In our continuous effort to enhance the security of GalaChain, we are implementing a significant security upgrade to the GalaSwap API that will require action from users of the API. If you’re using the GalaSwap API, we appreciate your cooperation in this process to ensure that your integration continues to operate correctly.
Security Upgrade Overview
This update focuses on enhancing the security of API operations by standardizing the signature process. Moving forward, GalaChain will only accept one specific signature out of the two possible valid signatures for any given operation. As a result, API users must update their signing code to generate the newly accepted signature. Failure to do so will cause approximately half of your signed requests to the GalaSwap API to fail with an error message such as “S value is too high.”
Required Actions
Review and Update Request Signing: Please consult the updated Request Signing section of the GalaSwap API documentation. Ensure that your signatures are normalized according to the new guidelines provided in the example code.
Update Your Code Before August 1, 2024: It is critical to update your code to comply with the new signature requirements before the deadline. This includes users of Gala’s open-source bot, who should pull the latest version of the bot’s code. If you interact with third-party services using the GalaSwap API, consult the operators of those services to confirm they are also prepared for this change.
Why This Matters
This proactive security improvement is not a response to any current vulnerabilities but a strategic enhancement to our security protocols. For more information on the technical details and the importance of this update, refer to this informative article on Signature Malleability.Thanks for your prompt attention and support for this important update. Ensuring the security and integrity of GalaChain remains our top priority, and we appreciate your cooperation in achieving this goal. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please reach out to Gala Support.
Welcome back to DevSpeak, where we demystify the often confusing jargon that developers use. Today, we’re tackling a term you’ve probably heard a lot: “algorithm.” Algorithms are fundamental to programming and technology, but what exactly are they? Let’s break it down.
Algorithm, Defined
At its core, an algorithm is simply a set of instructions or a step-by-step guide designed to perform a specific task or solve a problem. Think of it like a recipe in a cookbook. When you follow a recipe to bake a cake, you’re executing an algorithm. You have a clear list of ingredients (inputs) and detailed steps (instructions) to transform those ingredients into a cake (output).
Al·go·rithm /ALɡəˌrithəm/
NOUN – a process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations, especially by a computer.
Algorithms are everywhere in the tech world, essential for making software and hardware function correctly. They are used to process data, make decisions and automate repetitive tasks. From sorting data in a spreadsheet to finding the shortest path in Google Maps, algorithms are behind the scenes making things work smoothly and efficiently.
Imagine you’re planning a road trip. You want to find the quickest route from your home to a distant city. You input your starting point and destination into a GPS app. The app uses an algorithm to analyze various possible routes, considering distance, traffic, and road conditions to suggest the best path. This algorithm ensures you get to your destination efficiently.
Types of Algorithms
Algorithms come in various types, each suited for different tasks. Here are a few common ones:
Sorting Algorithms: These arrange data in a particular order. Examples include QuickSort and MergeSort.
Search Algorithms: These find specific data within a large dataset. Examples include Binary Search and Linear Search.
Compression Algorithms: These reduce the size of data for storage or transmission. Examples include ZIP and JPEG compression.
Encryption Algorithms: These protect data by converting it into a secure format. Examples include AES and RSA.
In the context of Web3, algorithms play a critical role in blockchain technology and decentralized systems. They ensure the integrity, security and efficiency of web3 powered platforms and blockchains themselves. For instance, consensus algorithms like Proof of Work (PoW) and Proof of Stake (PoS) are vital for validating transactions and maintaining a blockchain’s integrity.
Algorithms in Action: Smart Contracts
Smart contracts are self-executing contracts with the terms directly written into code. Algorithms within these contracts automatically enforce and execute the terms when predefined conditions are met, ensuring transparency and reducing the need for intermediaries.
SEO and Algorithms
Search engines like Google use complex algorithms to rank websites. These algorithms evaluate hundreds of factors to determine which sites provide the best answers to users’ queries. Understanding these algorithms can help developers optimize websites to rank higher in search results, making SEO (Search Engine Optimization) a vital skill.
For a content, product or service provider to maximize their reach and capture the attention of as many people as possible in today’s hyper connected world, they must learn to understand search engine algorithms inside and out.
The term “algorithm” rose to prominence in the mainstream with the rise of social media during the web2 era, which will likely be remembered as the social media era. Perhaps the most commonly known algorithmic activities today are the ones that determine what you’ll see on your social media feed.
