Source: DappRadar | Author: Ian Kane
Translated by Moni for Odaily Planet Daily
The blockchain space is teeming with exciting new projects and ecosystems. While many initiatives fade quickly, others find a path to sustainable growth. Spotting the promising ones in this fast-moving landscape is a challenge. Based on our research, Immutable X—profiled below—looks poised for success.
What is Immutable X?
Immutable X is a Layer 2 protocol built for trading game-related NFTs. It allows users to mint and trade digital assets—including ERC-721 (the NFT standard) and ERC-20 tokens—on Ethereum Layer 2 with zero gas fees for individual NFT transactions. The platform also claims that all NFTs minted on it are carbon-neutral.
Unlike centralized sidechains, Immutable X is immune to 51% attacks. Another key advantage is that assets minted on the platform support instant trading and real-world utility within gaming marketplaces.
Layer 2 solutions have long been a hot topic in crypto, prized for their speed and low transaction costs—both critical for blockchain gaming.
Previously, projects like Polygon and Optimism were locked in a fierce battle to become the leading L2 scaling solution. However, Immutable X's recent emergence has shaken things up—especially its partnership with GameStop, the U.S. video game and entertainment software retail giant, which became one of the industry's most-watched developments.
The Immutable X ecosystem caters to Play-to-Earn games and NFTs, positioning itself to drive the next wave of Web3 gaming. As it steadily builds value and attracts users, Immutable X is now ready to compete head-on with Polygon and Optimism.
Built for Gaming
From the start, Immutable X was purpose-built for gaming and NFTs. Its core features are tailored for gamers, including a streamlined onboarding experience.
Since mainstream gamers' wallets often integrate credit card payments, they can jump into games without deep crypto knowledge—making Immutable X highly accessible. The platform also offers free NFT minting, which has led to over 28 million NFTs being minted and distributed across connected marketplaces.
Even better, developers can build and launch projects on Immutable X in just hours using the team's APIs and toolkits. This suggests the ecosystem could grow exponentially in the coming years, potentially becoming the premier home for blockchain-based Play-to-Earn games.
Permissionless Development
In early 2022, Immutable X reached a milestone: anyone can now join and start minting—no registration or prior contact required. To celebrate, all projects launched during this period received 250,000 IMX tokens.
This means the Immutable X dapp ecosystem operates with virtually no restrictions. Developers can freely build Web3 projects and dapps without needing explicit permission—a level of openness essential for fostering a healthy, vibrant ecosystem.
Blockchains and the projects built on them thrive together. Immutable X has already nurtured strong brands like VeVe Marketplace and Gods Unchained. Moreover, dapp games and other projects on the platform prioritize high-quality gameplay and user experience over free token giveaways—a philosophy that has helped them build a substantial user base.
Customizable Fees
To incentivize developers to build top-tier NFT marketplaces, Immutable X announced in February 2022 that projects on its platform can set custom order fees.
Now, with each marketplace defining its own fee structure, the same NFT may be priced differently across the network. For example, an asset listed at 5 ETH on one marketplace might be 5.02 ETH on another—solely due to fee differences. This introduces a new layer of competition among NFT marketplaces: fee competition. It also enhances price discovery, improves the trading experience, and ultimately aims to boost liquidity rather than just generate revenue.
From unified collectibles marketplaces to curated, niche platforms and in-game trading experiences, Immutable X actively incentivizes top developers to build the best possible NFT trading experience on its platform.
Cross-Rollup Liquidity
In May 2022, Immutable X expanded into the world's first NFT Cross-Rollup liquidity platform powered by StarkNet. This allows players to trade matched assets directly across multiple Ethereum Layer 2 and Layer 3 rollups, solving the fragmented liquidity problem across individual rollups.
For gaming, this means Immutable X can support hundreds of thousands of transactions per second—meeting the needs of hundreds of millions of daily players with in-game items. Leveraging StarkNet, developers can deploy custom, composable smart contracts, enabling seamless migration of smart-contract-based Layer 1 games onto Immutable X.
Blockchain games have diverse needs. Immutable X will support multiple zk-rollups across Layer 2 and Layer 3 for various use cases, allowing liquidity to flow freely between these environments—so Ethereum-based games can scale without limits.
$500M Web3 Gaming Fund & Polygon Executive Hire
In June 2022, Immutable X announced a $500 million fund to accelerate developer adoption. The Immutable Ventures fund will collaborate with venture capital firms and ecosystem partners like Animoca Brands, BITKRAFT Ventures, GameStop, Arrington Capital, King River Capital, AirTree, and Double Peak. It focuses on growing NFT and gaming projects within the digital ecosystem. According to its website, the fund's average investment size ranges from $100,000 to $500,000.
In July 2022, Immutable X appointed Aviral Avasthi as Senior Vice President of Marketing. Avasthi brings extensive expertise from prominent Web2 and Web3 companies including Polygon, Uber, and Tinder, and has served as an advisor and angel investor for multiple projects. Drawing on his experience at Polygon, he now leads Immutable X's marketing and communications strategy.
The Immutable Dapp Ecosystem
In February 2022, GameStop announced plans to launch its first NFT marketplace on Ethereum, partnering with Immutable X. As the chosen Ethereum Layer 2 protocol, Immutable X will power the marketplace, bringing game-related NFT projects to GameStop's users. This collaboration aims to create new engagement opportunities for players while injecting additional liquidity into the ecosystem.
Immutable X has integrated its global NFT order book into the GameStop NFT marketplace and is introducing a roster of both established and upcoming projects. Titles like Gods Unchained, Guild of Guardians, Ember Sword, and Illuvium are part of the offering. Immutable X already supports a vibrant ecosystem of gaming and NFT marketplaces, with several notable projects under its belt:
1. Illuvium – An open-world adventure RPG built on Unreal Engine 5, featuring a 4D holographic shading technique. It is positioned as a leading AAA blockchain game.
2. Gods Unchained – A tactical, card-based Play-to-Earn (P2E) game currently in testing, with over 450,000 registered players already.
3. Guild of Guardians – A mobile role-playing game built on blockchain technology.
4. Ember Sword – A massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) offering both PvP and PvE experiences. Since migrating to Immutable X, it has gained significant traction, with user numbers surging by 1,292% even during the crypto bear market in June.
5. PlanetQuest – A sci-fi/fantasy exploration game.
6. Wagmi – A sci-fi tower defense game.
7. VeVe Marketplace – Has completed its integration with Immutable X.
Summary
The unique gaming and NFT dApp ecosystem on Immutable X is developing at a rapid pace—its journey seems to have only just begun. For now, Immutable X is well-positioned to compete directly with its rivals in the space.