Zebedee and Viker launch Bitcoin Chess and Bitcoin Scratch with crypto rewards

Gaming payment processor Zebedee and mobile game studio Viker have launched two rewarded games, Bitcoin Chess and Bitcoin Scratch.

These new releases continue Viker’s strategy of using Zebedee’s payments tech to bring a fresh spin to classic games everyone already knows.

Bitcoin Chess and Bitcoin Scratch are available on iOS and Android. They are the latest additions to Viker’s portfolio of Zebedee-powered games, which already includes classics like Solitaire and Sudoku. While Bitcoin Chess is pretty self-explanatory, Bitcoin Scratch is a more approachable concept, where players receive packs of scratch cards, with a chance to earn Bitcoin if the cards hold the right combos on them.

The two new games mark another milestone in a partnership that has produced 10 games so far and pioneered the concept of sustainable “play-and-earn” in casual mobile games, powered by Bitcoin nano transactions.

Essentially, players receive a revenue share from the game, meaning Viker splits what they’re earning from the game with the player. This creates a more engaging experience for players, leading to better retention and ultimately makes the game more profitable, despite the revenue share. These are not large amounts of money, though, with players earning a few cents per session, which is what makes the concept sustainable.

“Ultimately, implementing rewards with Zebedee’s platform isn’t about players earning money, it’s about creating a more interesting and fun experience. Because earning these tiny rewards simply feels great, regardless of if it’s small amounts that won’t materially impact most people’s lives,” said Dan Beasley, cofounder of Viker, in a statement. “But at the same time, it’s real money that you earn just for having fun. So when you can play chess and get Bitcoin for it, why would you play a version without that? They’re both chess, one is just more rewarding.”

Zebedee’s payments platform is what makes these tiny payments possible, as well as easy to integrate inside games and applications. Because they use the Bitcoin Lightning Network, payments can be as small as a fraction of a cent and processed instantly and globally. It doesn’t matter if you’re in the U.S., Europe, India or the Philippines. Bitcoin travels instantly, works the same and is worth the same everywhere. With Zebedee, players don’t have to know anything about crypto to make use of the rewards they earn.

“Viker’s work to bring player rewards to classics like Solitaire and now Chess and scratch card games really resonates with us, because it’s truly the ultimate showcase of our vision for rewarded gaming,” said Ben Cousens, chief strategy officer at Zebedee, in a statement. “These games have a massive global audience that mostly doesn’t care about Bitcoin. And we’re not asking them to. It is extremely easy to set up a Zebedee account, connect it to Viker’s games and withdraw Bitcoin to your Zebedee app. From there, you don’t have to withdraw it anywhere or exchange it for your local currency to use your rewards.”

Cousens added, “You can shop with your balance right inside the app. And if you haven’t earned enough in games to do that, you can just top up with a credit card and you’re set. It really doesn’t matter that it’s Bitcoin, except for the fact that what we do simply isn’t technically possible with traditional currency.”

The companies are already gearing up for their next game launch, where they will add a well-known franchise to the portfolio.

To get started, players need to use the Zebedee app. Zebedee is a fintech startup and next-generation payment processor for the gaming industry, backed by global VCs and gaming studios including Initial Capital, Lakestar, Kingsway Capital, The Raine Group and Square Enix. Viker is a play-and-earn mobile game studio aiming to bring blockchain games to the masses.

Backed by Initial Capital, the studio has successfully grown a global audience and their games have been downloaded more than 50 million times. Founded in 2019, Viker is led by Ben Cusack and Dan Beasley, a highly experienced founding team with expertise across mobile games, blockchain technology, advertising and marketing.