In the earliest days of social media, you would simply see everything posted by those you followed or your designated friends. But as the social media industry evolved, we began to see much more complex behaviors from sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. They began to show you only what their complex algorithms wanted you to see, based on the information they had collected from you (with your permission, thanks to your acceptance of extensive terms and conditions).
As these networks of algorithms grew more robust and users contributed more and more data to the social media platforms, our “feeds” began to know us very well. This is how scrolling a feed became one of the most satisfying (and unfortunately, addictive) activities humans have ever experienced. The algorithms knew exactly what kind of content was worthy of our individual attention at that moment. It’s truly fascinating to look back at all the ways that social media algorithms have changed the lives of not only those who use social media networks, but everyone in the world.
Algorithms are the backbone of the digital world, powering everything from simple calculations to complex blockchain systems. They transform inputs into outputs through a series of well-defined steps, making technology functional and efficient. Whether you’re navigating with a GPS, securing data or interacting with a blockchain like GalaChain, algorithms are at work, ensuring optimal performance.
Previous DevSpeak Articles
That’ll do it for this DevSpeak, but we’ll be back soon to dispel the confusion around other common tech terms. If you’ve missed any of our previous editions, check them out below!
You sit down at the breakfast table with your coffee. As the yawns squeeze out of you and you wipe the sleep from your eyes, you pull out your phone to catch up on your emails.
Just routine stuff… spam, spam, free offer, Amazon invoice – wait, what’s this? Your cuteandreallycuddlyfluffypuppies.com account has been compromised and needs your immediate attention! 😱 You click the link to reset your password, glad you caught this email before it was too late.
You follow the prompts on the next screen and fill out your new password… little do you know, your cuteandreallycuddlyfluffypuppies.com account has been compromised. By you. Right now. That was a fake link from a fake address, and they got exactly what they wanted out of you!
Sound familiar? This is one of the most common tales of how scammers find their way into someone’s defenses. As digital security continues to improve, there is still one glaring vulnerability to even the best system – the human behind it!
Welcome back to The Guardian Papers, where digital heroes can get the base training they need to thwart villains’ underhanded attacks against them across the web3 world.
Email is often where scammers have a chance at getting directly to you. One miscalculation or momentary lapse of attention to detail could cause you a lot of hassle, so you’ve got to know how to keep yourself safe.
Miss a previous edition of The Guardian Papers? Catch up below!
First off, we definitely don’t want to imply that email is inherently insecure – many email providers have excellent security protocols put in place, and there are tons of tools out there for anyone who wants to beef up the actual protections in their email. The problem with email security is the person behind the keyboard… and it’s a vulnerability that isn’t going away.
Your email is a direct line to you. No matter your security infrastructure, if you’re getting a scammer’s email in front of you, you’re probably going to read the words they wrote. This direct access is the dream of all those fake Discord admins and help desks. They want that direct line so they can exploit your trust… because your security systems work for you. If they convince you, your security isn’t an issue.
For most people, email is the height of routine. When you are checking emails, you’re performing the same ritual you’ve done thousands of times. You may have many email accounts, only adding to the volume and frequency of your email checking ritual. When you do something day in and day out, over and over, you eventually become less attentive to the process overall.
As something becomes part of your routine, you eventually sort of automate it in your mind. How many things do you automatically do throughout the day without any real conscious thought? It’s the same for email. While the part of your brain that reads and parses the information in the emails may be present, other parts of your mind have moved on to other tasks.
This leads to some easy wins for scammers that would never work on your while at full attention.
How Did They Find Me!?
Honestly, how wouldn’t they find you? It’s important to remember that our data is everywhere, and we don’t typically consider email addresses private data. If it’s ever been out there, it’s still out there probably.
Let’s say Billy has a private, personal email address that he typically only shares with family and close friends, then he has another that he uses for work. Billy’s dad is fond of forwarding emails on occasion, and so drops a long chain email forward into Billy’s inbox once in a while. Billy’s friend Sally CCs him into a monthly newsletter that she sends out for their Karaoke Club. One day, Billy starts seeing large amounts of spam coming into his personal email account! 😨
What happened? Well you see, Tyrone from Karaoke Club was trying to get his friend Trevor to come to last month’s championship, so he forwarded him the newsletter. Trevor’s email account was compromised and the inbox contained Tyrone’s address, along with the CCd address of every other member of Karaoke club. Welcome to a list, Billy.
