An Interview with Jack O’Neil, CEO of 1KIN Labs

1KIN Labs is a pioneering force in the Web3 gaming landscape, bridging the gap between decentralized gaming platforms and traditional gaming experiences. Founded with a vision to unify the fragmented world of Web3 gaming, 1KIN Labs has swiftly emerged as a central hub for discovering, accessing, and enjoying a diverse array of blockchain-based games.

1KIN Labs fosters a growing and interoperable gaming ecosystem, leveraging a next-generation platform that connects gamers with some of the world’s best decentralized, community-driven titles. Offering nearly infinite possibilities, a top-tier catalog, early game access opportunities, and tangible rewards, 1KIN Labs allows players to manage their digital assets seamlessly from a single login.

In this exclusive interview, Jack O’Neil, CEO of 1KIN Labs, shares insights into the company’s journey, the challenges faced and overcome, and their vision for the future of Web3 gaming. Join us as we delve into the world of Web3 gaming with a leader who is pushing the boundaries and paving the way for the future of gaming as we know it.

Q1. To begin with, can you introduce 1KIN Labs and what motivated you to create this company?

1KIN Labs fosters a growing and interoperable gaming ecosystem for the distribution and discovery of Web3 titles as well as exclusive content. It has a next-generation platform that connects gamers with the world’s best decentralized, community-driven titles. 1KIN opens up a new world of gaming with nearly infinite possibilities, a top-tier catalog, early game access opportunities, and tangible rewards. What’s more, players are able to take their digital assets wherever they go, all from a single login.

For the past two years, 1KIN labs has been on a mission to build tooling to help solve the scaling issues in web3 gaming. The first major problem was that Web3 lacked a central hub, something akin to what Web2 gets from places like Steam or the Epic Games Store. Games and gamers were being fragmented across different protocols, making it complicated for even the most devoted Web3 gamers to navigate multiple titles and creating a huge barrier to discovery and onboarding for newcomers.

Moreover, a single game launcher wouldn’t solve the fragmentation problem, since web3 games exist across different platforms (PC, mobile, browser) and numerous protocols. Additionally, we saw that web3 has the potential to create deeper interactive digital experiences that goes beyond traditional walled gardens. So for the past two years, we have been on a mission to build a network of applications and tools to galvanize players into embracing a seamless, interoperable, and unified Web3 gaming ecosystem.

Q2. As 1KIN Labs has recently emerged from stealth mode, can you tell us about your journey so far and what milestones you’ve achieved?

For one, 1KIN recently held a $3.3 million series A funding round led by major chains and foundations, including Polygon Labs, Solana Foundation, Aptos Network, Avalanche, and Fantom Foundation. The funding round also saw participation from prominent VCs, funds, and angel investors, including Zee Prime Capital, Devmons, ED3N, Avalanche’s Blizzard Fund, Wave Digital Assets, and Aurory. Angel investors such as Delphi Digital CEO Anil Lulla, HyperPlay founder Jacob Cantele, The Odp Corp CEO Gerry P Smith, and others.

2023 brought with it a successful closed beta test of our game discovery platform, where dozens of thousands of users participated. Nearly half of all participants claimed all exclusive content during the activation.

We have shared our vision at prominent industry conferences such as GDC 2024 and the Harvard Blockchain conference, attending panels and speaking engagements that continue online through outlets such as Benzinga. Alongside efforts from our Ecosystem & Growth team, 1KIN Labs has partnered with over 100 studios, publishers, and titles to fill out the 1KIN ecosystem.

Q3. You’ve partnered with over 100 games, protocols, and partners. How did these partnerships come about, and what do they mean for the Web3 gaming ecosystem?

Strategic partnerships with protocols are one of the most important aspects of realizing a vision of interoperability. Chains and foundations see the value in amalgamating user acquisition across the industry as a whole, which led to their belief in 1KIN Labs.

For studios, publishers, and games, the 1KIN Labs Ecosystem & Growth team makes a simple case- 1KIN Labs products make it simple for players to jump into Web3 gaming as a whole, which will lead to a large pool of players that could easily gain access to a partnered game.

Partnerships between 1KIN Labs and games directly benefit players. As an added perk, Games can also partner with 1KIN and use tools without backtracking on the existing protocol they already use.

Q4. What are some of the challenges you’ve encountered in integrating such a diverse range of games and protocols into a single entry point?

Integrating a diverse range of games and protocols into a single entry point is the holy grail problem within Web3 gaming right now, and in and of itself a big challenge. In the spirit of collaboration, 1KIN Labs will be announcing a strategic partnership that can help in tackling that challenge even faster.

The scope of the challenge has spilled over into the player base of the entire industry. Players of games on multiple networks have to deal with multiple onboarding processes, wallets, networks, and Web3 asset types, which makes variety gaming in Web3 difficult. In the same vein, developers have to shop and compare networks as well as learn multiple unique schemas to capture the largest player base possible.

