Exploration of Arbitrum in the Layer3 direction.

Author: Joyce

On January 3, Binance launched the 43rd phase project XAI on Launchpool, and at the same time opened the BNB, FDUSD, and TUSD yield pools for mining starting from 00:00 (UTC) on January 5. XAI will be listed on Binance on January 9, 2024, at 10:00 (UTC), and trading pairs such as XAI/BTC, XAI/USDT, XAI/BNB, XAI/FDUSD, XAI/TUSD, and XAI/TRY will also be available.

Xai (XAI) is built on Arbitrum to meet the needs of large-scale Web3 games, and it is a blockchain network customized for this purpose, developed by Offchain Labs. What are the unique features of Xai compared to other networks as a network customized for chain games? How is the game ecosystem developing on it? BlockBeats will introduce this in this article.

Technical features of Xai: Layer3 solution

XAI adopts the Arbitrum Nitro technology stack, which is a permissionless Orbit chain, and the Orbit Chain was launched in June 2023, as a Layer3 on top of Arbitrum Layer2.

For chain game teams, the high gas fees on Ethereum are a problem that they have to consider for the vitality of the game ecosystem, which has also led to the emergence of Layer2 networks tailored for chain games such as Ronin and TreasureDAO. However, although these networks effectively reduce transaction costs within the game and improve player experience, they also face significant opportunity costs, namely, losing the large and active ecosystems on networks with widespread use cases.

Layer3 may be a hopeful solution. On June 22, 2023, Offchain Labs released tools for issuing Arbitrum Orbit Chain. Orbit Chain is a Layer3 on top of Arbitrum Layer2, and it can choose to settle on one of the three Layer2s, including Arbitrum One, Arbitrum Nova, and Arbitrum Goerli. Users can choose to use Rollup or Anytrust technology, the difference being that Anytrust uses DAC without submitting transaction data to the chain, resulting in lower prices but slightly weaker security.

The advantages of Orbit Chain lie in its simple chain issuance process, interoperability with the Arbitrum ecosystem, instant updates of Nitro, and EVM+ compatibility provided by Stylus (supports Rust, C, C++ writing, and runs on the WASM virtual machine). Like all chains in the Arbitrum ecosystem, both Arbitrum Rollups and Arbitrum Anytrust Orbit chains are built on Nitro as the underlying technology. Users can issue any Orbit Chain without permission, but must settle on Arbitrum Layer2, otherwise they need to contact Offchain Labs or the Arbitrum DAO for authorization.

Unlike most "self-managed" Orbit chains, Xai benefits from direct technical support from Offchain Labs. This support is not available to other chains, and Xai is considered an important part of the strategic game plan within the Arbitrum ecosystem.

XAI, esXAI, and token economics

Xai has its own custom gas fee token "XAI", and the XAI token will play a dual role on the Xai blockchain. First, it will serve as the designated Gas token to facilitate transactions within the network. In addition, the Xai token will be rewarded to validator nodes for their role in validating transactions. Furthermore, the Xai token will serve as the main token in the game ecosystem, acting as a payment medium for games and in-game items.

The Xai network uses XAI and esXAI (custodied XAI) to maintain the balance of the ecosystem. XAI is fully transferable, while esXAI, once exchanged, is non-transferable, and its main purpose is for staking to obtain various benefits. This includes rewarding Sentry node operators and providing various benefits to operators.

The staking mechanism of esXAI allows node operators to freely adjust their staked esXai among three different accounts:

• Yield Account: Node operators staking esXai in this account can earn more esXai income.
• Culture Account: By staking esXai, node operators can participate in exclusive activities and NFTs related to games launched on the Xai blockchain.
• Governance Account: Node operators can stake to gain governance rights of the DAO, including the right to propose for DAO/foundation funds.

Users can exchange XAI and esXAI with each other as needed. Different rules apply for different exchange directions. XAI can be exchanged for esXAI at any time without penalty or restriction. The conversion ratio is always 1:1 (100%). The process of converting esXAI to XAI includes a unlocking period, the duration of which is chosen by the user. The exchange rate will increase proportionally with the extension of the exchange time. The Xai Foundation may reserve up to 50% of esXAI that may be destroyed to support the network. When esXAI is exchanged for XAI, all esXAI will be automatically allocated to the yield account, but limited to 50% of its value.

