month was the launch of the Stratis Blockchain R&D Center in collaboration with the C# Corner and the GL Bajaj Institute of Technology & Management (GLBITM) in India. It was a privilege to visit the university this November for the launch event, and we look forward to working with GLBITM and the institution’s students in the near future.
