California has introduced a groundbreaking law, AB 2426, set to take effect in 2025, requiring retailers to inform consumers that digital games can be revoked at any time.
This initiative addresses the growing frustration among gamers over the lack of genuine ownership in digital goods. Inspired by incidents involving companies like Ubisoft and Sony, this law is a wake-up call for the gaming industry and an endorsement of Web3 technology’s potential to restore true ownership to players.
Before the internet era, gamers could purchase physical copies of their favorite games, truly owning the experience. However, with digital gaming, ownership has become conditional. Game publishers often control access to the game even after purchase, essentially making ownership a relic of the past.
Many gamers who have witnessed the not-so-gradual transition from the freedom of physical cartridge ownership to today’s unlock access approach are recognizing the lack of ownership in gaming. Publishers are free to continually sell new expansions that require ongoing purchases for players to stay competitive, and they’re free to clean out player accounts for violations of a multitude of terms and conditions as they see fit.
In early 2024, Ubisoft’s Director of Subscriptions, Philippe Tremblay spoke on the importance of getting gamers comfortable not owning their games.SOURCE
California Making Moves
It’s no surprise that California is the first state in the US to pass legislation intended to protect consumers from being misinformed when “purchasing” access to digital games.
This new warning label law acknowledges the problem but doesn’t solve it—players often still lack real control over their digital assets, even if they will be made aware of the real situation. This is where Web3 comes in.
At Gala, we’re building an ecosystem that empowers gamers to own their digital experiences and assets permanently. With blockchain technology, players regain control over many aspects of their gaming experiences, such as land, characters and items, ensuring that no central authority can revoke access without their consent.
The new California law is a reminder that the gaming industry must evolve, and Web3 is the key to making that transformation a reality.
With the power of web3, Gala Games is poised to reclaim ownership control for gamers all over the world in a way they have never known. For more details, check out this original PC Gamer article
A Virtual Private Server (VPS) is a type of hosting service that provides dedicated virtualized server space on a physical server. Essentially, a VPS mimics a dedicated server environment within a shared server.
This setup is made possible by using virtualization technology, which splits a single physical server into multiple smaller virtual servers. Each VPS has its own operating system, storage and bandwidth, which are isolated from other servers on the same physical machine.
Think of a VPS as an apartment in a high-rise building. While all the apartments share the same infrastructure (building, elevators, utilities), each unit is separate and offers privacy and control to its occupant. Similarly, a VPS offers users their own private space to run applications and websites independently, without interference from others using the same physical server.
Imagine a homeowner with a nice yard pays a landscaping crew to take care of their lawn and garden. While the homeowner is physically able to do these tasks on his own, he may not have the time needed or the skills to make his garden perfect like a professional crew. Additionally, he probably doesn’t have the tools to get the job done to professional standards and he has his own full time job to worry about. For all these reasons it becomes sensible to pay for an ongoing service that specializes in gardening.
Why are VPS Important in Decentralized Ecosystems?
Virtual Private Servers are crucial in the context of web3 and decentralized networks due to their flexibility, cost-effectiveness and scalability. They provide an ideal solution for running nodes, decentralized applications (dApps), and other blockchain-related services without the high cost associated with dedicated physical hardware.
Cost-Effectiveness: For those who want the power of a dedicated server but at a fraction of the cost, a VPS is a perfect choice. This makes it more accessible for developers and node operators to get involved in decentralized projects.
Scalability: VPS instances can be easily scaled up or down depending on the needs of the network or application. This is especially useful in blockchain environments where usage patterns can fluctuate greatly.
Flexibility: VPS users have root access to their servers, allowing for a high degree of customization. This means they can install and configure any software required to run their specific decentralized application or node.
VPS in the Gala Ecosystem
Gala Founder’s Node operators often utilize Virtual Private Servers to run multiple nodes efficiently. Running nodes on a VPS allows operators to avoid the logistical challenges and high costs of maintaining multiple physical machines. By using VPS, node operators can ensure that they have enough memory, processing power and bandwidth to support their nodes without the need for additional hardware.
