Stablecoins break into top 3 growth drivers for Web3 gaming: BGA 2025 report

Ezra Reguerra 3 minutes ago Stablecoins break into top 3 growth drivers for Web3 gaming: BGA 2025 report Stablecoins rank among the top catalysts for Web3 gaming growth, signaling a shift toward fundamentals, monetization and payment infrastructure. Listen 0:00 News COINTELEGRAPH IN YOUR SOCIAL FEED Blockchain game builders are increasingly prioritizing fundamentals and infrastructure over token-fuelled growth cycles, with stablecoin adoption emerging as one of the top three catalysts for the first time, according to the latest report from the Blockchain Gaming Alliance (BGA). On Wednesday, the BGA published its 2025 State of the Industry Report, which shows a shift in what builders believe will drive success in blockchain gaming. According to the report, the top three growth drivers were high-quality game launches (29.5%), revenue-driven business models (27.5%) and stablecoin adoption in payments (27.3%). The findings suggest the industry is stepping back from speculative cycles and reliance on big Web2 brands and instead prioritizing commercially viable games built on Web3-native transaction rails. “What we’re seeing in the data is an industry becoming more global, more disciplined, and more focused on building great games for real players,” said Sebastien Borget, the co-president of the BGA and co-founder of The Sandbox. Key factors that are perceived to drive the growth of the blockchain gaming industry. Source: BGA Survey How blockchain gaming drivers have evolved in the last five years The report reflected a notable five-year evolution in what blockchain gaming builders believe will move the sector forward. From 2021 to 2023, survey participants heavily favored external catalysts, which include play-to-earn (P2E) hype and hopes that major Web2 publishers would validate the sector’s legitimacy by getting involved. By 2024, sentiment shifted over to improving user experience, accessibility and onboarding after friction and repetitive game loops stalled Web3 gaming adoption. This year, the survey suggested further maturity. Developers increasingly tied success to polished gameplay, sustainable monetization and infrastructure that supports spending. Stablecoins, long a core component of decentralized finance, are now seen as instrumental to game economies, the report said. It also suggests that frictionless payment experiences, similar to fiat, could contribute to the success of Web3 games. Related: Animoca, Solv to help Japanese Bitcoin companies generate yield Waning dependence on Web2 gaming giants The survey also shows a sharp drop in perceived reliance on traditional gaming giants. Only about 17.2% of respondents now view legacy publishers as key growth catalysts, down from 35.8% in 2024. Instead of this, interoperability (26.1%), artificial intelligence integration (25.9%) and player-driven creator economies (25.5%) followed closely behind the top three drivers. Developers’ growing focus on stablecoin rails mirrors broader policy momentum. Regulatory frameworks for stablecoins are advancing rapidly worldwide, with the United States leading the way with the GENIUS Act and Europe implementing its Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework. Magazine: Koreans ‘pump’ alts after Upbit hack, China BTC mining surge: Asia Express # Blockchain # Cryptocurrencies # Adoption # Survey # Games # Mobile Games # Stablecoin # Data # Web3 # GameFi Add reaction