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Game Developer Conference rebrands as GDC Festival of Gaming: “the industry is changing and so are we”

by admin September 23, 2025

The Game Developer Conference is rebranding as GDC Festival of Gaming, with the next event taking place March 9-13, 2026, in San Francisco, California.

Announcing the change on social media, the organization claimed it was “changing the game” as “the industry is changing and so are we.”

“The landscape has transformed. Budgets are tighter. Attention is fractured. Discovery is harder than ever. New tech and tools have redefined who can create. Our community needs more connection, visibility, and support,” the organizers explain.

“The Festival of Gaming exists to meet your needs — bringing the entire industry together at a moment that matters. More Connection. More Opportunity. More Relevance.

“From conference to industry game changer, [GDC is] the full game-making journey, in one place.”

There will be a new pass structure for March 2026’s event, with “more access” and “no more trade-offs” so full access is “the baseline – not the exception.” The Festival Pass replaces All Access at a “dramatically” lower price, with start-up and academic discounts available.

The next GDC conference — now GDC Festival of Gaming, of course — is scheduled to take place from March 9, 2026 to March 13, 2026 at San Francisco’s Moscone Center.

The organizers of this year’s Game Developers Conference revealed that almost 30,000 people were in attendance. This matches 2024’s figure, but there was an increase in exhibitors at San Francisco’s Moscone Center from 325 to 400.

Over 1,000 speakers took part in the event, which hosted 750 sessions, workshops, roundtable discussions, and networking opportunities. GDC 2025 also introduced the first annual GDC Nights after-hours event, which ran on March 17 and March 20, which welcomed more than 6,000 attendees.

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September 23, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

UAE Signs Crypto Tax Reporting Agreement, Opens Industry Consultation

by admin September 22, 2025

In brief

The UAE Ministry of Finance signed the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement under CARF on Sunday, following its November 2024 announcement.
Implementation begins in 2027, with the first international tax information exchanges expected in 2028.
An eight-week public consultation launched on September 15 invites all crypto stakeholders to weigh in on potential impacts and compliance requirements.

The United Arab Emirates has committed to automatic crypto tax reporting with global authorities, launching an industry consultation to hammer out implementation details before the 2027 rollout.

The nation signed the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement on the Automatic Exchange of Information under the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework, developed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in 2023, which establishes mechanisms for automatic exchange of tax-related information on crypto-asset activities between countries.

Crypto firms will need to comply with the new reporting rules by 2027, with the UAE beginning to share data with international tax authorities the following year.

“The framework establishes a mechanism for the automatic exchange of tax-related information on crypto-asset activities, ensuring that the UAE provides certainty and clarity to the crypto-asset sector while upholding the principles of global tax transparency,” the Ministry said on Sunday.

The move comes as the Emirates continues building its reputation as a global hub for digital assets, following its 2024 decision to exempt crypto transactions from value-added tax and Dubai’s establishment of clear regulatory guidelines for Web3 firms.

To ensure the framework meets market needs, the Ministry has launched an eight-week public consultation running through November 8.

The Ministry is soliciting feedback from crypto firms and service providers to share their views and recommendations on potential impacts and areas requiring further clarification.

The consultation “aims to develop clear and effective regulatory rules informed by the insights of experts and stakeholders, and aligned with market needs,” the statement read.

Industry experts see the development as largely positive, with Nitesh Mishra, co-founder and CTO at hedging platform ChaiDEX, telling Decrypt the agreement “brings greater legal clarity and certainty to crypto activities in the UAE, making the environment safer for compliant investors.”

“It aligns the UAE with global tax transparency standards, boosting trust with regulators and international partners,” he added.

Allowing “public input on the rules” means “the final regulations are likely to reflect market and investor needs,” Mishra said, and will help “attract institutional investors as the rules help establish a fair, well-regulated marketplace.”

Benjamin Young, business setup expert at Aston VIP, told Decrypt that the UAE signing the agreement “reinforces the country’s commitment to global regulatory alignment and transparency in digital assets, while also helping strengthen investor confidence.”