Let’s be honest though, it’s probably not the first time Billy has gotten scam emails at that address. He used to have it visible in his Facebook about section for years, and it’s still listed on an ancient and forgotten DeviantArt portfolio along with his real name. Also, he’s had this account for a long time and emailed lots of people. Each of those is a chain that connects to his email address. If any one link is discovered by the bad guys, the whole chain is in the open.
After that they can do a surprising amount to learn your behaviors. With a full-feature email service, they can theoretically tell exactly when you open the email, your operating system, your geolocation… all sorts of stuff that isn’t exactly secret, but gives you the shivers that they could know. Once they have this, it’s not hard to generalize demographics and predict who would be receptive to what scams.
Wolves Dressed as Sheep
Many of the ways people will attack you through your email fall right in line with our previous discussion about The Impersonator. In your email they know they have you in a format that you’re likely to overlook small details. If they know they can get past your spam filter, then they know there’s a good chance that you’ll at least click on their email.
They’ll try to mimic emails that you are likely to be receiving. There are lots of ways they could get an idea about what email lists you may be on, and not all of them are data breaches. A tracker in your browser could be feeding info about your behavior without necessarily doing anything nefarious to be flagged as malware by your safeguards.
Remember, legitimate businesses and individuals assign cookies and trackers all the time without any ill intent. We all click “Accept All Cookies” once in a while. Even if there’s just a .01% chance that any of those you click on has something harmful coming across, it’s just a matter of time.
Also consider that people are quite predictable with a large enough sample size. For every well-timed scam email you’ve ever received that seemed like they must be actually watching you, you’ve probably received two dozen weird ones that seemed to come out of left field. It’s just a numbers game. They’ll get it right sometimes.
If they’ve identified your email and the most likely services and addresses that can trick you, it’s only a matter of seeing what they can slide by.
In the case of this above example, the fake may seem obvious. After all, we’re here stretching our brains and thinking about scammers, but when someone comes across this email they may be distracted or in a hurry. Then, they could feel panicked that their MetaMask wallet has been compromised.
Notice that they color the email to draw the eyes directly to what they want you to see. The large notice at the top, and the button to “update now”. While we didn’t click that link, a quick mouseover revealed the target to be a proxy site, with a slug pointing to a long string of characters for a dAPP command. This link almost surely goes to a fake service site where you will be immediately asked to connect your wallet.
Oh, and also –“MҽtaMask”? That’s not an E. That’s an Abkhazian Che, a Cyrillic character that is entirely different from the latin “e”. If you’re not paying close attention though… it may be enough to not get them flagged for impersonation, while your eyes simply autocorrect that to “MetaMask”.
Also, check out that XM over there. That’s called a BIMI or Brand Indicator for Message Identification. These are verified trademark spaces, so a brand can submit a BIMI that won’t be copied anywhere else. This is a relatively new system that only works with some email providers, so you may notice a difference between impersonators and the emails they’re impersonating based on their mark. This isn’t always the case though, as some brands have not yet adopted BIMI… our emails here at Gala, for instance, do not ever use a BIMI.
That verification check mark doesn’t mean anything, it’s just part of the display name – like we saw with fake help admins in our imposter profile.
The dead giveaway is the return email though. Even half redacted, it should be pretty easy to tell that’s not from MetaMask. Why would MetaMask not send emails from their domain that users know and trust?
Straight to the Source
The important part here is that your email usually has your attention. If they can slide into your inbox, half their work is done. If they send out 10000 emails, what do you suppose the chances are that no one is careless enough to click without thinking?
That’s the end goal for these scammers. They know that most people in the digital world are protected in some way from bad actors, but they also know that you hold the keys to your security mechanisms. The best defenses in the world don’t mean much if you willingly click to their site and give them your information.
This is why The Guardian Papers are here. These scammers know that there is always someone to prey on because people aren’t informed. If we all know what to look for, the fruit they’re looking for gets waaaaay higher in the tree. Maybe they’ll just go find another tree to climb.
Digital Guardians
No one is going to ensure your security on the web. You have to take matters into your own hands and change behaviors if you want to be safe. While it may seem overwhelming to think of all the ways the bad guys can get to you, it’s really not that hard. If you learn the ways that they come at you, before long it’ll be easy to spot the attackers long before they breach your walls.
We learn. We teach. If everyone is equipped to deal with them, digital villains don’t stand a chance.