The Gala Founder’s Node ecosystem is made up of dedicated community members who wish to power a portion of the network in exchange for some computing power. If a community member wishes to run 5 nodes, for example, they can either scale up their hardware and internet service to accommodate their workloads, or they can simply operate their nodes on a virtual private server, using one of many trusted VPS services available to them.
Benefits of Using VPS for Node Operations
Resource Optimization: A VPS can be customized to allocate the exact amount of CPU, RAM, and storage needed to run multiple nodes. This avoids the over- or under-utilization of resources that can occur with physical servers.
Easy Maintenance and Management: With a VPS, operators can remotely access and manage their nodes from anywhere in the world. This remote management capability simplifies the process of maintaining and upgrading nodes.
Reliability and Uptime: Reputable VPS providers offer high uptime guarantees and automated backups, ensuring that nodes remain online and functional even in the case of unexpected issues.
Security: VPS environments are typically more secure than shared hosting services because they offer isolated instances. This isolation means that security vulnerabilities in one VPS do not affect others on the same server.
Why VPS is an Ideal Solution for Decentralized Networks
In the context of decentralized networks and web3 projects, VPS instances provide a stable and reliable way to run nodes and other network services. Some of the reasons why VPS is particularly suitable for this use case include:
Decentralization Without High Costs: VPS allows individuals to participate in decentralized networks without the prohibitive costs of physical servers. This aligns well with the ethos of decentralization by lowering the entry barrier for participation.
Geographic Distribution: VPS can be deployed in data centers around the world, contributing to the geographic decentralization of the network. This ensures that the network remains robust and resistant to localized disruptions or attacks.
Flexibility for Different Roles: VPS can be used to run different types of nodes—validator nodes, storage nodes, and more—allowing operators to contribute in various ways depending on the network’s needs.
The Future of VPS in Web3
As web3 continues to grow, the demand for decentralized infrastructure solutions will only increase. Virtual Private Servers will continue to play a crucial role by providing a bridge between the scalability needs of large networks and the accessibility required by smaller operators. As projects like GalaChain and others evolve, the ability to quickly deploy, scale, and manage nodes using VPS will become a fundamental part of ensuring that decentralized networks remain performant and resilient.
Hyperledger Fabric is an open source, modular blockchain architecture developed by the Decentralized Trust. Compared to many other chains in the web3 world, Hyperledger Fabric has distinct utility because of its unique pluggable consensus, horizontal scalability and innate ability to be customized.
Check out the replay of the live stream from October 2nd with Gala’s own Koushik Gavini as he dives deep into the details of our L1 blockchain, built for entertainment but ready for anything.
Why Hyperledger Fabric
Hyperledger Fabric was designed to be the basis of enterprise-level solutions, and it’s currently used by nearly 150 businesses that leverage it as an immutable ledger in their ecosystems. It’s capable of customized permissions and has a modular architecture that allows each channel to develop how they need to for specific projects.
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This is huge for the world of entertainment, where some data often must be masked for security purposes, but a public ledger is still required. Permission control lets developers control access to certain functions within their own channel, so that they can build how they want.
Finally the horizontal scalability of the multi-channel approach to blockchain allows developers to prioritize what they need. Need transactions on your channel to be lightning fast? You can do that. Real-time applications demand real-time speeds and responsiveness, and the needs of your channel are all you need to worry about.
Building Bigger and Better
Since Hyperledger Fabric was designed specifically to function at a high level for businesses, there’s tons of utility that can be built on it. Consensus, governance, a decentralized and immutable ledger – these things are all present, but they increase HLF’s utility rather than limit it.
The fact that Fabric was designed for utility, however, makes it so that developers can create unique networks using GalaChain channels that can do things no other chain out there can. Features like permissioned allowances, full oracle support and external wallet authorization make developing a competitive, next-generation project on GalaChain easy.
What’s more, developers can hop right into GalaChain. Using the powerful Fablo tool (contributed to the HLF community by the Gala team), devs can easily set up a network and be running right away. Execute chaincode in your first hour on your own channel.
Most chains you have to learn an obscure, clunky language for development. Not with GalaChain! Write chaincode and smart contracts in TypeScript – the fifth most popular programming language in the world!