“It will require local and international firms operating in the UAE to ensure compliance with new reporting obligations,” he added, which may “increase operational demands but should contribute to a healthier long-term ecosystem.”

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September 22, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

‘There is a chance that they will stay in Roblox’: Gen Alpha is into PC gaming, but one industry analyst isn’t so sure they’re going to age out of their favorite haunt

by admin September 20, 2025

The kids are playing computer games.

According to the latest Global Games Market Report from the analysts at industry intelligence firm Newzoo, Gen Alpha—defined in this case as anyone born in or after 2010—makes up “an increasing share of the player base, especially on PC.”

As a lifelong fan of computer games, this is good news to me. The kids are with us! But the kids aren’t necessarily playing the kinds of games I grew up on: You may have heard of that excruciatingly popular platform called Roblox where kids are pressured to spend their parents’ money in games like “Steal a Brainrot.” (Which, to be fair, does sound like something you’d find on Newgrounds circa 2000, so maybe we’re not all that different.)

Earlier this week, I spoke to Newzoo director of market intelligence Emmanuel Rosier about what young gamers are up to, and two aspects of his perspective stuck out to me the most:

Gen Alpha doesn’t care if it can run Crysis. They’re growing up playing browser games, tablet games, phone games, and games on low-powered family PCs. You can’t win the Minecraft, Fortnite, and Roblox generation over with ray tracing.
They aren’t necessarily going to leave Roblox behind. It’s a common assumption, but in Rosier’s personal opinion, it’s not a sure thing that kids will age out of the Roblox ecosystem en masse.

Regarding videogame graphics, Rosier observed in a recent article that Battlefield 6 doesn’t support ray tracing, “not because the tech isn’t there, but because enabling it would exclude too many players.”

“I don’t think 8K is really the next step in the market,” he told me. “I don’t think it’s going to be about that. I don’t think the young people that were born playing on mobile or on tablet care that much about the visuals.”

Pushing graphics settings as high as they’ll go and fighting with Randy Pitchford over frame rates are still aspects of PC gaming today, but I think Rosier is clearly right that we’re no longer in a place where increased graphical fidelity is a primary selling-point for games. PC gaming is just as much something done on a low-spec family computer, or a Steam Deck.

I don’t think the young people that were born playing on mobile or on tablet care that much about the visuals.

Emmanuel Rosier

“The entry barrier on PC is lower than console, because in most families, there is already a computer, there is a laptop,” Rosier said. “But the other thing is that the younger players, they play the free-to-play cheap games that can run on any device. You don’t need a GeForce RTX 5000 to play Roblox. You just need a browser.”

But what about when the kids graduate from Roblox to the games I understand? Rosier, a parent to Roblox-playing teenagers himself, isn’t so sure that’s going to happen.

“I think there was this initial assumption from older people that Roblox is a platform for kids,” Rosier told me. “When they grow up, they will play GTA or Call of Duty and things like that. I’m questioning that perspective.

“I’d say there is a chance that they will stay in Roblox, because all their friends are still in Roblox, and there is this network effect, that it is difficult to go and play Call of Duty alone, or, you know, you have to convince so many friends to come and play with you and spend $80 or $70 to play a different experience. And I am not sure at this point that once these teenagers, or kids, grow up, that they will start playing different games and feel like it’s a promotion.”

That uncertainty about the Roblox generation’s future as PC gamers is just Rosier’s personal opinion for now, but Roblox games are getting surprisingly sophisticated (they have their own Call of Dutys in there), and the demographic data that Roblox shares does suggest that players stick around.

“We don’t have proof,” he said. “The only thing that we see that is being shared by Roblox is that the average age of the players of Roblox is going up, but I don’t think it’s older players jumping in, it’s just the existing players that are aging and not leaving.”

Ah well, c’est la vie. If you’re looking for me this weekend, I’ll be adapting to the future by playing Break Your Bones, a Roblox game where you “Try to BREAK all of your BONES.”

In related news, another bit of Newzoo’s recent report that interested me was an analysis of videogame release windows, which led the firm to suggest that publishers consider releasing some dang games in May instead of stuffing them all into the end of the year.

