Move to Earn (M2E) gaming is an emerging concept in the world of Web3 that is quickly gaining popularity. M2E games are different from popular Play to Earn games in that they require players to actually move their bodies in order to earn various rewards.
These rewards come in different shapes, including crypto, NFTs, or simply reward points that can be exchanged for products and services.
The new trend has taken the Web3 world by storm, with avid gamers collecting rare NFT sneakers and getting their move on to level up. And with prominent athletes like Usain Bolt backing various crypto M2E projects, the potential for adoption by the mainstream fitness community exists too.
But what exactly is Move to Earn? And does it make sense to give it a go? If so, how can you get started and make a success out of it?
Let’s dig in and find out more.
What exactly is Move to Earn?
Move to Earn, or M2E, gaming is a new way to earn cryptocurrency rewards by playing active games. In contrast to traditional Play to Earn games, which typically involve simply clicking or tapping on a screen, M2E games require players to actually move their bodies in order to progress and earn rewards.
M2E games are designed to get players up and moving, making them a great option for those who want to stay active while earning crypto.
And because they require physical activity, M2E games can be played anywhere, anytime – no need to be tethered to a computer or console.
But why move?
The very first M2E games were designed to get people active and combat the health issues that come from being sedentary. This is evidenced by Sweatcoin’s vision for its app.
Sweatcoin was designed because it wanted to encourage people to look after their health and ‘benefit society’ in return. The idea is that healthier people are more productive and save the healthcare system billions.
So there are altruistic, societal benefits to M2E that possibly outweigh the immediate financial incentives and rewards.
Why are people loving Move to Earn?
Move to Earn games are a great way to get people off the couch and moving, which has numerous health benefits. And because M2E games can be played anywhere, they offer a convenient way to stay active.
In addition, M2E games provide an opportunity for players to earn cryptocurrency rewards. This is a major selling point for many people, as it provides a way to make money while playing games and staying active at the same time. Think Pokemon Go, but with financial incentives.
Move to Earn vs Play to Earn: What’s the difference?
The key difference between M2E and Play to Earn games is that M2E games require players to actually move their bodies in order to earn rewards, while Play to Earn games typically involve simply clicking or tapping on a screen.
This physical activity can take many forms, such as walking, running, jumping, dancing, or even playing sports. As long as you’re moving, you can earn rewards in an M2E game.
In Play to Earn (P2E) games, players earn rewards based on their performance in on-screen games, like Axie Infinity and Alien Worlds, for example. In Move to Earn (M2E) games, players usually earn rewards based on the physical effort they put into the games.
The more tangible differences between the two include different gameplay and reward models, for example.
Gaming models
The focus in P2E is on the gameplay. These games are often centred around storytelling and reimagining traditional gamer experiences. Axie Infinity, for example, is similar to Pokemon-style games. Whereas Alien Worlds taps into the hunger for dystopic strategy games.
While many P2E games are still in their infancy, having a fleshed-out game-centric experience is key.
The M2E model is slightly different. It is about the gamification of activity, to be sure. And there is an opportunity to strategize and uplevel in games like STEPN. But, ultimately, players uplevel so they can move more and earn more from their movement.
While P2E is all about the gaming experience, with a focus on earning, M2E focuses on gamifying fitness and rewarding people for physical activity.
Games like Pokemon GO and Zombies, Run! were precursors to the M2E model. It’s about using augmented reality and audio storytelling to get people moving. Fitness and health are at the core of M2E.
Is Move to Earn right for me?
Whether or not Move to Earn is for you depends on your goals in this space. For many people, the Play to Earn craze became an opportunity to earn money while gaming. Move to Earn provides an opportunity to do the same through the gamification of physical activity.
If earning is your primary goal, then either Play to Earn or Move to Earn would work well. But, if you want to get more active in the process and explore a new way to play, then Move to Earn could be a fun alternative to P2E.
The good news is that there are free M2E options, like Sweatcoin, that allow you to dip your toes in M2E without committing financially.
How can I get started with Move to Earn?
There are a few different ways you can get started with Move to Earn. The most popular option is to sign up for an M2E app, like Sweatcoin, which allows you to start earning rewards immediately.
There are also a number of blockchain-based M2E games, like STEPN, that require you to download a wallet and purchase an NFT shoe before you can start earning. These games often have more complex gameplay and offer bigger rewards than apps like Sweatcoin.
If you’re interested in getting started with Move to Earn, we suggest downloading Sweatcoin first. It’s free to use and a great way to get started with M2E without any financial commitment.
Starting with blockchain-based M2E games
Once you’re comfortable with the concept, you can explore some of the blockchain-based M2E games that require a small investment to get started. Bear in mind that many of the blockchain-based M2E games allow you to explore the app for free before you start earning. But earning does usually involve putting some money in.
There are several games you can explore if you want to get involved with M2E. Here are just a few of them.
STEPN: The game that made Move to Earn popular
In the simplest terms possible, STEPN is the game that pays you to walk. The more complicated definition is that STEPN is an M2E NFT Solana-powered game that allows players to accumulate Green Satoshi Tokens by walking, jogging, or running.
