Web3 Watch: Classic fighter Samurai Shodown comes to Sui

Plus, TapSwap plans to solve tap-to-earn with an all-new Web3 gaming platform

article-image

zef art/Shutterstock modified by Blockworks

share

Sui, the MoveVM-based layer-1 blockchain, announced last Thursday that the roleplaying game Samurai Shodown R will be available on its upcoming SuiPlay0X1 handheld gaming device.

Samurai Shodown was a classic 1993 Sega fighting game that was re-released as a massive multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG) in 2019. 

The new Samurai Shodown R is developed by Lumiwave, a blockchain company focused on bringing intellectual property onchain.

Anthony Palma, head of gaming partnerships and investments at Mysten Labs, said of the launch: “With Sui’s unique infrastructure, LumiWave is able to deliver a truly seamless Web3 experience, where features like evolving NFTs and in-game asset ownership are not just concepts but fully realized.”

Read more: Crypto gaming may be on the cusp of fresh growth

Making use of Sui’s blockchain technology, Samurai Shodown R will come with Web3 features like dynamically evolving NFTs based on player progression and “zkLogins” with familiar Web2 credentials like Facebook and Google.

TapSwap launches new Web3 gaming layer to improve tap-to-earn

Tap-to-earn games like Notcoin and Hamster Kombat are bogged with problems like user retention, unclear reward structures and plummeting token values.

TapSwap is planning to solve that problem with a new Web3 gaming platform, the team announced on Thursday. The so-called “skill-based” gaming platform will see gamers pay an upfront fee using the TAPS token to compete against one another for rewards.

TapSwap’s new platform aims to connect gamers with game developers, allowing users to earn rewards in the platform’s native TAPS token while letting developers better monetize their games.

Read more: Web3 Watch: Telegram tap-to-earn is the new crypto gaming trend

“The classic pattern is a tap-to-earn token losing most of its value immediately after its first listing on a centralized exchange, distorting the incentive to stay with the project for the long run and contribute to healthy ecosystem development,” said Naz Ventura, the founder of TapSwap. “Such outcomes benefit neither the community nor the projects themselves. To address this, TapSwap has built a gaming platform that adds genuine utility and value to the TAPS token, ensuring players are fairly and transparently rewarded.”

One interesting stat:

  • Zora has distributed at least 10,321 worth of ETH in protocol rewards to creators, according to a Dune dashboard by J.Hackworth.

Also of note:

  • Pudgy Penguins is teaming up with Mythical Games to launch “Pudgy Party” in 2025, an upcoming AAA multiplayer battle royale mobile game.
  • Devour, a gamified commerce platform, launched DevourPlay. The platform allows users to play popular games while ordering food directly in-game from US restaurants and earning digital asset rewards. Devourplay has integrated crypto payments via Coinbase Commerce and also features a blockchain-based loyalty program.
  • WineChain, a blockchain-based wine marketplace, announced on Wednesday a partnership with fine wine specialist Alto to bring over 1200 fine wines to its collections.

Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

Tags

Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily, with Byron Gilliam.

Upcoming Events

Javits Center North | 445 11th Ave

Tues - Thurs, March 24 - 26, 2026

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

recent research

Research Report Templates (1).png

Research

Pendle V2 today is the premier go-to-market venue for YBS, YBA, and PoS LST token issuers to bootstrap TVL. Boros could soon be a the dominant rate hedging platform in crypto markets.

article-image

BTC finished the week up 1.6%, while L2s, RWAs and the treasury trade continued to grind lower

article-image

DTCC moves DTC-custodied Treasuries onchain via Canton, while Lighter’s LIT launches trading at a fees multiple in Hyperliquid territory

article-image

In the 90s, rapt audiences worldwide watched a coffee pot — will that fascination ever turn to crypto?

article-image

Some systems improve by failing — and crypto has no choice

article-image

Yield Basis introduces an IL-free AMM design that already dominates BTC DEX liquidity

article-image

Maybe tokenholders don’t need the rights that corporate shareholders have come to expect

Newsletter

The Breakdown

Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily, with Byron Gilliam.

Blockworks Research

Unlock crypto's most powerful research platform.

Our research packs a punch and gives you actionable takeaways for each topic.

SubscribeGet in touch

Blockworks Inc.

133 W 19th St., New York, NY 10011

Blockworks Network

NewsPodcastsNewslettersEventsRoundtablesAnalytics