In a story that’s making waves in the NFT space, DAO Maker founder Christoph Zaknun has managed to build a fully functional NFT-based game called Degen Zoo in just 30 days. This project, which takes its inspiration from the abandoned Crypto Zoo project by YouTuber Logan Paul, has garnered massive attention on social media, with a Twitter following of over 250k.
The Rise and Fall of Crypto Zoo
Back in August 2021, Logan Paul announced Crypto Zoo, a project that aimed to allow investors to hatch eggs into animals and then stake them to earn passive income. Despite raising over $3 million, the game failed to materialize, which led to Paul getting a negative reputation in the NFT space.
By the latter stages of 2022, Paul had to answer for his failure to deliver the game, claiming that it was unfeasible due to the years of development required to build such a platform. Christoph Zaknun challenged him by stating that he could build the game in just 30 days. Paul responded by making a YouTube video, where he claimed that Zaknun had no right to dictate the development timeline. Christoph took up the challenge, and Degen Zoo was born.
From Gentle Mockery to Legitimate Gaming Platform
What started as an attempt to discredit and gently mock a social media star soon gained momentum in the NFT space. Degen Zoo‘s massive Twitter following was due to the team’s regular updates on the game’s progress, which attracted a lot of attention. And on the 30th day of the project, Degen Zoo went live, with 115,000 wallets registering with a combined world record setting pledge of over $700 million.
🎉 Day 60: World Record IDO
Over 115,000 Wallets joined our IDO!
54k wallets had between $500 – $2000
2000 wallets had between 50k – 250k!
Over 50 wallets with +1M$!The total value of all wallets exceeded $700M USD! pic.twitter.com/SY5pxT52Ni
— Degen Zoo (@Degen_Zoo) March 6, 2023
The Ins and Outs of Degen Zoo
Degen Zoo is an NFT-based game that incentivizes gamers to sacrifice their animal NFTs in the name of good, old-fashioned capitalism. This is done through a mathematical staking game designed to mimic the fragile relationship between human kind and the animal kingdom.
The game starts with players acquiring eggs, which they hatch into one of 120 different species of animals. Each animal has a unique APR rate ranging from -85% to 1500%, and players can stake these NFTs to earn $DZOO tokens that can eventually be released by burning the NFT (killing the animal). This action increases the rarity of all other instances of that species.
Players also have the opportunity to consume other NFTs to make their animals stronger and increase the overall APR. As a result, the game continues until all of the animals have become extinct as holders look to cash in on their rewards.
The Charitable Twist
Degen Zoo has a charitable aspect as well. All proceeds from the game will be donated to charity, which is a clear dig at Logan Paul’s Crypto Zoo, which failed to deliver on its promises.
Conclusion
In the end, Christoph Zaknun’s determination and stubborn-mindedness paid off, and Degen Zoo has become a massive success.
The project’s popularity on social media is a testament to the power of engaging with your audience and keeping them updated on your progress. Moreover, Degen Zoo’s unique concept and charitable aspect have set it apart from other NFT-based games.
Overall, Degen Zoo is an impressive feat and a prime example of what can be achieved with the right mindset and a solid plan.