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September 20, 2025 0 comments

Esports

The industry can’t afford to overlook low-spec PCs | Opinion

by admin September 19, 2025

It is with a heavy heart and a note of regret that I inform you (those of you who have blessedly managed to avoid this knowledge thus far, at least) that Randy Pitchford is at it again.

I’ll spare you the specifics of the Gearbox boss’s latest social media escapades (if you’re interested, Nathan Brown had a very entertaining write-up in Hit Points this week), but the gist is simple. The company’s new game, Borderlands 4, has launched with some fairly significant performance issues, and Pitchford chose to address these in part by telling consumers that this is their own fault for not knowing how to use their PCs properly.

Not great! As it turns out, some of the performance issues also extend to consoles – for now, the suggested solution for what appears to be a memory leak causing performance to get worse and worse over time is to periodically reboot your console.

Gearbox is being much more constructive about fixing the issues than Pitchfork’s ill-tempered posting would suggest, too, quickly issuing a patch that fixed a few of the issues, and the studio is presumably working hard on further improvements. (The game itself, by all accounts, is very good once you get past the performance problems.)

Borderlands 4 has reviewed well, but users have reported PC performance issues | Image credit: Gearbox Software/2K

A company boss ill-advisedly lashing out at his own consumers is deserving of rolled eyes, but not of too much attention – any discussion focusing on that aspect is inevitably going to be far more heat than light.

This whole affair doesn’t live in isolation, though; it’s just the latest chapter in the ongoing narrative of not one, but two of the biggest bugbears consumers have with the games business.

The first of those is something of a closed case, even if it remains a source of intense annoyance for many consumers. I refer to the whole question of the validity of shipping games that are clearly broken in some key technical ways, with the intention of quickly patching them after launch.

The perception of games as an expensive hobby is arguably the single biggest threat facing the industry right now

That’s a debate and a source of frustration that’s as old as the ability to patch games itself. I have some sympathy for the old-school view that we were all better off back when console games lived on a read-only disc or cartridge and couldn’t be patched, given the extent to which that capacity is now abused.

The argument overall was lost many years ago, though, and if anything platform holders have become increasingly permissive about the technical state of software releases and the use of day-one patches. PC, of course, has always been the Wild West in this regard anyway.

What is much more pressing, and far more active, is the discussion over game pricing and the cost of gaming as a hobby. Pitchford waded into that a while back by arguing that real fans of Borderlands would pay $80 for the game, though it did eventually launch at $70. Whether he intended to or not, his latest comments also jab directly on that exposed nerve.

The perception of games as an expensive hobby is arguably the single biggest threat facing the industry right now. The facts about inflation and development costs are much less important than the perception and emotions around this topic. Consumers shifting to a belief that games are expensive and overpriced undermines one of the key pillars of the medium’s appeal, namely its excellent value in terms of entertainment received for money paid.

“Why am I going to spend $80 for this game when Fortnite is here?” asked Circana’s Mat Piscatella in a recent analysis of game pricing | Image credit: Epic Games

We’ve talked a lot in the past few months about console pricing, and AAA game pricing, and even the potential re-engagement with “whale” strategies as a recession countermeasure for some games. Alongside these, it’s also worth discussing the occasionally staggering increases in the cost of PC hardware, especially since PC gaming is often presented as a refuge from the rising prices of console hardware and software.

Rising PC hardware costs are nothing new. The cost of many key components, especially of GPUs, has been climbing for years, and the incremental benefits of upgrades have not always been impressive. The run on GPUs for cryptocurrency mining priced many gamers out of that market in particular.

The rise of AI hasn’t had quite the same effect (not least since Nvidia has pushed out chips and devices that are more optimised for AI tasks than consumer GPUs), but it has helped to ensure that prices didn’t get a chance to drift back downwards after the crypto rush. New GPUs now can cost comfortably double or triple the price of a PS5 or Switch 2, even for relatively mid-range cards.