Green Satoshi Tokens are the in-game native currency and can be used to repair, upgrade, and mint NFT shoes so they can, in turn, earn the player more.
STEPN has a massive community of loyal followers, the official Twitter account for the game has amassed more than 675,000 followers since September 2021.
Getting an activation code is the first hurdle
Anyone can download STEPN from the App store. It’s also available for Android phones. But gaining access is another story.
In order to register for STEPN, you need an activation code. These codes are notoriously hard to come by. There are daily activation codes via the STEPN discord here, but in general, these are gone within seconds.
We managed to snap up an elusive STEPN activation code earlier this month and wrote about it here, if you need some tips.
How does it work after you get a code?
Once you get a code, you need to get an NFT sneaker to start earning.
You can try out the game for free and use all its features before you invest, but if you want to actually earn, you need to buy an NFT sneaker first.
You can get an NFT sneaker from the STEPN marketplace. They are relatively affordable right now due to the general downturn of the crypto market. In fact, sneakers that used to cost around $1200 just a few months ago can now be snapped up for $100, with the average cost of a STEPN sneaker in June being 3.72SOL.
You can pick between a walker, jogger, runner, or trainer NFT sneaker depending on how fast you want to go. The categories are pretty self-explanatory; if you want to walk, get a walker for example.
The trainer is a great option if you want to do all three.
What happens once you have your NFT shoe?
Once you have your sneaker, you can start earning by walking, jogging, or earning. You will also be able to upgrade your sneaker, build up your collection, and, by extension, earn more in the process.
There are plenty of bloggers publishing their winning strategies online, so you don’t even have to figure out the game yourself if you want to start earning quickly.
If you are unsure about the best NFT shoe to get as a beginner, YouTuber Brie Kirbyson has a great guide on exactly what shoe you should look for.
What other Move to Earn games are there?
There are plenty of up-and-coming Move to Earn games capitalizing on the recent craze. If STEPN isn’t for you, or if you simply like variety, there are plenty of other options to choose from.
Sweatcoin: the OG of modern M2E
Sweatcoin is the precursor to games like STEPN. It came out in 2015 with a novel concept aiming to reward people who walk. The app is completely free to download and use, which makes it an attractive choice for people entering the M2E space for the first time.
Sweatcoin is unique in that it didn’t start out with a cryptocurrency. This makes it popular with people within and outside the crypto space alike.
As a result, the game was recently named the No.1 global health and fitness app of 2022.
What an amazing 6 months!
🥇The No.1 global H&F app 2022 (first half of…)🥇
Here's to the second half🚀https://t.co/fMz0ydDVTH
— Sweatcoin💧 (@Sweatcoin) July 28, 2022
How does the rewards system work?
Sweatcoin actually uses a point-based system rather than cryptocurrency. Players earn 1 Sweatcoin for each 1,000 steps they walk. These points can then be redeemed for real-world rewards like gift cards and discounts. They can even be donated to charity, which appeals to more altruistic walkers.
Also, while Sweatcoin is not a cryptocurrency, the app recently launched its own cryptocurrency called SWEAT for people who want to participate in the crypto aspect of M2E. The idea is to cater to both crypto and non-crypto fans.
Sweatcoin’s guiding philosophy? “Your movement has value: you deserve a share in it.” And that’s M2E in a nutshell.
RunBlox: An up-and-coming Move to Earn game rivaling STEPN
RunBlox is a brand new move-to-earn app that is quickly gaining popularity and rivalling STEPN. Launched in May of this year, RunBlox runs on the Avalanche ecosystem and is NFT-based.
Much like STEPN, players need to purchase an NFT sneaker in order to play RunBlox.
The game is set in the fictional universe of BloxVerse and has amassed a following of nearly 45,000 on Twitter since it launched earlier this year.
It’s quickly making strides, having been listed on the AppStore earlier this month.
📢 We are thrilled to announce a very important milestone!
#RunBlox app is finally listed on App Store, check it out!❗️The TestFlight version will be invalid in next few days.
📝Please note down your Mnemonic Phrase before downloading the new public version!#NFT #AVAX #M2E pic.twitter.com/gDdQ13dMYg— RunBlox (@RunBlox_io) July 25, 2022
The native cryptocurrency of RunBlox is the RuxCoin. Players can earn RuxCoin by walking, jogging, or running, much like on STEPN.
Accumulating coins is important as it allows you to upgrade your NFT sneakers. Players can also use their coins to mint new NFTs that can be traded within the community.
StepApp: The M2E app backed by Usain Bolt
StepApp is a newcomer to the M2E space. It aims to turn your fitness goals into ‘income, social joy, and friendly competition’.
The game has amassed more than 200,000 followers since March 2022. In more exciting news, it has just announced that Usain Bolt is the new face of its app:
⚡️Usain Bolt x Step👟App
Fastest Man Ever Becomes Face of Step App!Step App is striving for #RoadTo10Million users. @usainbolt is now the official face of this mission!
1/4 pic.twitter.com/N49b2TjqYL
— Step.App (@StepApp_) July 21, 2022
Usain Bolt said:
“I have a passion for winning, for success.