1KIN Labs aims to tackle these challenges once and for all, so players and developers alike never have to deal with those issues ever again. It hasn’t been easy, but 1KIN Labs tech is already integrated with 14 different Web3 networks.

Q5. Can you highlight some of the top games and tools that you’ve partnered with? What makes these games stand out in the Web3 gaming space?

There’s a whole ecosystem of 100+ projects that we’re working with, including Aavegotchi, Aurory, BLOCKLORDS, BloodLoop, Legends of Venari, and many more. Every project we bring into the 1KIN fold offers a unique experience in the Web3 space.

Traditional gaming is a sea of different titles that are all unique in some way, and players are free to gravitate towards what makes the most sense to them. We wanted to bring that to blockchain-based gaming, so we’re partnering with as many quality IPs as possible.

Q6. What are the biggest problems facing Web3 gaming today, and how is 1KIN Labs addressing these issues?

To find Web3 titles, players need to already know where to look. There’s no central or simple place to find content. Moreover, most Web3 titles have their own unique wallet and usually a token. Even for players who are sold on Web3 already, this is a lot to manage.

1KIN addresses all of this by being a centralized hub for Web3 gaming that utilizes a single login, wallet, and token to make the user experience as frictionless as possible. Players can browse countless titles from one store and know that these products have been vetted for a level of quality that is a cut above many of the first-generation blockchain games.

Q7. Looking forward, how do you envision pushing the Web3 gaming space forward?

In addition to what we are already doing, we want to continue to build partnerships and develop the most comprehensive ecosystem possible for Web3 gaming. We are committed to making this space not only functional for gamers who already want to play blockchain games but also attractive to Web2 newcomers who haven’t yet taken the plunge into this world. We are announcing a large distribution channel soon that will introduce Web2 gamers around the world to Web3 gaming and our partnered games.

In addition to distribution, we are also very passionate about helping to enable new gaming mechanics and capabilities that can only be accomplished in Web3. Gaming has expanded beyond the console and we believe that blockchain technology holds the keys to creating more immersive, interoperable, and exciting digital experiences.

Q8. What do you see as the future of Web3 gaming, and how does 1KIN Labs fit into that future?

The fact is, the future of Web3 gaming carries many of the positive aspects of Web2 gaming, with the addition of benefits like a real-world store of value, true asset ownership, and airtight privacy and security. Right now, Web3 already can offer these benefits. What’s missing is a central access point that makes onboarding easy and intuitive. This is exactly what 1KIN is providing, and we focus on being a major player in the budding industry of Web3 gaming.

Q9. How important is community involvement and feedback in shaping the development of 1KIN Labs and the games you support?

It’s crucial. Providing community feedback for a game can enhance its individual quality, but contributing feedback within the 1KIN ecosystem elevates the entire Web3 gaming landscape. By nurturing a community that has high expectations for seamless user experiences across disparate protocols, 1KIN Labs can deliver effective results faster.

Q10. Finally, for those unfamiliar with Web3 gaming, how would you explain its significance and potential impact on both gamers and developers?

For gamers, Web3 titles leverage decentralized systems to allow for the tokenization of in-game assets and currency. This means that players can truly own these goods in a way never before possible with Web2 titles. It also makes it possible to set up an ecosystem where value and assets can be moved across different titles seamlessly. Players actually own what they purchase or earn, and they can realize the full utility of what they acquire.

For developers, Web3 offers a whole new economic model that can allow for open-ended income generation without resorting to practices like loot boxes or microtransactions. Instead, developers can simply release new items into the ecosystem and let the market trade them organically, all while taking a nominal residual on every secondary sale. This allows users the freedom to do business as they please and brings ongoing income streams to the developers who support this space.

This is just the beginning- in time, there will be more use cases and utilities for both players and creators.

Interview Summary

Jack O’Neil and 1KIN Labs are at the forefront of revolutionizing Web3 gaming, aiming to transform fragmented ecosystems into a unified, seamless experience. By providing a centralized hub for discovering and accessing a diverse array of blockchain-based games, 1KIN Labs is addressing critical challenges in Web3 gaming with innovative solutions.

From securing a significant Series A funding round to successfully conducting closed beta tests and forming partnerships with over 100 studios and protocols, 1KIN Labs has demonstrated its commitment to pushing the boundaries of Web3 gaming. These achievements underscore 1KIN Labs’ pivotal role in shaping the future of gaming, offering nearly infinite possibilities, top-tier content, and tangible rewards—all accessible through a single platform.

As we look ahead, 1KIN Labs continues to expand its ecosystem, foster community involvement, and innovate new gaming mechanics that capitalize on the potential of blockchain technology. By providing a central access point for Web3 gaming, 1KIN Labs is not only making blockchain gaming accessible but also ensuring that the space evolves to meet the needs of both veteran gamers and newcomers alike.