That wouldn’t be a huge problem if PC games addressed a wide range of specs, including being optimised for lower-spec machines running older hardware. That’s not an entirely unreasonable ask, given the prevalence of devices like laptops and Steam Decks. Notably, it’s precisely what Epic Games’ Tim Sweeney called for recently, noting that many developers create games for the highest-spec systems and then don’t put sufficient time and resources into optimising for lower-spec hardware.

Tencent Games’ Yong-yi Zhu has emphasised the importance of targeting low-spec PCs | Image credit: Tencent Games

In fact, the situation is arguably worse than Sweeney suggests in some key regards. A lot of new games are going in quite the opposite direction – leaning so heavily on upscaling technologies like DLSS and frame generation for performance as to be practically unplayable on a lot of systems without those technologies enabled.

That’s a problem, because those generative-AI-based technologies mostly require new hardware – GPUs from the last couple of generations, for example, are required for the best versions of both the relatively uncontroversial DLSS and the much more questionable (by which I mean that even to my untrained and myopic eye it looks like absolute rubbish in many games) frame generation tech.

High-end PCs will always be around and will always be a desirable status symbol for gamers. However, PCs can and should also be the industry’s strongest pitch for the affordability argument. They’re capable gaming devices that many, many people already own. You can play games on them through affordable storefronts without buying any expensive new hardware.

It’s a huge risk for the industry if we lose that possibility for PCs to function as entry points

That ought to be incredibly powerful positioning for the platform, but it means embracing low-spec systems, laptops, and yes, even Macs – which are pretty solid gaming devices in their own right now, and incredibly ubiquitous among college-age consumers who are a key demographic for the industry.

The ability to swim upstream and spend thousands on expensive GPUs, VRR capable monitors, and enough RGB lights to send your Christmas tree into early retirement has to be an option for the devoted few, not table stakes for getting involved in PC gaming.

It’s a huge risk for the industry as a whole if we lose that possibility for PCs to function as entry points for new consumers and good-value-for-money devices for those with lower spending power. That’s exactly what’s at risk if a failure to optimise for lower end systems becomes too widespread – leaving consumers with a bad taste in their mouth and a sense that they have to upgrade to play recent games.

Needless to say, it’s Tim Sweeney’s solution that’s by far the more workable approach; getting on social media to blame the gamers themselves for that situation helps nobody.

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September 19, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

Vitalik Buterin Defends Ethereum Staking Exit Times Amid Industry Criticism

by admin September 18, 2025

In brief

Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin has defended the network’s long exit times for unstaking ETH.
Exit times for unstaking ETH now exceed 40 days and have drawn criticism from within the crypto industry.
Buterin argued that friction in unstaking is necessary to maintain Ethereum’s security.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has defended the network’s long exit times for unstaking ETH, arguing that the delays are a deliberate safeguard to preserve trust in the chain.

The remarks come as exit times stretch beyond 43 days for validators leaving staking, prompting criticism from industry figures who say the process undermines usability.

“It’s more like a soldier deciding to quit the army. Staking is about taking on a solemn duty to defend the chain,” Buterin tweeted. He explained that, “Friction in quitting is part of the deal. An army cannot hold together if any percent of it can suddenly leave at any time.”

It’s more like a soldier deciding to quit the army.

Staking is about taking on a solemn duty to defend the chain. Friction in quitting is part of the deal. An army cannot hold together if any percent of it can suddenly leave at any time.

That’s not to say that the current…

— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) September 17, 2025

“Troubling” ETH staking exit delays

Staking on Ethereum allows validators to earn rewards for attesting to and proposing blocks. Exiting staking fully requires validators to leave a queue, which can stretch for weeks depending on how many others are also trying to leave.

The average wait time to enter the staking queue currently sits at about seven days, while the exit time has climbed to 43 days and six hours, according to Validator Queue. With over one million validators and 35.6 million ETH staked—nearly 30% of all ETH—the process has slowed considerably.

The delays have spurred public debate. Galaxy Digital’s head of DeFi, Michael Marcantonio said earlier this week that the exit queue length was “troubling,” contrasting Ethereum’s six-week wait with Solana’s two-day unstaking period.

