In summary
- An entertainment-focused Layer 3 network called XProtocol announced the launch of a gaming-optimized Android smartphone later this year.
- The “XForge” smartphone, touted as the world’s first “DePIN phone”, will use the Layer 3 network to earn rewards and participate in airdrops.
- Priced at $299, the XForge will feature 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM, as well as a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor.
An entertainment-focused Layer 3 network called XProtocol announced the launch of a gaming-optimized Android smartphone later this year.
The “XForge” smartphone is touted as the world’s first “DePIN phone,” using Layer 3 networking to earn rewards and participate in airdrops, according to a press release.
Priced at $299, the XForge will feature 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM, as well as a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, the company said. As a Layer 3 network, Xprotocol is currently built on Base, the Layer 2 scaling network launched by Coinbase on Ethereum.
Image: XProtocol
However, XProtocol said alongside its smartphone announcement that it will eventually migrate to its own Layer 1 network to achieve “greater autonomy and scalability.” Base was initially chosen as the first stop for building XProtocol due to its need to handle many transactions at once.
The term DePIN, short for decentralized physical infrastructure networks, describes physical hardware networks backed by blockchains. XProtocol said its network will one day be powered by software that runs on XForge phones, in addition to so-called Xardian Nodes.
“XProtocol is opening a new era in Blockchain technology,” said Qin En, partner at Saison Capital, in a statement. “By combining the accessibility of mobile devices with the power of decentralized networks, XProtocol is setting a new standard.”
The announcement of XProtocol follows Solana Mobile’s foray into the Cryptocurrency smartphone space with the launch of Saga last year. The Solana Labs subsidiary recently revealed details of its upcoming Seeker smartphone, which strives to offer more features and functionality for less money than its predecessor, with prices starting at $450 for pre-orders.
According to Solana Mobile, the Seeker will include 128GB of storage along with 8GB of memory. The Seeker is also being promoted as an “airdrop magnet,” benefiting from an expected trove of community-led rewards.
XProtocol, on the other hand, said it is offering a “free node” to the first 10,000 XForge buyers. Typically, decentralized networks are open, allowing anyone to participate in the transaction validation process. According to XProtocol, the company has sold what is effectively a license to participate in the network that bills itself as an entertainment super network.
Selling node licenses is a model popularized in the blockchain gaming world by Ethereum networks like Xai and Hychain, but it has now expanded to DePIN and mobile infrastructure with XProtocol and the XForge phone.
XProtocol has launched a testnet for the layer 3 network. Additionally, the company said that the XProtocol mainnet will be launched sometime in the fourth quarter of this year. More than 5,200 nodes have already been sold, with node operators earning a portion of the network’s tokens for supporting the chain during its first 48 months of operation.
The Cayman Islands-based company announced it had raised $800,000 in a strategic funding round in July, bringing the total amount raised by XProtocol to $5.2 million. In addition to Singapore-based Saison Capital, the funding round has seen participation from venture capital firms Dragonfly and Caballeros Capital, as well as gaming hardware giant Razer.
Edited by Andrew Hayward
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