According to the latest report from blockchain analytics platform DappRadar, the number of daily active wallets in Web3 games reached over 7 million in January, up 386% year-on-year.
Web3 Gaming Enters Maturity
DappRadar analyst Sara Gherghelas said the growth demonstrates the strong momentum and resilience of the industry, despite short-term fluctuations. She said factors such as improvements in layer 2 technology, the development of the token economy, and partnerships with AAA game studios such as Gunzilla Games' Off The Grid have contributed to the expansion of the market.
Blockchain gaming saw over 7 million unique active wallets per day in January 2025, up 386% from January 2024. Source: DappRadar
In addition, new gaming ecosystems are emerging, artificial intelligence (AI) is playing an increasingly important role, and many titles have significantly improved gameplay mechanics, rewards, and community engagement.
Improved infrastructure, new game launches
Gabby Dizon, co-founder of Yield Guild Games (YGG), said the development of Web3 infrastructure and the launch of games funded during the 2021-2022 bull cycle are important drivers of player engagement. He emphasized that many games today have a familiar approach to traditional games but are optimized for Web3, making them more accessible to users.
Arief Widhiyasa, CEO of Confiction Labs, said one of the major barriers to the industry over the years has been the distribution of games through mainstream platforms like Steam and Epic. However, this position is gradually loosening from 2024, allowing more blockchain games to reach users.
Which blockchain is leading?
OpBNB was the top-performing blockchain gaming platform in January, followed by Matcha. Meanwhile, Polygon saw a 100% increase in gaming activity compared to the previous month. Gherghelas believes that while not all new ecosystems are AAA-standard, they still demonstrate technical and innovative breakthroughs that will shape the future of the industry.
In addition, AI is also becoming an important trend as more and more projects integrate AI elements into games to optimize user experience.
Investment in blockchain games is down but still has potential
Although Web3 gaming activity is growing strongly, investment in this field is declining. In 2024, blockchain and metaverse gaming projects attracted just $1.8 billion in investment, down 38% year-on-year.
Dizon said that January is typically a quiet month after a vibrant December, but long-term trends are more important than short-term fluctuations. Widhiyasa also noted that many investors are waiting to see the policies of newly inaugurated US President Donald Trump before making investment decisions.
Gherghelas emphasized that while investment figures are somewhat conservative, large funding rounds show that confidence in the infrastructure and innovation of Web3 gaming remains.
Conclusion
The strong growth of blockchain gaming in January 2025 shows that the industry is entering a mature phase with many important improvements in technology, infrastructure, and economic models. Although investment in this sector is declining, the overall trend still shows great potential in the long term. If this trend continues, Web3 gaming could become an important part of the digital economy in the future.
