The essence of any competitive game lies in crafting an Arena of Integrity—a realm where truth is sovereign, enabling authentic play. In sports, referees uphold the rules; in video games, algorithms enforce boundaries; and in board games, players act as mutual arbiters. Yet each system bears imperfections: reliance on human vigilance, vulnerability of exploits in digital spaces, and the honesty among participants.

Nonetheless, play continues. Wherever there is space, games and play emerge. It is no coincidence that with every technological advancement, games arise first—we cannot help ourselves. Play drives our society forward and shapes our culture. This innate urge to transform new technologies into arenas for play reflects our fundamental desire to engage and connect.

A new arena is emerging, secured not by human trust but by the integrity of cryptography and consensus. Open to all who wish to participate, Ethereum serves as the global trusted computer. Here, developers can create games that operate entirely on the blockchain, free from external dependencies.

These Arenas, emerging as betting houses, early onchain games, and markets, facilitate transactions between humans and machines on equal terms. Governed by immutable rules, anything technically feasible becomes legal, including unintended exploits, since all participants have access to the source code. This level of transparency changes our games. Stakes can be higher and gameplay broader, extending beyond just a few players. We now have the capability to host giant Arenas with millions of participants competing fairly simultaneously. Starting with meme coins, our journey is far from over.

Cultures evolve from play, and a purist culture is emerging. Once players experience an Arena of Integrity, other arenas simply can't compare. We haven't fully realized this vision yet, and are limited to the cryptography of today, but there is a clear path to these Arenas at scale. If you're paying attention, you might find that you're already participating in one.

I spend my time exploring these Arenas like Eternum and building Dojo which helps their creation.

1. homo ludens: Johan Huizinga suggests that play is primary to and a necessary condition of the generation of culture.
2. External dependencies: This is reference to games that exist on both servers and blockchains. An example would be a game that only has NFTs as the blockchain element.