Blockchain-based trading cards were all the rage in early 2018, with daily transaction volumes on Ethereum games estimated at $10 million. Into this frothy market came Crypto All Stars, a project created by Twitter trader Crypto Randy Marsh that promised to bring 'all your favorite Twitter shitposters' onto the blockchain. The game features many of the cryptoverse's loudest luminaries, including Crypto Cobain, Bitfinexed, and Ari Paul. Not surprisingly, many of these 'celebs' have already bought their own cards multiple times to avoid being outdone by their peers.
Pyramid Scheme Meets Proof of Ego
'This week's must-have blockchain game is next week's relic,' admitted the developers, acknowledging the game's ephemeral nature. But in the short term, Crypto All Stars offered a shameless yet amusing take on the meme birthed by Crypto Kitties. For the proles who lack these 'legendary' shitposters' follower count or portfolio, owning one of the unique contracts provides satisfaction—until the next sucker buys it off them.
The game operates as a pyramid scheme where players buy cards hoping to sell them higher. The vanity appeal is strong: owning a card of The Crypto Dog (priced at 5 ETH, roughly $5,000 at the time) proves one's status. For budget-conscious players, alternatives like Ether Tulips, Crypto Titties, and TRON Dogs offer lower entry points. Ether Tulips was about to launch player battles, while strategic card-based MMO Neon District was coming soon.
'Given the amount of ether wasted weekly in ICO exit scams and pyramid schemes, games like Crypto All Stars are arguably one of the better uses for the ethereum network,' the article noted. Watching crypto OGs slap down $10,000 of ETH at a time to prove they are the whales they claim to be proved strangely satisfying for many observers.