- Bitcoin rewards app Fold is developing a new augmented reality (AR) Bitcoin-hunting game in partnership with Pokémon Go developer Niantic.
- The game will enable users to hunt for Bitcoin rewards while exploring the real world.
- Called Fold AR, the game is slated to launch a beta experience on November 23.
Bitcoin rewards app Fold is developing a new augmented reality (AR) Bitcoin-hunting game in partnership with Pokémon Go developer Niantic.
Fold, a Bitcoin rewards debit card and Bitcoin-back shopping app, aims to create a new AR game that will enable users to hunt for Bitcoin rewards. Niantic Labs, the company behind Pokemon GO, an AR game that allows players to explore the real world and catch monsters (via the mobile screen) in the process, will develop the game.
Dubbed Fold AR, the game will be an augmented reality (AR) experience similar to the popular mobile game Pokemon GO. However, instead of searching for monsters, Fold app users will explore the real world to hunt Bitcoin and other prizes.
“Initially, you can earn sats [the smallest denomination of Bitcoin], but you can also earn spins, which allows you to earn even more Bitcoin via the Fold app,” said Will Reeves, CEO of Fold, when describing the game. He added that the rewards will appear on the mobile screen as 3D coins, which users will need to discover by traveling around. Reeves said:
Down the line, you will be able to find actual collectibles in the Fold AR experience that endow holders with special privileges, increased earning opportunities, and benefits as well, such as a permanent increase in rewards.
The Bitcoin cashback app was launched in October 2019 and has since onboarded more than a quarter-million users. “Nearly half a billion has been transacted via Fold in spend and deposits since launch,” Reeves said.
Fold AR Game to Launch Soon
The game is slated to launch a beta experience on November 23, allowing a select number of users to access the early version for a limited time. However, user access will slowly increase over time.
Further, Fold Visa debit cardholders will have the chance to receive perks like extra spins on the app’s daily spin wheel, known as the “Sweepstakes,” when playing the game. “Fold Cardholders will be able to collect ‘spins’ within the experience which gives users more chances to earn higher rewards. After every purchase you make on Fold, users get to spin for an additional prize on top of their 1% base rate,” Reeves said.
Pokemon Go, the first AR game, took the world by storm when launched in 2016. The game has since remained one of the most popular Geolocation AR games. By July this year, Pokemon GO had been downloaded more than 630 million times. The game also surpassed $5 billion in lifetime revenue in July.