That’ll do it for this week’s Guardian Papers! We’ll be back though as we dive into common ways people use Discord and other messaging apps to prey on the unaware!
$GALA is the official token of the Gala web3 ecosystem. Consistently placed in the top 100 crypto tokens (by volume) on CoinMarketCap, this token acts as the fuel for a thriving and always growing web3 world, powered by GalaChain.
$GALA on Ethereum
When the development of our layer 1 blockchain had just begun, $GALA was first created as an Ethereum-based token. Even today, as GalaChain is fully operational and rapidly expanding, we strive for interoperability with the Ethereum Virtual Machine, recognizing it as the most widely used blockchain system today.
Bridging $GALA to and from Ethereum is easy, although it is no longer originally minted there. By bridging $GALA to Ethereum, users can take advantage of numerous dApps and exchanges, both centralized and decentralized.
On Ethereum’s massively popular secondary marketplace, OpenSea, you’ll find all the official Gala collections, making it easy to trade Gala ecosystem NFTs.
When your $GALA is on Ethereum, you can:
Create or fill buy and sell orders on dozens of Ethereum-based exchanges
Use it to make GalaChain purchases via your connected web3 wallet
When new $GALA enters into circulation, it is created on GalaChain as a mint allowance, letting the owner decide when the official minting event should take place. Once it is minted from allowance to its tokenized form, it can be:
Spent in the GalaChain ecosystem
Used in Gala Games
Swapped on GalaSwap
Transferred to other accounts
Bridged to Ethereum
Getting $GALA
There are many ways to get $GALA beyond simply purchasing it from a crypto exchange where it is listed.
Rewards for Founder’s Node Operation
The main way that new $GALA enters the ecosystem is as a reward for the operation of Founder’s Nodes, which power the main Gala ecosystem DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network).
Based on the current total supply of $GALA in circulation, a set amount is allocated for distribution each day to all active Founder’s Node operators. This total distribution amount is distributed to active operators based on a daily point system that rewards each node based on the total amount of time they were active for the previous day. The greatest number of distribution points that can be attained by an operator in a day is 4– 1 for each 6 hour period in which their node was active.
Gala Founder’s Node licenses can be acquired here. They are easy to set up and run in the background of a user’s home computer through the Gala Node software, and they will generate $GALA rewards for every active day.
Rewards for Gameplay
Many of our games offer ways to receive $GALA for gameplay. Here’s a quick rundown of your options:
Champions Arena
When you compete in the PvP Arena against other players and play with NFT Champions, you are eligible for Victory Points, which convert once daily into $GALA rewards that are delivered directly to your account. Even players who do not own NFT Champions can take advantage of the Nexus feature to borrow and play with NFTs owned by others for a share of the rewards!
By participating in Legacy’s Design competition events of various leagues, players can win Legacy Tickets, which are converted daily to $GALA prizes based on a reward allocation determined by the amount spent in the game.
In the 4X space adventure game Echoes of Empire, players build and defend their home bases while scouring celestial bodies in search of Stardust, an extremely rare and rewarding resource. Every day, 50% of the Stardust held by each player is systematically burned and $GALA is given as a prize from a reward allocation.
Gala’s strategic sim game of town and city builders is centered around a meta-shifting weekly competition in which players from all over the world try to make the most Stars, crafting and selling the flavor of the week! Don’t let the relaxing and adorable feel of the game fool you. It’s an intensely strategic battle for the leaderboards, but winners are well rewarded with $GALA prizes.
Our casual browser-based poker game hosts tables of Texas and Omaha Hold’em. Every day, players win as many chips as they can in the free-to-play game, collecting Sweepstakes entry tickets as they go. Each week hosts a handsome $GALA prize pool in which multiple winners are drawn and each Entry Ticket is a new chance to win!
Every token available on GalaSwap may be swapped for $GALA. This includes project tokens that have been created by community members via the Project Token Creation Tool, as well as in-game currencies from games (like $TOLK, $MTRM and $ETIME) and wrapped versions of cryptos from other blockchains and GalaChain-based stablecoins (GUSDC and GUSDT). It only costs 1 $GALA to create or accept a swap. To start using GalaSwap, just log in with your Gala account credentials.
Trading on External Exchanges
Ethereum-based $GALA is available on dozens of exchanges in lots of different exchange pairs, making it accessible in almost every locality of the world. For a list of $GALA exchange pairings on both centralized (privately owned) and decentralized (open source, anonymous) exchanges, visit the Markets page of CoinMarketCap.
