Horse racing is the latest in a long line of industries that have been integrated into metaverse platforms through the use of NFTs. Zed Run was one of the first platforms to merge blockchain technology with the world of horse racing – yet multiple exciting platforms have recently emerged that offer a viable alternative for gamers.
This article will discuss the top three alternatives to Zed Run, highlighting the features and value potential that these platforms have as we progress through 2022.
The Top 3 Alternatives to Zed Run
Listed below are three of the best NFTs to invest in that combine the exciting world of horse racing with blockchain-based gameplay features:
- Silks – Overall Best Horse Racing NFT
- DeFiHorse – New NFT Project with Fantasy Elements
- DeRace – Horse Racing NFT Platform with Exciting Roadmap
A Closer Look at the Best Alternatives to Zed Run
Now that you have an overview of the best horse racing NFTs, let’s dive in and explore each of these platforms in more detail:
1. Silks – Overall Best Horse Racing NFT
Our pick when it comes to the best NFT for 2022 within this exciting area is Silks. Silks is an upcoming metaverse platform that incorporates compelling play-to-earn (P2E) gameplay features that incentivize knowledge and skilled gameplay. However, what really separates Silks from the rest of the pack is the platform’s unique ‘derivative gaming’ approach.
This approach relates to Silks’ link to the real world of thoroughbred horse racing. Silks differentiates itself from similar projects by allowing players to own digital horses within the metaverse (called Silks horses) that mirror a real-world racehorse. This ‘one-to-one’ link is achieved by employing data so that a Silks Horse can track the bloodlines, development progress, and racing productivity of its real-world counterpart.
The link between digital Silks Horses and physical thoroughbred racehorses forms the foundation of how the platform’s P2E features operate. As noted in the Silks whitepaper, players will earn rewards when the real-world counterpart of their Silks Horse wins a race or breeds offspring. Rewards will also be earned through Silks’ imaginative staking and syndication mechanisms.
These rewards will be distributed in $STT – Silks’ native transactional token. Since each Silks Horse will be represented as an NFT, this allows players to use $STT to buy and sell these horses on the platform’s marketplace, providing another avenue for monetization.
The first crop of Silks Horses is set to be minted in mid-2022, with each subsequent crop of ‘yearlings’ (one-year-old thoroughbred horses) being minted annually. Interestingly, all initial sales of Silks Horses will take place via a blind NFT sale, which means all players will pay the same price for their horse, yet will not know the real-world counterpart they’ve received until they are revealed.
Silks first NFT offering is its Silks Genesis Avatar Collection which is set to drop at the end of this April. Silks Avatars are crucial components of the project as they will serve to represent each player’s unique identity and the ownership of their in-game assets within the Silks metaverse. They will also provide their holders with additional benefits including airdrops, exclusive rewards, and guaranteed access to the Silks Horse Mint later this summer. The opportunity to get early access to the Silks Genesis Avatar Mint is now being offered on the Silks website, silks.io.
Finally, players will even have the ability to purchase plots of virtual land or stables within the Silks metaverse, both of which are represented as NFTs. Virtual land allows players to create horse farms and construct stables, which are essential for housing and maintaining Silks Horses. Speculation, development and resale of both land and stables will provide yet another pathway for reward generation for Silks players.
Ultimately, this feature and all of the aforementioned features makes certain that the Silks platform will have a fantastic future ahead, as the development team gears up for launch this year.
2. DeFiHorse – New NFT Project with Fantasy Elements
Another upcoming NFT project to consider is DeFiHorse. DeFiHorse is a metaverse platform built on the Binance Smart Chain (BSC) that currently has over 500,000 players worldwide. Within DeFiHorse’s virtual world (called the ‘Horseverse’), players can own digital horses that are structured as NFTs and battle them against horses owned by other players.
Unlike Silks, DeFiHorse’s virtual horses are not rooted in the real world but based on a fictional backstory. The metaverse features various fantasy-based bloodlines, with the ‘Chaos’ bloodline being the rarest and most powerful that users can obtain.
Aside from racing horses against other players, DeFiHorse also allows metaverse participants to own racecourses and earn commissions from races. There’s even scope to purchase plots of virtual land and breed additional horses that can be used for racing or sold on the marketplace.
3. DeRace – Horse Racing NFT Platform with Exciting Roadmap
DeRace is another metaverse project that combines exciting gameplay features with the world of horse racing. Within the DeRace platform, users can own, breed, and trade virtual horses, each structured as an NFT and available to purchase through OpenSea.
The DeRace platform also allows players to join virtual races and battle against horses owned by other players to earn rewards denominated in $DERC – DeRace’s native token. $DERC holders can also stake their tokens and acquire ‘Liquid Love’, which is necessary for breeding within the DeRace world.
Players can also own hippodromes and generate a regular income stream through entrance fees when virtual races take place. Finally, much of the hype around DeRace stems from its roadmap, which details plans for a player XP and ranking system, duel races, jockey NFTs, and more.
Conclusion
In summary, this article has discussed three of the most exciting NFT projects that contain a link to the world of horse racing. Through their inventive gameplay features, these projects offer a novel way to gamify racehorse ownership whilst providing avenues for players to generate consistent rewards.
We believe Silks is the best NFT to invest in within this growing area of P2E gaming due to the platform’s unique ‘derivative gaming’ approach.
By offering numerous pathways for monetization, the Silks metaverse looks set to attract a new audience of tech-savvy gamers to the thoroughbred horse racing industry, providing scope for lasting bonds between like-minded community members.
