Building StarAtlas on Solana: blockchain game and economy (with CEO Michael Wagner)

Building StarAtlas on Solana: blockchain game and economy (with CEO Michael Wagner)

Author: Nick and James July 25, 2023 Duration: 53:50

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Notes from the show

While blockchain is still a new industry, the sub section of “blockchain gaming” is even newer and largely considered a very strong use case of blockchain technology. Michael Wagner, co-founder and CEO of Star Atlas joins to explain how Star Atlas is using the Solana blockchain within the game’s infrastructure and economy.

Michael give his backstory of being a life long gamer and working in the financial sector before diving full time into crypto by founding a crypto/cannabis company called Tokes. (which is also a interesting use case for crypto payments due to common restrictions within several countries like the US)

We talk about how the Star Atlas intellectual property (IP), like the in game asset, can be used by other creatives and entrepreneurs to create sizable businesses off of. Including physical merchandise, digital goods, and in game merchants. There is an application process for this, but still a very uncommon things for a large scale production like Star Atlas. (Which we think very amazing to see!)

Michael describes the 3 different game “applications”, almost like individual game clients, the company is building. Each will allow players to interact with specific parts of the same on chain game data, so they are all still tied to the game.

Included with all the on-chain game data is the movement system, which recently had a public stress test in the form of a mini game. Around 10k unique wallets interacted with the Escape Velocity mini game during Star Atlas’ movement stress test (which resulted in around 80 million transactions over 72 days)

Finally, we dive deep into the very complex digital economy being built within the game. Including several factors the company is taking into account for growing a truly sustainable economy and carefully fostering it to reach stability. This is especially interesting considering players will have the potential to have sizable monetary value participating within this economy.

Links from the show

Find Michael and StarAtlas online


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Solfate Podcast


What does it actually take to build a meaningful project in the fast-moving world of Solana? On the Solfate Podcast, hosts Nick and James pull back the curtain on the process, moving beyond hype to explore the real work happening on-chain. As developers actively building in the ecosystem themselves, they bring a practitioner's perspective to every conversation. Each episode features an in-depth interview with a founder or core builder, delving into the technical hurdles, strategic decisions, and personal journeys that define their work. You'll hear firsthand accounts of architecting protocols, designing tokenomics, navigating community growth, and solving the unique challenges presented by high-performance blockchain technology. The discussions are grounded, detailed, and focused on the mechanics of creation, offering listeners a genuine look at the innovation shaping Solana's future. This isn't about surface-level commentary; it's a series of deep dives for anyone curious about the people and code behind the projects. Tune in for candid insights you won't find anywhere else, straight from the developers on the front lines.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 76

Solfate Podcast - Interviews with blockchain founders/builders on Solana
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