Sending or receiving $GALA is very simple, whether on Ethereum or GalaChain.
On GalaChain
To send $GALA to another GalaChain account, follow these steps:
Acquire the recipient’s GalaChain address – It will look like this:
client|5f64659d468267207aaf7982
In you account’s Balances area, select $GALA (GalaChain) and choose Send $GALA (GalaChain).
Enter the amount you’d like to send, along with the recipient’s address.
Finalize the transaction with your Transfer Code and you’re all set. They should see their $GALA within a couple minutes.
To receive $GALA from another GalaChain account, follow these steps:
Select Get GALA (GalaChain) in your account’s Balances page.
Share either the provided QR code or your GalaChain address with the sender.
On Ethereum
Sending and receiving $GALA on Ethereum works the same way as any other token on that blockchain. This should be self-explanatory within your preferred Ethereum wallet, such as Metamask. For added convenience, you can also conduct Ethereum transfers within your Gala account when your Metamask wallet is connected to your account.
Bridging $GALA
Moving $GALA from Ethereum to GalaChain (or vice versa) is easy through your Gala account with a connected Ethereum wallet such as Metamask. If your Ethereum wallet is not connected, you can connect it easily through your account’s Settings under Linked Accounts.
Bridging Fees:
Keep in mind that when bridging from one network to another, you are required to pay transactional fees for the network from which your tokens are departing.
Bridging from GalaChain to Ethereum costs a variable fee in $GALA.
Bridging from Ethereum to GalaChain costs a variable fee in $ETH.
Cryptocurrencies and blockchain tech aren’t going anywhere soon, and people who take the time to learn the basics now will be glad they did when the rest of the world catches on.
With all the excitement surrounding the Telegram blockchain-based app (tApp) craze, mass adoption is closer than ever. Speaking of rewarding and exciting Telegram tokenization, have you played our awesome new tap-for-rewards game, Treasure Tapper? You can play absolutely free through your Telegram account, and the rewards you win will soon be minted as real crypto on both TON and GalaChain, onboarding a million (or many more) users to the empowerment of blockchain tech!
Start tapping for treasure today if you haven’t yet!
Flashing lights and loud noises dominate your senses. Last quarter. This time you’ll get it for sure.
You pop it in and the screen comes to life. Dirk the Daring fearlessly gets to his heroic work. You use what you’ve learned all afternoon to navigate the treacherous path. It’s a perfect run so far. Just as you’re starting to get cocky, the Lizard King creeps out of nowhere. Game over.
Just one of many horrible fates that befell Dirk the Daring.
Totally defeated and having lost your last quarter, you start to slink away from the machine. Almost automatically you sweep the coin return with two fingers – A quarter! Maybe one last game of Ninja Gaiden instead of trying your luck at this one again.
The Golden Age of the Arcade
If you were born before the 90s, chances are this sounded pretty familiar to you. All those of us who grew up in the time when the arcade was king distinctly remember those last quarter feels, or the sensation of poking at the coin return in the hopes that some other kid forgot their last coin in it.
Yes, arcades are still a thing. My daughter is quite fond of them. It’s hard to take her to a half abandoned and dilapidated arcade though and not have my mind drift to those days where games meant more than just tickets. When the arcade was the spot to be all summer long.
Back then, the video games we could play at home were limited. Sure, depending on what decade we’re talking about there were Ataris, Commodores, NES and eventually even those late 90s persistent 300+ game shareware discs. The quality and quantity of games you could play from your couch, however, paled in comparison to wall to wall arcade cabinets and the sure chance of finding at least some of your friends at the arcade.
These were the days of no internet. The days of very limited multiplayer outside multi-joystick arcade games. The days when gaming culture was born… and that culture lived full-time at the arcade.
Dragon’s Lair, which I was referencing above, came out in 1983. Dragon’s Lair BLEW OUR MINDS! This was a time when most games were lines and dots on a screen, or at best they were made up of moving static images. Some of the highest tech out there had sprites for characters that had 2-3 poses at most.
Dragon’s Lair showed up with a Disney-quality, rotoscoped movie as its gameplay. They used the entirely new LaserDisc data format to encode a movie with multiple branching paths… one of the first examples of interactive media at this quality! It was impressive… so impressive, in fact, that sometimes you’d keep draining quarters into it even after you realized how punishing and impossible it was.
