Justin Kan Debuts Fractal, A Solana-Based NFT Gaming Marketplace

Justin Kan, the American entrepreneur behind successful platforms like Twitch, Justin.tv and Socialcam, has debuted Fractal, a gaming non-fungible token marketplace based on the Solana blockchain.

Fractal aims to capture the attention of NFT enthusiasts, who are primarily attracted to OpenSea, the world's biggest NFT marketplace with a monthly volume of $1.3 billion for December, as per Dune Analytics. With the debut of Fractal, Kan is also looking to capitalize on the popularity of play-to-earn (P2E) titles.

Play-to-earn or P2E is a unique field of gaming based on a blockchain network where players are rewarded for participation in terms of NFTs or cryptocurrencies. Some examples of P2E platforms include The Sandbox and Gala Games, which have become widely popular.

As per a report from TechCrunch, the Kan and the Fractal team aims to be more of a kick-starter for these P2E games, serving as the marketplace for the pre-sale of exclusive NFTs, helping the games to raise funds during the initial stages.

P2E games are known for enabling players to create their own in-game items and sell them in the marketplace that is present in the ecosystem of the platform. These in-game items can be sold or bought as NFTs inside the game itself with the help of the native token of the platform (like SAND or GALA).

Kan is ready to launch Fractal in the coming weeks, possibly in 2022 on the Solana blockchain. “I believe that Solana is the future of gaming,” Kan tells TechCrunch.

Solana (SOL) is a smart contracts platform that has become widely known because of its fast transactions and permissionless network capabilities due to the innovative concept of "proof-of-history." The platform is known for solving one of the biggest issues with smart contracts and NFTs' energy consumption.

As per the Solana Energy Report released on Nov. 25, a single transaction on the SOL Network consumes "less energy than two Google searches, and 24 times less energy than charging your phone." As a result, SOL is an energy-friendly network for building a gaming NFT marketplace.