“Unclear how a network that takes 45 days to return assets can serve as a suitable candidate to power the next era of global capital markets,” he tweeted, before later deleting the post.

Marcantonio’s critique drew sharp pushback and rumours that he was forced to delete the post by Galaxy Digital.

Former Consensys product manager Jimmy Ragosa accused Galaxy of fueling “relentless ETH FUD,” warning that Ethereum-aligned businesses are reconsidering ties with the firm.

Solana supporters, including Mike Dudas, rallied behind Galaxy, casting Ethereum as clunky compared to its rivals. The firm bought over $700 million in SOL over a two day period last week as part of a purchase linked to its backing of a Solana-based treasury firm.

Buterin acknowledged the need for improvement at the user experience level, noting that the Ethereum Foundation has been working to address these concerns.

“In general the EF needs to be more active at the UX layer — which has already been happening for the past ~6 months, but ramping up takes time,” he wrote.

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September 18, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

As Stop Destroying Videogames petition verification continues in EU, organisers are preparing to ‘counter misinformation and industry lobbying’

by admin September 16, 2025

Stop Destroying Videogames – the European campaign inspired by the Stop Killing Games movement – has shared a progress update as EU countries continue verifying petition signatures, saying it’s preparing for the next stage, which will include “countering misinformation and industry lobbying”.

Stop Destroying Videogames is looking to convince the EU to pass regulations preventing “the remote disabling of video games by the publishers, before providing reasonable means to continue functioning of said video games without the involvement from the side of the publisher.” To that end, it turned to the European Citizens’ Initiative – an official EU mechanism designed to provide a way for citizens to propose a legal act to the European Commission – and successfully surpassed 1.4m signatures before the petition closed in July.

With several months having passed since then, Stop Destroying Videogames organisers have now shared a progress update on the Stop Killing Games subreddit. At present, the post explained, all signatures are being checked by national authorities. As previously noted, if 1m signatures are successfully verified (the post adds “early reports from several countries show around 97 percent of signatures being valid”), the petition can then be presented to the EU for either a public hearing or full debate session at the European Parliament. “That moment will mark the start of the legislative phase,” the post continues, “where the Commission and Parliament must decide how to respond.”

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While verification continues – a process that should take around three months – Stop Destroy Videogames is preparing for the next stage of its campaign. The goal, organisers explain, is to ensure “our initiative cannot be ignored”, and so it’s working toward, “Legislative outreach to Members of Parliament and the Commission; countering misinformation and industry lobbying; strengthening our community structures to support this next stage.” Some work will, by necessity, remain behind the scenes. “Past attempts to undermine the initiative,” organisers write, “have shown us the risks of being too open.”

Stop Destroying Videogames also noted some “long-time contributors” – including Ross Scott, the figurehead of the main Stop Killing Games initiative – have “stepped back” after years of effort. In a follow-up comment, Ross clarified, “It’s more like I’m ‘on call’ for anything where me being involved would help a lot. Most of what’s happening now is best left to people familiar with EU political processes like Mortiz [Katzner], so I’m leaving most things to people who know what they’re doing better than I do to maximise our odds.”

“This campaign exists only because of you,” the post concludes, “and with your continued support we can make sure our voices are heard in Brussels.”

This is a news-in-brief story. This is part of our vision to bring you all the big news as part of a daily live report.

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September 16, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Bayonetta and Devil May Cry creator Hideki Kamiya believes Japanese publishers are “more understanding toward creators,” as layoffs continue to rock the games industry

by admin September 15, 2025

Japanese publishers are “more understanding toward creators,” said Hideki Kamiya, which partly explains why there have been fewer layoffs in the Japanese games industry.

Speaking to VGC, the Bayonetta and Devil May Cry creator discussed the current state of the industry and the difference between eastern and western studios.

“What it feels like when working with Japanese publishers is that the development culture feels closer to mind, and they tend to be more understanding toward creators,” said Kamiya, who’s worked with multiple publishers on both sides of the globe.

