If we are to discuss blockchain gaming, we cannot overlook Phantasma. Phantasma is a smart contract platform that claims to be the ‘technological backbone of the future of gaming’. While it's a bold claim, the variety of reasons explored below might make it possible.

Smart NFT Technology
Smart NFTs are programmable NFTs that expand the possible use cases of NFTs. They can be comprised of infinite tokens (both fungible and non-fungible) in addition to being upgradable and timeable. They could be a big part of blockchain gaming as I’ve explained in my previous article. Phantasma provides the platform for developers to create games and dApps utilizing its smart NFT technology. One of the best things about Phantasma is the mint-on-demand feature that makes it possible to mint NFTs only when a customer makes a purchase. Since there is no need to mint the NFTs upfront, creators can save on minting fees for unsold items.

Interoperability
Interoperability is going to be a primary theme in the crypto space for the next few years and many new projects are emerging to solve this problem. But Phantasma has already implemented quad-chain interoperability where assets can be exchanged across Phantasma, NEO, Ethereum, and BSC. They have also committed to integrating more dApp ecosystems in the future. Transactions in multiple blockchains are made possible through Phantasma’s infinite side-chains. According to the whitepaper, Phantasma can validate 10,000 transactions per block. This high capacity can be utilized by each of the sidechains independent of the main chain.

Built For Gaming
Phantasma is specifically designed for gaming which is reflected in the services it provides. Developers can deploy smart NFTs at minimal cost and utilize other features of Phantasma to create high-quality blockchain games. The fast and inexpensive nature of Phantasma leads to a smooth user experience. It already boasts some great games on its platform through Pavillon, the game hub for Phantasma. Upcoming games on Phantasma such as Wonderman Nation, Blood Rune, and Ghost Festival are expected to raise the standard for all blockchain games. NFTs play a huge role in blockchain gaming and Phantasma recognizes that. That's why it aims to be the primary hub for trading and deploying NFTs. Through Phantasma, players can truly own their game assets and developers can have access to additional revenue streams like secondary NFT sales, tournament fees, etc.

Innovative dApp Ecosystem
Phantasma is home to some of the most innovative dApps in the crypto space. Although they need their separate articles to be fully explained, I will discuss a few of them in brief here.
Ghostmarket is a popular one that claims to be the only cross-chain NFT marketplace in the world. It currently supports trading NFTs across Phantasma, NEO, BSC, Polygon, Avalanche, and Ethereum. Any blockchain with smart contract features can be integrated into this dApp.
Pavillion utilizes Phantasma’s technology to host games on the blockchain. It features many popular games like 22 Racing Series, The Gardens Between, Winter Fury, etc. Users can connect their wallets to the hosted games to trade game assets on the blockchain. The amazing thing about Pavillion is that it can integrate Steam with the blockchain. This allows developers to publish games on both Steam and Pavillion. Any traditional game can transition to the blockchain through Pavillion.
Phantasma Pharming rewards liquidity providers on Uniswap and Pancakeswap with $SOUL and $KCAL without needing to lock up the tokens.
Besides these, there are plenty of other amazing dApps on Phantasma with many more in development.

Dual Token System
Phantasma has two native tokens $SOUL and $KCAL, similar to Axie Infinity. $KCAL is the utility token that is used for transaction fees, minting NFTs, and deploying smart contracts. $SOUL is the governance token that allows holders to earn $KCAL every day. This makes Phantasma free to use for $SOUL token holders. $SOUL must be staked to participate in governing the blockchain. The dual token system of Phantasma makes the blockchain’s economy sustainable in the long term.

Carbon Negative Blockchain
Cryptocurrencies, in general, have been given a bad name due to the energy-intensive nature of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies that are using the Proof of Work model. That’s why it's important to develop energy-efficient cryptocurrencies for changing people’s opinions about them. Phantasma uses the eco-friendly Proof of Stake model for validating transactions and has partnered with Save Planet Earth, a UK-based cryptocurrency project. Save Planet Earth is responsible for countless initiatives to mitigate global warming including planting 100 million trees in Sri Lanka. Phantasma is a certified carbon-negative blockchain. It is able to achieve that through Carbon Credit NFTs (CCNFTs) that are deployed by Save Planet Earth on Phantasma. In addition to providing an eco-friendly platform for CCNFTs, Phantasma has acquired CCNFTs that offset 400% of its carbon footprint. Anyone can offset their carbon footprint by purchasing CCNFTs on Ghostmarket.

Phantasma has contributed significantly to the growth of blockchain gaming today. It has a relatively small market cap but carries immense potential that could revolutionize blockchain gaming.