Build With Us
GalaChain is getting more and more developed all the time, and the time to hop in is NOW! The innate utility of Hyperledger Fabric has helped us create something that’s simple, accessible and extremely powerful on GalaChain.
No matter what you want to build, you’ll find powerful solutions on GalaChain https://galachain.com/
The world of Common Ground World is about to get even more exciting with the release of the brand-new Daily Challenges feature! With this substantial update, players will now have the chance to participate in daily events to unlock rewards in the form of $SOIL, the latest in-game token exclusive to GalaChain. This update brings fresh opportunities for players to explore, compete, and grow their farms while collecting performance-based rewards.
$SOIL will officially launch soon, but for now, you can collect $DIRT, for which $SOIL will automatically be awarded once it is released on GalaChain.
The new Daily Challenges feature is designed to bring an extra layer of excitement and rewards to your farming adventures. Each day, you’ll find a new Daily Challenge in the Events category of the game, where you can participate using your Reward-eligible NFTs (list provided below).
Complete tasks like producing or selling certain crafts before the day ends, and watch as your efforts generate a portion of that day’s available $SOIL rewards!
The amount of $SOIL you collect is based on how much you contribute to the daily pool, which is determined by your performance in Town Points. Players who contribute more Town Points will receive a higher percentage of the $SOIL pool. This competitive structure is sure to keep the game fresh and engaging for everyone.
What Can You Do with $SOIL?
In the same way that healthy soil is an essential ingredient of any effective farm, $SOIL is the key to unlocking unique in-game opportunities. Here’s how it can be used:
Upgrade your NFTs: Use $SOIL to boost the effectiveness of your NFTs, helping you become a more powerful player and giving you a strategic edge in the weekly competitions.
Access premium experiences: Whether it’s unlocking exclusive events or obtaining rare items, $SOIL will be your pass to premium content within Common Ground World.
Get Involved — Even Without NFTs!
Don’t have any reward-eligible NFTs yet? No worries! You can still participate by joining a Guild. Through the Guild Library feature, Guild leaders can lend eligible NFTs to their members, allowing you to participate in the Daily Challenges and even collect rewards!
Connect with other players through the Common Ground World Discord channel to find a Guild and get started.
If you’re looking to pick up your own reward-eligible NFTs, stay tuned—more will be available in the Gala Games Store soon!
A Look Ahead: The $SOIL Token Launch
While the $SOIL token is set to become the primary reward for Daily Challenges, the rollout will be carefully monitored. Initially, players will receive DIRT instead of $SOIL to ensure that the system runs smoothly without exploitation. Once stability is ensured, the transition to $SOIL will occur, so keep an eye out for that exciting change!
Get Ready for Daily Challenges!
We hope you’re all excited to dive into Common Ground World’s Daily Challenges, with something new to pursue each and every day! Whether you’re competing for the largest share of $SOIL or working with your Guild to achieve farming greatness, this update promises endless fun and rewarding gameplay.
Yield farming is a popular concept in decentralized finance (DeFi) that allows users to get rewards by lending or staking cryptocurrency on a blockchain-based platform. The idea is straightforward: you deposit your digital assets into a decentralized application (DApp) or liquidity pool, and in return, the platform rewards you with additional tokens. It’s similar to the way interest can be earned on the money held in a savings account.
Yield farming helps decentralized platforms by providing liquidity, which is essential for these platforms to function smoothly. The less liquid a digital asset is, the more difficult it becomes to buy or sell that asset, resulting in the potential for extreme price volatility. In exchange for contributing to an asset’s liquidity, users receive rewards, which vary depending on the platform and the type of assets staked.
How Does Yield Farming Work?
Let’s compare yield farming to a community garden. Imagine you’re growing plants in a shared garden where everyone contributes seeds (digital assets). As the plants grow, the garden yields fruits (rewards), which are shared among all contributors based on how much they’ve contributed.
Yield farming works in a similar way: Users provide liquidity to decentralized platforms, and the platform distributes rewards proportionate to each user’s contribution.