Okami sequel – Project Teaser TrailerWatch on YouTube

“I think of game development as a kind of invention,” he continued, using the likes of Bayonetta’s Witch Time and Okami’s Celestial Brush as examples. “My goal is always to build in a unique mechanic that only that game can have. On the Japanese side, my impression is that they see you’re trying to make a new invention. They understand the struggle of trying to give birth to something new, and they watch over the process with patience.”

By comparison, western publishers prefer the “sense of safety following an established format”.

“That’s where I see there’s a difference with publishers,” said Kamiya. “For foreign companies, if you’re trying to invent something new, because the shape of it isn’t clear yet, there tends to be pressure, like ‘show us something that’s taken shape more’. And if you look at the games themselves, like how first-person shooters were the popular thing for a while, I get the impression that they feel a sense of safety following an established format.”

Kamiya used Scalebound as an example – the Xbox One exclusive was a joint project between PlatinumGames and Microsoft but was ultimately cancelled. Here, the team was building a system to control both a human protagonist and a dragon simultaneously. “But there was no clear reference or format for us to follow for a game like that,” said Kamiya. “And I think that’s why it was easy for some to have doubts.”

And while Kamiya doesn’t believe Scalebound would’ve been published had it had a Japanese publisher, he did admit “it would’ve been different.”

“Japanese companies tend to be more open to new challenges, and I think the conversations would have been more positive, like, ‘Okay, so how should we approach this together?’,” said Kamiya. “For me personally, overseas publishers seem to have a much stronger desire to see a finished product as quickly as possible. If it had been a Japanese publisher, I feel they might have given us more leeway.”

Speaking on his desire to protect his new studio from layoffs, Kamiya said: “We really have a deep commitment to keep the company going for [our staff], who we’re grateful to. Of course, I understand there are circumstances that force large companies to make layoffs, but for us, that’s a route that we don’t want to go down. We want to take care of our staff.”

Kamiya has recently founded a new studio, Clovers, which is developing a sequel to Okami with Capcom. Back in March he joked about resurrecting Scalebound.

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September 15, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

Best Altcoins to Buy as Industry Groups Push UK-US Tech Bridge to Include Digital Assets

by admin September 14, 2025

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A coalition of leading associations in the finance, tech, and digital sectors has written a letter to the UK government, urging it to include Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) as a core strand of the UK-US Tech Bridge.

The US-UK Tech Bridge is a bilateral agreement between the two nations to collaborate and share resources on emerging innovations, technology, and digital policy.

It has been specifically designed to foster innovation through joint research and development while aligning policy and standards to set common rules and approaches for areas such as data governance, AI safety, and cybersecurity.

With Trump set to visit the UK from September 17-19, this letter comes at a crucial time as Britain looks to assert its dominance in the digital finance sector.

Read on as we uncover what the letter proposes and highlight the best altcoins we think could benefit from growing government crypto adoption.

What Does the Letter Recommend?

The signatories believe that DLT is a major driving force for the development of next-generation infrastructure and financial services, facilitating cheaper and faster payments, improving capital flows, and driving efficiencies and productivity.

The letter highlights two key sectors of DLT that the UK government must pay close attention to: tokenization and stablecoins.

The coalition stresses that this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create the world’s first transatlantic framework for DLT, with both the US and UK being major global economies of strategic importance.

While the UK handles nearly 40% of global FX turnover, the US is home to the world’s largest capital pool and the epicenter of digital asset innovation.

Both nations can leverage each other’s regulatory weight, financial heritage, and legal excellence to shape the rules of the digital economy. And if they don’t, then they’ll probably have to watch the Middle East and Asia take the lead.

Amid growing competitive pressure, the letter recommends forming a joint sandbox with political backing to seize the opportunities of new technology and cement Britain’s role as the world’s leading hub for digital finance innovation.

As the world’s top financial powerhouses pivot toward digital assets such as tokenized securities and stablecoins, it’s inevitable that the next few decades of global finance will be dominated by cryptocurrencies and the broader digital finance ecosystem.

This is why forward-looking investors are actively identifying promising cryptocurrencies. If you want to make the most of this global shift, here are some of the top cryptos you should add to your portfolio right now.

1. Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) – Revolutionary Layer 2 Bitcoin Solution with Better Speed and Scalability

There’s no doubt that Bitcoin is the most popular cryptocurrency in the world, with a market cap of $2.31T. However, it still struggles with slow speeds and can only process 7 transactions per second since it handles them one by one.

Enter Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER), the first-ever Layer 2 solution built on the Bitcoin blockchain.

$HYPER, with its Solana Virtual Machine (SVM) integration, enables parallel transaction processing, where multiple transactions can be processed simultaneously as long as they’re not related to each other.

This drastically increases throughput and speed while reducing transaction costs.

The SVM integration also allows developers to execute smart contracts and build dApps directly on the Bitcoin blockchain, opening the doors to Web3 and DeFi participation.

At the core of this utility is a non-custodial, decentralized canonical bridge that locks up your L1 Bitcoin tokens to mint an equivalent amount of L2-compatible Bitcoin.

These L2 tokens can be used across Web3, NFT platforms, lending, staking, and more. Once you’re done, the same bridge can be used to convert your L2 tokens back to traditional Bitcoin.

This utility-driven approach has made the $HYPER presale a huge success, raising $15.5M so far. Each token is currently priced at just $0.012905.

According to our $HYPER price prediction, the token could hit $0.32 in 2025, offering a massive 2,300% return from current levels.

If you’re wondering how to become part of this journey, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to buy $HYPER.

Visit Bitcoin Hyper’s official website to learn how it will crank up BTC’s real-world utility.

2. SUBBD Token ($SUBBD) – Crypto-Run Content Creation Platform Offering a Host of AI Tools

SUBBD Token ($SUBBD) powers a revolutionary content creation platform that aims to transform the $85B content creation industry.

Right now, creators have to give up as much as 70% of their revenue in platform fees. Plus, there’s always the lingering threat of arbitrary bans and account suspensions.

Enter SUBBD, which charges only a fraction of creator revenue as fees while also offering a host of AI tools.

For instance, it provides AI text generators, AI photo and video tools for striking visuals, and AI audio generators to help creators build engaging content without wasting time.

This allows creators to focus more on engaging with their audience and forming loyal fan bases through direct interaction.

Holding $SUBBD also comes with a range of benefits. You can use it to unlock exclusive content, request custom creations, and tip your favorite creators.

One of the standout features of SUBBD is its flat 20% staking return for the first year, giving you assured passive income.

What’s more, staking also unlocks added perks, such as exclusive behind-the-scenes content and creator livestreams.

The $SUBBD presale has already raised $1.13M. Each token is currently priced at $0.056425, and as per our $SUBBD price prediction, it could hit $0.301 by the end of 2025 – a 400% return in just a few months.

Here’s our detailed guide on how to buy $SUBBD before the next price increase.

Visit SUBBD Token’s official website to learn more about how it’s blending crypto, AI, and content.

3. MemeCore ($M) – A Participatory Project Rewarding Each Network Contribution

MemeCore ($M) is a Layer 1 ‘meme chain’ that aims to transform the best meme coins from hype-driven digital currencies into culturally relevant, utility-rich assets through governance, on-chain activity, and virality.

MemeCore rewards every form of participation – whether it’s trading, staking, creating, or validating on the blockchain – since it believes each contribution is critical to strengthening the network’s growth.

The project’s goal is to build a participatory economy where every action is measured, verified, and rewarded. This creates a value-generating ecosystem that’s sustainable in the long run.

$M has surged more than 250% since the start of September and around 37% in the last seven days.

It crossed the $1 landmark for the first time on September 4 and is now trading at around $2.37, with strong support at $1.80.

With a market cap of $2.46B, MemeCore is now among the top 50 cryptocurrencies in the world. As interest in $M continues to grow, the token could set fresh all-time highs in the coming weeks.

Quick recap: with the world’s leading finance institutions now viewing stablecoins and tokenized securities as the future of finance, the stage is set for low-cap, high-upside altcoins like Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER), SUBBD Token ($SUBBD), and MemeCore ($M) to churn out potentially life-changing gains.