Not So Distant Beginnings
We’ve come a long way in a very short time with video game tech. The glory days of the arcade weren’t that long ago. Looking back, however, it’s really no wonder why we moved so fast. At the arcade, you could play 40+ new games in one day, talk about them with your friends, and watch hundreds of other kids playing (who were probably better than you) over their shoulder. We learned quick, which is why gaming learned quick.
Simple shapes and basic mechanics of games like Breakout gave way to slightly less simple shapes of games like Arkanoid. One by one, the kids pumping quarters in the games started to recognize genres and core mechanics. At first it was “Oh! It’s like Double Dragon”, but as our knowledge grew it quickly became “Oh! It’s a beat ’em up, co-op platformer”.
Arcades were education. In those early days of the 70s and 80s, there were great game designers and programmers working on games. That was nothing compared to the kids they were training up though. No one had ever absorbed so much of the previously non-existent media of video games.
Spoiler, some of us who put our time in at the local arcade ‘studying’ would go on to push gaming forward with this education. Soon the kids recognizing patterns in the games they pumped their quarters into grew into the young professionals propelling gaming into the next generation.
The Legacy of Arcades
Arcades may still exist, but they’re not always the bastion of culture they once were. That having been said, that culture is still very much alive. When my daughter used to lure three friends into her Minecraft world so they could run her newly created obstacle course, that felt very arcade. When I watch a Twitch stream and think my commentary actually adds to the group conversation, that feels a lot like crowding around the arcade champ’s shoulder while they’re taking challengers on in Killer Instinct.
I think you’d be hard pressed to find many who work in game dev today that don’t have fond memories of the arcade. This was the shared experience that helped raise us and led to the rapid progression of games through the past few decades. Whether you were setting your coins on deck for Space Invaders in the late 70s or trying to solo run The Simpsons Arcade Game in the early 90s, you helped create this industry.
There are cultures throughout the world where arcades still hold some of their former glory. Japan, notably, has sprawlingly huge arcades with an often ridiculous assortment of all kinds of games. Even those, however, are on the decline compared to their heights in previous decades.
Pictured: The Kabukicho pedestrian crossing in Tokyo, at the corner of Shinjuku Moa 2 Avenue and the Godzilla Road. Though arcades are statistically on the decline in Japan, there are still whole districts with entire buildings devoted to nothing but arcade games.
Luckily, one thing out there is preserving the classic arcade feel… And I’m not talking about a room full of machines that dispense tickets so you can buy worthless prizes. That great force working to save some piece of this culture is probably the same thing that made you read this far – nostalgia. Adults love games too, and over the past decades we’re seeing far more arcades formatted for grownups.
It’s really no surprise that these ‘barcades’ have risen so quickly. Adults do love to play just as much as everyone else. Billions of people out there all have this shared experience of the arcade… is it any wonder we’d want to relive a little of that? Also, compared to the price of some leisure activities out there… my wallet and wife would much prefer I play some Ms. PacMan with a cheap beer in my hand for an hour or two rather than some of the alternatives.
Fun is fun, and arcades are fun that everyone can enjoy together.
Arcade Culture Comes to GalaChain
This long, nostalgic ramble has finally brought me to the point. Those of you who have been around the Gala Community for a while may be aware of the Happy Valley Arcade Bar in Beacon, NY. The owners of this establishment have long been incredibly supportive and involved community icons across all things Gala… and they’re working on something absolutely amazing for all arcade fans.
They are currently building some of the world’s first web3 gaming cabinets. These arcade machines will connect to GalaChain and reward high scorers with $VALLEY. Eventually, these games may be playable on the PC, but the arcade cabinets is where the bulk of these tokens will come from.
Early footage from one of Happy Valley’s arcade games!
We here at a Gala are a bit on the outside looking in on this one, but I personally am VERY excited. Not only is it amazing to see people doing new and innovative things with GalaChain, but I really like the idea of a worldwide arcade high score battle.
Information will be coming out soon from the Happy Valley team. I hear they are planning to sell arcade cabinets with $VALLEY potential among other things.
You don’t have to take my word for it though… head on over to https://discord.gg/5zJ8WqNV to join their Discord server today!
In the simplest terms, a web3 wallet is your digital wallet for the decentralized web. Think of it as a special app that lets you store, send, receive, and manage your cryptocurrencies and digital assets. But it does more than just hold your “money.” A web3 wallet can interact with decentralized blockchain applications (dApps), making it a crucial tool for navigating the web3 world.
