FTX to Launch 'NFT Lotería' Game on Solana to Fund Program for Hispanic Engineers

Lotería has endured for centuries as a popular game in Mexico, and soon it will make the jump into the crypto world as well. Today, cryptocurrency exchange FTX and crypto gaming firm Animoca Brands announced plans to create an NFT-centric version of the game that will launch on the Solana blockchain.

Dubbed NFT Lotería, the project will translate the bingo-like game into an NFT-driven experience. Snickerdoodle, a blockchain tech firm, will develop the NFT collectibles, which are planned to launch in early December exclusively via FTX’s NFT marketplaces internationally. Animoca and Snickerdoodle will develop gameplay around the NFTs in the “coming months.”

An NFTacts like a deed of ownership to a verifiably scarce digital item. While the technology has been popular for things like profile pictures, digital illustrations, and video clips, it can also be used in blockchain-based video games to create rare and unique interactive game items.

Axie Infinity, the leading Ethereum-based video game, has generated more than $2.4 billion worth of NFT trading volume to date (per CryptoSlam), making it the largest such NFT project by that metric. Other current NFT games include fantasy soccer experience Sorare and card battler Gods Unchained. In addition to NFT Lotería, Solana will play host to other upcoming games such as Star Atlas and Aurory.

NFT Lotería’s collectibles will feature artwork from Hispanic artists, with Snickerdoodle sharing the above imagery as concept art examples that will be used as inspiration for artists to produce the final NFTs. The project has opened up applications for additional artists.

The project will benefit nonprofit organizations focused on educating and training young Hispanic American engineers, particularly with a focus on encouraging blockchain development. The nonprofits include the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, the Rising Tide Network, and Latino Community Foundation.

“We see NFTs as stores of culture, and culture is enriched when it encounters other cultures,” said Animoca Brands Executive Chairman Yat Sui, in a release. “With its emphasis on highlighting artists from American Hispanic and broader LatAm backgrounds, NFT Lotería not only creates opportunities for Hispanic communities, but it also enriches the entire web 3.0 ecosystem by introducing novel and diverse world views and cultural elements.”

Animoca Brands has emerged as a major player in crypto gaming, not only as a publisher of its own games (such as the upcoming The Sandbox) but also as an investor in a wide array of projects, including Axie Infinity, Star Atlas, and Aurory. The firm raised $138.8 million this year from investors like Coinbase Ventures and Samsung, valuing Animoca at $1 billion.