Wildcard and Thousands raise $9m to reward fans who grow Web3 games

Wildcard Alliance and Thousands Protocol have raised $9m (£7.11m) in a round co-led by Arbitrum Gaming Ventures and Paradigm. Of this, $6.5m (£5.14m) has already been secured, with the remaining $2.5m (£1.98m) expected to close this summer.

A chunk of the money raised will go towards creators and streamers in the web3 gaming space.

The fresh capital will fuel the launch of Wildcard, a competitive web3 arena game, and expand the Thousands Protocol, a Web3 infrastructure designed to reward creators, streamers and fans who help grow game communities. The game is currently in alpha testing and can be streamed on Thousands.tv.

The funding builds on Wildcard’s $46m (£36.34m) Series A in 2022 (also led by Paradigm), bringing total investment to $55m (£43.45m). 

This sustained backing reflects confidence in Wildcard’s six-year development journey, which has evolved from a traditional game into a web3 multiplayer arena combat game that combines real-time strategy, multiplayer online battle arena, and collectible card elements.

Unlike traditional gaming ecosystems, where marketing budgets dominate user acquisition, Thousands Protocol turns community engagement into direct value. 

By tracking streaming and referral activity on-chain, it automatically distributes payouts to those driving growth, effectively making fans and influencers stakeholders.

Early results have been promising so far. 

In May 2025 alone, the network generated over $800,000 (£632,000) in revenue, with a 77% viewer-to-payer conversion rate and an average of $141 (£111) earned per viewer. These metrics highlight a shift toward interactive, creator-led gaming economies.

Gaming veterans Paul Bettner and Katy Drake Bettner are the co-founders behind the Wildcard Alliance. Paul is a renowned gaming figure, having created the mobile game Words With Friends, which was acquired by Zynga for $150m in 2011.