“Running is at the heart of it, but life is more than that. I explore opportunities that bring me closer to happiness, to better financial, to better fitness, and a discovery of new things…
“I knew I had to be a part of this historic achievement.”
As part of the new partnership, Usain Bolt will be joining StepApps’ physical and social media events. Usain Bolt endorsed the app in a promo video, a move which is a massive win for any M2E hopeful.
And with the fastest man in the world backing the growing newcomer, who knows what’s coming next?
What’s next for the app?
The game hopes to expand into the mainstream market with the backing of Usain Bolt and eventually acquire 10 million users.
The app hasn’t launched yet, but excited early adopters can sign up for the new project via the website.
The team is hoping to launch several projects in the FitFi space, tapping into the $100billion fitness industry in the process.
StepApp will be the first of many protocols launched if all goes well with the project.
And with prominent athletes endorsing the app, this one is one to watch closely.
Dustland: The audio fitness blockchain game with a story
If you enjoyed older audio fitness games like Zombies, Run!, Dustland will be right up your alley.
The game is set in a post-apocalyptic future in the year 2272 after a powerful solar flare destroyed civilization as know it.
You, the player, must run for resources, find other survivors, and dodge ‘a ramshackle collection of pirates’, while exploring ghost towns. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find the Dustlands and save the future.
You earn by working out. You gain rewards by completing missions. These rewards are based on the distance you’ve covered rather than performance. And you can earn NFTs or DOSE tokens (the in-game currency).
You can also upgrade your character to improve your stats, participate in more dangerous missions, and, in turn, earn better rewards.
Basically, this is a new and improved version of Zombies, Run! It will appeal to M2E fans who enjoy the storytelling aspect of gaming and like a bit of lore.
The game is fairly niche as well, with just over 30,000 followers on Twitter, so it might appeal to early adopters too.
How much could you earn by playing Move to Earn games
For many people in the Play to Earn and Move to Earn space, the potential financial incentives are a huge aspect of the game.
And investors and players alike often want to know just how much they could earn if they played one of these games.
But the answer isn’t straightforward.
This is a difficult question to answer as it varies from game to game. Some games, like STEPN, give out rewards based on the number of steps you take. Others, like Dustland, base it on the missions you complete or the distance you run.
Of course, there are ways to gauge how much you might earn. This is especially true with more popular games like STEPN which have been tried and tested. It is less possible to work out with games that are still in development for obvious reasons.
Here are two ways you can gauge how much you could earn from a particular game.
Earning reports from users online
There are several earning reports from players online sharing their strategies and wins. From YouTubers to Bloggers, people like to shout their successes. That being said, take these reports with a pinch of salt.
Firstly, not everything on the internet is true. Secondly, there is a little bit of survivorship bias going on with these reports. You are more likely to hear from the people who earned big than the people who couldn’t crack it.
With that disclaimer in mind, it’s important to remember earnings can be lucrative. For instance, Isabelle Power made $85 per day with STEPN when she first got started. She said she started earning that amount within two weeks of downloading the app just by going on a 20-minute walk or run every day.
Isabelle bought three beginner sneakers and found incorporating the game into her daily workout fairly straightforward.
And plenty of YouTubers share their winning strategies online all the time. For example, Bitcoin Daily published a video teaching others how to maximize their profits and earn $200 a day with STEPN.
Tools like Stepn.guide
More popular games like STEPN also have their own dedicated tools to help you gauge how much you could earn. Stepn.guide is one such tool.
The earn calculator allows you to input the stats of any NFT shoe you’re planning on buying. You can input the shoe’s rarity, type, sneakers level, and daily energy. Also, you can input any attributes the shoe has.
Then, the tool shows you exactly how much you might earn. The shoe calculates your daily income in GST, shows you exactly how much you will earn, spend on repairs, and ultimately profit.
You can even toggle the tool to show you how your earnings would change if it’s levelled up.
Tools like Stepn.guide take the guesswork out of Move to Earn games by showing you exactly how much you’re likely to earn by making certain moves in the game.
How Move to Earn could revolutionize Web3 gaming
Move to Earn games are a new type of crypto game that allows players to earn cryptocurrency rewards by playing active video games. In contrast to traditional Play to Earn games, which typically involve simply clicking or tapping on a screen, M2E games require players to actually move their bodies in order to progress and earn rewards.
But there’s more to it than that.
Move to Earn taps into several highly profitable markets. From the $100 billion fitness industry to the $200 billion dollar gaming industry to the trillion dollar crypto world, this emerging trend has the potential for wide appeal.
And it’s already happening; prominent athletes like Usain Bolt are backing promising projects. Hundreds of thousands of gamers are lacing up their virtual NFT sneakers and earning rewards in the process. And people who’ve never even heard of Web3 are using Sweatcoin as a gateway to a whole new world of opportunity.
And let’s not forget the incredible Web3 communities the movement has built. They’re rallying together in ways rarely seen previously, and achieving incredible results in the process. The community is truly the backbone of these M2E projects.
The Move to Earn movement might just revolutionize Web3 gaming by bringing people of seemingly completely different segments of society together.
