Karate Combat Announces Layer-2 Blockchain UP Built on the Hedera Network

Karate Combat has announced the upcoming launch of its layer-2 blockchain, UP, which will be built on the Hedera layer-1 network.

Karate Combat, a professional striking league, has announced the upcoming launch of its layer-2 blockchain, UP, which will be built on the Hedera layer-1 network, Blockworks reports. This initiative will make Karate Combat the first striking league to be governed by its own token, the KARATE token.

Over 100,000 users will be able to earn tokens by accurately predicting fight outcomes using Karate Combat’s Up Only Gaming software, according to the report. The UP layer-2 blockchain is scheduled for launch in Q1 2025, with its $UP token expected to be released within the same year. Up to 30% of the $UP token will be allocated to KARATE stakers.

“We are also fired up to expand Up Only Gaming tech to other sports, esports, fantasy sports and crypto projects,” said Karate Combat’s pseudonymous co-founder onlylarping. “Not only will UP tech be provided for free, but early partners will also get grants and access to our user base.”

The latest Karate Combat sporting event, KC 50, is being held at Permissionless III in Salt Lake City, UT. The event will feature a fight between David Hoffman, co-founder of Bankless, and Kain Warwick, co-founder of Infinex.

In other news, blockchain gaming asset management platform Polemos has announced a partnership with Buff.game, a gaming company that operates a loyalty program for over 15 million players across games like Dota 2, Fortnite, League of Legends, and Valorant.

This partnership will leverage Polemos’ asset management wallet and non-collateralized lending solution, allowing gamers to trade, lend, borrow, and access in-game items without the need for upfront investment, according to a press release shared with Blockworks.

“This partnership is a pivotal moment in the evolution of gaming,” said Carl Wilgenbus, CEO of Polemos, in the statement. “We are combining Web3 technology expertise with Buff’s massive gaming audience to drive the adoption of blockchain gaming technologies at scale.”

Also, Pudgy Penguin GIFs on Giphy have garnered more than 30 billion views, according to the NFT project. Meanwhile, ENS domain names are now searchable on Google, and the CryptoKitties NFT project is launching a new monster breeding game called “All the Zen” on the Telegram messaging platform.

Lastly, Gunzilla Games’ Avalanche-based battle royale shooter, Off the Grid, has gone live on PlayStation 5, Xbox, and PC, making it the first blockchain game available on PlayStation 5, according to a report by GamesIndustry.biz.