Typically, a person will only have a single IRL wallet, holding important items like driver’s licenses, credit cards and maybe some cash. One notable difference with web3 wallets is that it’s rather common to have more than one. For people dabbling in cryptocurrency through a mainstream exchange such as Coinbase, they may look no further than their Coinbase wallet, which will include all the functions they’ll need to trade and own on that platform. However, once users are interested in exploring new platforms and different blockchain ecosystems, they’ll quickly find that a new wallet will often optimize organization and convenience.
Wallets on GalaChain
Gala’s wallet approach is fairly simple due to the fact that GalaChain was built for the Gala ecosystem. Therefore, your GalaChain wallet is connected to your free Gala account. Having a wallet on GalaChain is as simple as having a Gala account.
Please note that while your GalaChain wallet is closely connected to your GalaChain account, it is yours and yours alone. Gala is a non-custodial wallet, meaning that it does not have access to your wallet or its private keys.
Tokens on GalaChain are built to interoperate with Ethereum, allowing you to bridge NFTs, crypto and in-game items to and from the Ethereum blockchain with ease. This is also accomplished by integrating one of the supported Ethereum-based web3 wallets with your Gala account. This connection can be made in your account’s Settings menu. For a quick guide on how to make this connection, check out this support article.
Our recommended external web3 wallet for the Ethereum blockchain is Metamask, the most widely used and trusted web3 wallet software in the world today.
Why Are Web3 Wallets Important?
Web3 wallets are essential for several reasons to anyone looking to experience the full range of opportunities and interactions available in web3:
Ownership and Control: Unlike traditional banking, where a third party holds your funds, web3 wallets give you full control over your assets. You own your private keys, which means you have complete control over your funds and transactions.
Security: Web3 wallets use advanced cryptography to secure your assets. As long as you keep your private keys safe, your funds are secure.
Decentralized Access: Web3 wallets allow you to interact with decentralized applications without needing to create multiple accounts. This is akin to having a universal login for all dApps, making the user experience seamless and efficient.
Innovation and Flexibility: With web3 wallets, you can participate in new financial systems, like DeFi (Decentralized Finance), and access unique digital assets like NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens).
How Do Web3 Wallets Work?
Public and Private Keys
At the heart of every web3 wallet are two types of keys: Public and private keys. These keys are not literal keys, but strings of cryptographic codes that play different roles:
A Public Key is like your bank account number. It can be safely shared with others and used to receive funds.
A Private Key is like your PIN or password. It’s used to sign transactions and access your funds. Keeping this key secure is critical because anyone with your private key can control your wallet.
There are several types of web3 wallets, each offering different features and levels of security:
Software Wallets are applications or browser extensions, like MetaMask, that you can install on your computer or smartphone. They are convenient and easy to use but can be vulnerable to malware and phishing attacks. This is why it’s important to lock or log out of your software wallet when not in use.
Hardware Wallets: These are physical devices, like Ledger or Trezor, that store your private keys offline. They offer enhanced security by keeping your keys away from internet-connected devices, making them immune to online attacks.
Paper Wallets: These are simply printouts of your public and private keys. While they can be very secure (if stored safely), they are not practical for everyday use and can be easily lost or damaged.
Custodial Wallets: These wallets are managed by a third party, like an exchange, which holds your private keys for you. While they offer convenience and easy access, they also require you to trust the third party with your assets.
In the Gala ecosystem, as described in the Gala Ecosystem Blueprint, wallets play a pivotal role. GalaChain, the purpose-built blockchain for the Gala Games, Film and Music ecosystems, integrates with web3 wallets to provide users with seamless access to their digital assets and interactions within Gala dApps. Whether it’s buying in-game assets, participating in community votes, or collecting rewards through node operations, a web3 wallet is your gateway to these activities.
Looking for a deeper dive into web3 wallets and the security behind them?
Gateway to Web3
Beyond digital piggy banks, web3 wallets are your personal keys to the decentralized world of web3. By giving you full control over your assets and enabling seamless interaction with dApps, web3 wallets empower you to take full advantage of the innovative opportunities within the blockchain space. As the Gala ecosystem and the broader web3 landscape continue to grow, understanding and utilizing web3 wallets will be essential for anyone looking to participate in this new digital frontier.
