The Arbitrum Foundation, the team behind the Ethereum rollup-based layer-2 network Arbitrum, has announced a significant investment of $215 million in the gaming industry within its ecosystem. This allocation of resources, totaling 225 million Arbitrum (ARB) tokens, aims to boost recognition and usage of Arbitrum, Orbit, and Stylus among game developers and players through the newly established Gaming Catalyst Program (GCP).
The proposal for the Gaming Catalyst Program was initially introduced in March and received official approval on June 7, with over 75% of votes in favor. The program seeks to drive growth and engagement within the gaming community by incentivizing game development on the Arbitrum blockchain. Notable supporters of the proposal included L2Beat, Wintermute, and Treasure DAO, a gaming-focused organization.
Despite opposition from Blockworks Research and Camelot DAO, the proposal successfully passed, with Treasure DAO expressing excitement on social media platform X, stating, “Arbitrum is the home of gaming — let’s make some magic happen.”
The funding and governance structure of the Gaming Catalyst Program are designed to support both new and established developers. New and early-stage developers are eligible to receive grants of up to 500,000 ARB, while more established developers can apply for investments involving a value share component, such as tokens or equity. The remaining funds will be allocated towards infrastructure-related bounties and operational expenses to support the ecosystem’s growth and development.
A dedicated team will oversee the daily operations of the GCP, while a five-member council comprising gaming, venture capital, data analysis, and DAO governance experts will provide strategic oversight and guidance. This governance structure ensures that funding is allocated effectively to achieve the program’s objectives while promoting innovation and accountability. The council also holds veto power over investment decisions and team appointments to ensure successful implementation and adherence to guidelines.
The GCP has established a financial framework that caps operational expenses at $25 million, with any expenditure exceeding this limit requiring explicit approval from the DAO. Additionally, in March, a proposal to fund the legal defense costs of Tornado Cash’s developers was removed by the Arbitrum DAO.
Overall, the Gaming Catalyst Program’s substantial investment in the gaming industry within the Arbitrum ecosystem is expected to drive growth, engagement, and innovation, positioning Arbitrum as a key player in the blockchain gaming space.