Web3 Watch: Karate Combat announces the launch of its UP L2

Karate Combat announced the launch of its upcoming layer-2 blockchain, UP, built on the Hedera layer-1 network.

The first professional striking league governed by its own KARATE token, the project allows over 100,000 users to earn tokens by accurately predicting fight outcomes using its Up Only Gaming software.

Through the use of the Up Only Gaming software stack, more than 100,000 users on the platform can earn KARATE tokens by correctly predicting fight outcomes.

The UP layer-2 is set to be launched in Q1 2025. Its own $UP token is planned to be launched within the same year, with up to 30% of the token going to KARATE stakers.

Read more: Politics and memecoins drive the conversation on day 2 of Permissionless

“Karate Combat is already massively incentivized to spread its Up Only Gaming technology to other sports, esports, fantasy sports, crypto projects and more,” onlylarping, Karate Combat’s pseudonymous co-founder, said. “UP is the enabling technology to not only allow us to provide all the tech for free, but to give grants and our user base to early partners.”

Karate Combat’s latest combat sporting event KC 50 is being held at Permissionless III in Salt Lake City, UT. It will feature a fight between David Hoffman, co-founder of Bankless, and Kain Warwick, co-founder of Infinex.

Read more: Permissionless III: DeFi phoenix looms as OG builders forecast next phase

Polemos partners with Buff

On Wednesday, the blockchain gaming asset management platform Polemos announced a partnership with Buff.game — a gaming company that runs a loyalty program for over 15 million players across games like Dota 2, Fortnite, League of Legends, Valorant and more.

The partnership is leveraging Polemos’ asset management wallet and non-collateralized lending solution to let gamers trade, lend, borrow and access in-game items without the need for players to make an upfront investment.

Carl Wilgenbus, CEO of Polemos, said of the partnership: “This collaboration with Buff.game represents a pivotal moment in the evolution of gaming. By combining our Web3 expertise with Buff’s massive player base, we’re set to catalyze widespread adoption of blockchain gaming technologies.”

One interesting stat:

• Pudgy Penguin GIFs on Giphy have seen more than 30 billion views. 

Also of note:

• ENS domain names are now searchable on Google.
• The CryptoKitties NFT project is launching “All the Zen,” a new monster breeding game on the Telegram messaging platform.
• The Avalanche-based battle royale shooter Off the Grid from Gunzilla Games went live on PlayStation 5, Xbox and PC, making it the first ever blockchain game on PlayStation 5.

---

Start your day with top crypto insights from David Canellis and Katherine Ross. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter.

Explore the growing intersection between crypto, macroeconomics, policy and finance with Ben Strack, Casey Wagner and Felix Jauvin. Subscribe to the Forward Guidance newsletter.

Get alpha directly in your inbox with the 0xResearch newsletter — market highlights, charts, degen trade ideas, governance updates, and more.

The Lightspeed newsletter is all things Solana, in your inbox, every day. Subscribe to daily Solana news from Jack Kubinec and Jeff Albus.