Move-to-earn app StepN has become the first blockchain gaming app to integrate with Apple Pay, according to a May 22, 2023 announcement now shared with nft.
A product of Web3 development studio Find Satoshi Lab (FSL), StepN was released in December 2020 and made a name for itself as the first move-to-earn app on the App Store. The app allows users to purchase virtual sneakers and collect rewards for physical activities such as walking or running, which are tracked through a user’s synced smartphone. At its peak in May 2022, StepN’s number of active monthly users reached more than 705,000, according to Dune Analytics. A year later, that number stands at just under 30,000.
Despite this decline, StepN continues to innovate. This new fiat-onramp partnership marks a remarkable step forward in the convergence of Web2 and Web3 technology and is expected to simplify access to StepN products and enable further user growth.
Lower the barrier to access Web3
StepN’s Apple Pay integration eliminates the need for users to link a crypto wallet to transact within the app. Instead, users can add their credit or debit card information to their Apple Wallet on their iPhones, reducing transaction complexity. This simplification is intended to increase convenience and payment security, as users’ card details are not stored in the app itself.
Co-Founder of FSL, Yawn Rongexpressed optimism about the implications of this integration in the press release announcing the integration and expects the partnership to promote widespread accessibility of Web3 technology.
“This integration opens us up to an entirely new audience, making Web3 more accessible to the masses, and, crucially, bridging Web2 and Web3 technology in a way previously unseen,” Rong said in the release.
Rong’s co-founder, Jerry Huang, echoed this sentiment, highlighting how Apple Pay integration could improve the user journey and “enable the Web3 space to reach a level of maturity needed to go mainstream.” Huang credits a large part of StepN’s success, from the release of notable products to user onboarding – to the dedication of their community.
The recent partnership with Apple Pay follows news of StepN’s New Horizon Initiative, a rewards program for StepN’s most loyal community members. Holders of StepN Genesis sneakers, the rarest NFT sneakers on the app, were treated to an airdrop of an estimated $80 million GMT, the official token of the FSL ecosystem, in February this year. The Apple Pay partnership represents one of many partnerships with high-profile brands in recent months, including a co-branded sneaker launch with Atlético Madrid and a limited edition physical sneaker collection in collaboration with ASICS and Solana Pay in 2022.
This move to integrate Apple Pay into the StepN platform underscores a growing trend of cross-industry partnerships as Web3 brands look for ways to build project sustainability and provide community rewards while gaining a foothold in a non-cryptocurrency environment. native consumer file.
Editor’s Note: This article was written by an nft now contributor in collaboration with OpenAI’s GPT-4.