STEPN (GMT) Price, Market Cap and Information

STEPN is a self-styled “Web3 lifestyle app” with GameFi elements on the Solana blockchain. It combines aspects of a play-to-earn game with a fitness app to create a new category coined “move-to-earn”. Users buy NFT sneakers, which they can use to earn in-game currency while walking, running, or jogging. STEPN aims to revolutionize the market of fitness applications by incentivizing millions of users to follow a healthier lifestyle.

The app solves several problems like “proof of movement” - proving that users really exercised - and a functioning GPS system. Moreover, STEPN incentivizes users financially and plans to introduce social rewards elements and successfully contributes to carbon neutrality.

The application is available for Android and iOS and has gone from its inception stage to the open beta version in only five months. After its successful IDO in March 2022, STEPN plans to optimize its in-game features and launch on several other chains in the future.

STEPN was founded in August 2021 by Australian blockchain entrepreneur Yawn Rong. Mr. Rong has previously founded Crypto SA, an Australian crypto fund and pro-regulation auditor, and has served as an ambassador for Algorand and as an industry representative of the South Australian Blockchain Association. He founded STEPN with his neighbor and partner Jerry Huang, a game developer and former founder of Falafel Games.

STEPN raised a significant $5 million seed round from some of the biggest crypto venture capital firms like Sequoia Capital, Folius Ventures, Solana Capital, Alameda Research, 6th Man Ventures, DeFi Alliance and several others. Several notable angel investors include Santiago R Santos and Asia Partner of Republic Zhen Cao.

What Makes STEPN Unique?

STEPN aspires to disrupt the fitness industry in several ways. Firstly, it incentivizes users to live a healthier lifestyle through a straightforward token reward mechanism. After downloading the app and creating a wallet, users can buy a pair of NFT sneakers to start earning in the game’s Solo Mode. By running or walking around, they can earn Green Satoshi Tokens (GST). Different types of sneakers return GST at different rates — the higher a sneaker’s efficiency attribute, the more GST per minute the user can earn.

This introduces the second revolutionary element of STEPN: the gamification of fitness. Thanks to the app’s in-game rewards, daily energy allowances, and customized sneakers, STEPN gamifies movement and nudges users towards a healthier lifestyle. In the future, the app plans to add a Marathon Mode, which will have weekly and monthly races between 2.5km and 15km. Marathon participants will be able to earn and compare their achievements on a leaderboard, with extra rewards for the top-ranking runners.

Finally, STEPN allows users to signal in two ways: through living a healthier lifestyle and earning tokens for it and through positively contributing to carbon neutrality. The former gives users an emotional and financial reward. The latter is achieved through STEPN’s contributions to buying Carbon Removal Credits on Solana to combat climate change.