Here’s how it typically works step by step for the user:
Provide Liquidity: You deposit your cryptocurrency into a liquidity pool on a DeFi platform. These liquidity pools are essential for decentralized exchanges (DEXs) and other financial services to operate without a traditional intermediary.
Collect Rewards: In return for providing liquidity, you earn rewards, often in the form of the platform’s native token or other assets. The more liquidity you provide, the more rewards you can earn. These rewards are typically accumulated over time from the transactional fees charged to those who trade on the platform.
Stake or Claim: Some platforms allow users to stake their reward tokens in additional liquidity pools to compound their rewards, while others simply let you claim the rewards directly.
What is a Liquidity Pool?
A liquidity pool is a collection of funds locked into a smart contract. These funds are used to facilitate trading on decentralized exchanges or to support lending and borrowing activities on DeFi platforms. By contributing to a liquidity pool, you help ensure there is enough liquidity for users to trade or borrow assets, making the entire platform more efficient.
A basic liquidity pool involves an exchange pairing between 2 different tokens. When initially providing liquidity, the provider would stake equal value parts of each token, ensuring that they have added liquidity to that pairing equal to the value they have contributed.
Why is Yield Farming Important in DeFi?
Yield farming plays a crucial role in the decentralized finance ecosystem. It ensures that there is enough liquidity for decentralized exchanges and lending platforms to function smoothly without needing centralized control. Large privately owned exchanges provide the liquidity themselves, keeping enough value to back the trade activity for all their exchange pairings.
The decentralized approach empowers users by enabling them to get rewarded while contribute to the ecosystem, without relying on traditional financial intermediaries, such as banks.
Here are some key reasons why yield farming is important:
Liquidity Provision: Without yield farmers, DeFi platforms would struggle to have enough liquidity for trades, loans and other financial operations. Yield farmers ensure there’s always enough liquidity in the system.
Reward Incentives: Yield farming provides an attractive way for users to get rewards by simply holding and staking their digital assets, often far more than traditional savings accounts.
Decentralized Control and Anonymity: By participating in yield farming, users help maintain a decentralized system, keeping control in the hands of the community rather than centralized entities.
Risks of Yield Farming
While yield farming can offer high rewards, it also comes with certain risks. Here are some of the main concerns to be aware of:
Impermanent Loss: When you provide liquidity to a pool, you might experience impermanent loss. This happens when the price of the assets you’ve deposited changes compared to when you added them. If the price moves significantly, your potential rewards could be reduced. There is no guarantee that the value of the liquidity you have provided will hold steady.
Smart Contract Vulnerabilities: Yield farming relies on smart contracts, which are pieces of code that automatically execute transactions. If there’s a bug or vulnerability in the smart contract, it could result in loss of funds.
Platform Risk: Not all DeFi platforms are created equal. Some may have weaker security measures or be more prone to hacks and exploits. It’s important to research the platform you’re using before depositing assets.
Popular Platforms for Yield Farming
There are several popular DeFi platforms where users can participate in yield farming. Here are a few:
Uniswap: One of the largest decentralized exchanges where users can provide liquidity to earn rewards.
Aave: A DeFi lending platform where users can deposit assets into liquidity pools and earn rewards through lending.
Compound: Another popular lending platform where users can earn rewards by lending out their assets.
Each of these platforms operates slightly differently, but they all provide opportunities for users to stake or lend their assets and earn rewards.
Yield Farming in Action: An Example
Let’s break down a simple example of yield farming in action:
You decide to stake some of your digital assets (for instance, Ethereum) on a platform like Uniswap.
You deposit these assets into a liquidity pool for a specific trading pair, such as ETH/USDC (Ethereum and USD Coin).
As people trade between ETH and USDC on the platform, they pay small fees, which are distributed proportionally to all the liquidity providers in the pool.
In addition to these fees, you may also earn rewards in the form of the platform’s native tokens.
Over time, the rewards accumulate, and you can choose to reinvest them or withdraw them.
Yield farming is often a valid option for long term holders of well established cryptocurrencies who would like to generate passive rewards from their holdings. However, it is always important to do extensive research before making the decision to provide liquidity or get into yield farming. Not all dApps and platforms are created equally.
This article is meant for educational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice.
