Sky Mavis post-pivot Axie
Stable retention curve
Axie's 2024 economic pivot moved breeding and battle wagers to USDC, fixing the boom/bust cycle that wiped out the 2022 player base.
Use case · gaming
Gaming and in-game economies
The first generation of web3 games (Axie Infinity, etc.) denominated in volatile native tokens — and produced devastating economic spirals when prices collapsed. The next generation denominates in-game purchases, marketplace listings and PvP wagers in USDC. Stable economics retain players; the game token becomes governance/revenue-share only.
Updated today
Market size Updated 1d ago
Addressable market
$24.0B
Annual volume
$850.0M
Growth (YoY)
+65.0%
Games using USDC-denominated economies
~140
Real-world examples
Solana gaming hubs
~$240M in 2025
Solana-native games (Star Atlas, MixMob) use USDC for all consumable purchases; native tokens are governance-only.
Key players
Where it's strongest
Where it's strongest
Southeast AsiaLatin AmericaGlobal
Challenges
Challenges
- ● Chain abstraction — players don't want to think about networks
- ● Regulatory uncertainty for in-game economies near gambling adjacency
- ● Tax reporting for per-match USDC wins/losses
Future outlook
Future outlook
Two developments to watch. First, chain abstraction — games spanning multiple chains with a single stablecoin balance, with bridging hidden by the wallet. Second, regulatory clarity for in-game token economies — particularly in jurisdictions (US, EU, Japan) where in-game purchases and gambling-adjacent mechanics intersect.
More context
For live data on the stablecoins powering this use case, see their individual fichas linked above.