Disclaimer: Crypto investments are highly risky. This article is not financial advice, so kindly do your own research before investing.

Authored by Krishi Chowdhary, Bitcoinist — https://bitcoinist.com/best-altcoins-to-buy-as-uk-us-tech-bridge-eyes-digital-assets

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.

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September 14, 2025 0 comments

Esports

Three gaming industry summits coming to EGX at MCM London Comic Con this October

by admin September 13, 2025

Three gaming industry summits will take place at EGX at MCM London Comic Con this year.

MCM London Comic Con organiser ReedPop announced this year’s summits in a press release on September 11, 2025, revealing that this year’s convention will see the return of the PopCultr Marketing Summit, as well as an Investment Summit and a Creator Summit.

The Investment Summit, in partnership with Game Republic, offers indie developers an opportunity to learn more about securing investment for their games.

It will feature a keynote session held by Peter Moore, the former head of EA Sports, and Chris Dring, editor-in-chief of The Games Business (and former GamesIndustry.biz head).

The summit will also include a GamesIndustry.biz panel on investment chaired by our features editor Lewis Packwood. The panel will be made up of Curran Games Agency’s Cassia Curran, Transcend Fund’s Lirui Dring, Yogcast Games’ Simon Byron, and Team 17’s Meg Clarke.

More roundtables and panels will be revealed for the Investment Summit soon.

The Creator Summit, on the other hand, aims to equip creators with knowledge to help boost their careers, build their personal brand, and partner with businesses.

This summit will feature a selection of panels hosted by industry leaders, covering topics such as events, the UK’s Online Safety Act (OSA), and working with brands.

Experience12’s PopCultr Marketing Summit is also returning this year for the third time. This one-day summit brings together marketing professionals, with this year’s summit helping attendees understand the future of IP growth, storytelling, and fan engagement within a complex and constantly changing environment. You can pre-register for this summit here.

All three summits are free to attend for those with an MCM London Comic Con industry or creator pass, and will take place on October 24, 2025, at Excel London.

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September 13, 2025 0 comments

Esports

Over 50% of games industry layoffs have taken place in California

by admin September 9, 2025

The current climate of layoffs is as prevalent as ever in the games industry, and Amir Satvat has provided more insight into the locations most affected – with more than 50% of cuts taking place in California.

Satvat, who is business development director at Tencent Games, also runs a community of resources for people looking to find work after being affected by layoffs or for individuals looking to enter the industry.

Speaking to The Game Business, Satvat said that “over 70%, and in some years 75%, of the layoffs have been in North America”.

He noted that while “overall employment in the industry has actually increased” since before the pandemic, developers working in the US have been facing noticeable cuts in their workforce – particularly in AAA studios.

As a result, Satvat has been recommending that “games people focus on looking for non-game roles” to secure a new job.

“I think of people like concentric circles,” he explained. “Are they one circle away from games? Or two circles? One circle away would be you were at Amazon in the studio, now you’re at Prime Video. Two circles would be even further away from that. We now have more placements for our community in non-games than in games.”

Satvat continued: “We know 85% of [people looking for game jobs] are going to have to find non-game jobs. So, it’s been a slow, empathetic process of trying to get people to understand that they simply have to look at other stuff. It’s just mathematically not possible otherwise. Not forever, but for some amount of time.”

Despite the uncertainty, Satvat is optimistic about the future of the industry – especially in co-development and ex-development.

“The games market is absolutely growing and has a lot of room to grow,” he said. “I really think it’s going to be the dominant interactive and entertainment medium of the next century, unless something significant changes.”

“I feel like it is easier than ever to self-start, to self-publish, to make your own game, to make your own mods, to learn what to do. Everything is growing, everything is more open, and people still love games, but it just takes a very different entrepreneurial skillset to take that on.”

Satvat concluded: “If what you’re looking for is the 20-year, AAA standard functional gig in one location, that’s going to be an expectation set that’s hard to meet increasingly and may disappoint.

“But I feel like if you go into it open, it’s still very, very tough, but there are opportunities that didn’t exist before.”

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September 9, 2025 0 comments