The maximum total supply of XAI and esXAI combined is 2.5 billion tokens. The initial allocation of XAI is as follows:

• Team: 20% of the total supply is allocated to the core team and early contributors. This will begin unlocking 6 months after TGE. The allocation will be unlocked over 36 months, totaling 42 months.
• Investors: Early round investors purchased 22.41% of the total supply. This will begin unlocking 6 months after TGE. The allocation will be unlocked over 24 months, totaling 30 months.
• Ecosystem: 2% of the total supply has been designated for liquidity providers. This allocation will be unlocked immediately after TGE. 5.5% of the total supply has been designated for the ecosystem. This allocation will begin unlocking 6 months after TGE and will be unlocked over 36 months, totaling 42 months.

Xai's game ecosystem

Xai focuses on reducing gas costs, enhancing network stability, promoting creative game design, simplifying complex systems, and maximizing the potential of blockchain technology, while minimizing user wallet interactions. This not only makes blockchain games more accessible, but also provides developers with a platform to truly unleash their creativity.

Unlike some blockchain games that prioritize a large number of low-quality games, Xai supports various game types and mechanisms, encouraging developers to focus on providing engaging experiences for players, rather than just token incentives. In addition, complex game and economic systems have been common barriers for blockchain games to attract potential users. The Xai Foundation supports simplifying game system settings to ensure that players can easily grasp the mechanisms and enjoy the game.

In terms of wallet experience, Xai also collaborates with Thirdweb to seamlessly integrate wallet management into the backend of the gaming experience.

Currently, Xai has partnered with five game teams. Among them, Final Form is the first game developed by Ex Populus, which will be deployed on the Xai blockchain and released by the Xai Foundation. In "Final Form," players will engage in high-frequency deck building combined with Rogue-Lite mechanics for automatic combat. Players will use free limited edition trading cards, temporary marauder cards, mutants, and relics to build increasingly powerful combat decks. The best players will dominate automatic combat and earn rewards, accelerating the evolution of their limited edition cards from common rarity to legendary rarity and reducing global supply as they evolve and burn.

As the card supply decreases and rarity increases, card collectors and traders will find their cards becoming more important, attractive, and in demand as they adapt to the game ecosystem. Each limited edition card is produced in collaboration with renowned artists, celebrities, and athletes, including Oscar-nominated Calabash and former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson. Legendary card collectors will join the Vanguard League and qualify for exclusive rewards.

Team and Partnerships

According to the Xai official website, the Xai ecosystem does not have a central team and is initiated by several key entities, each with different roles. As the project develops, it is expected that more entities will support the project in various ways.

Xai Foundation

The Xai Foundation acts as the entity hosting the blockchain infrastructure deployed by game developers on the chain. Additionally, the foundation is responsible for issuing and managing the native token "XAI" of the Xai network.

The responsibilities of the Xai Foundation include formulating blockchain network strategies, supporting blockchain games developed by Ex Populus. This ensures the stability and security of the network, enabling a seamless gaming experience. The foundation is responsible for creating and distributing XAI tokens, overseeing token governance, and ensuring a fair and transparent distribution process. Additionally, the Xai Foundation focuses on nurturing a supportive and inclusive community around blockchain games. It will allow phased participation of the Xai community in network governance, ensuring that important decisions are made collectively.

Ex Populus

Ex Populus is a laboratory entity based in the United States and is the first developer to deploy games on the Xai blockchain. It is responsible for the research, development, and innovation of blockchain games. Ex Populus is a reputable game development studio led by industry veterans from renowned companies such as Pixar, Ubisoft, Activision, and Blizzard. The company has an excellent team and is currently developing two highly anticipated games: "Final Form" and "LAMOverse."

Under the guidance of the foundation, Ex Populus serves the ecosystem, handling the development part of the games and providing players with unique opportunities to own, trade, and monetize in-game assets. Ex Populus also actively promotes its games and interacts with the gaming community to foster growth and adoption.

Offchain Labs

Under the guidance of the Xai Foundation, Offchain Labs, the key development team behind the previous Arbitrum blockchain, is the strategic technical partner of the Xai blockchain project, focusing on the development and ongoing technical support of the Xai blockchain. The development of the Offchain Labs Xai blockchain aims to address other blockchain issues encountered by Ex Populus when attempting to deploy games.

Additionally, Offchain Labs will provide ongoing marketing support for the Xai network and ecosystem.

Other Core Contributors

Xai has a diverse group of core contributors, and this list will continue to expand as the ecosystem develops. Currently, the main contributors include Thirdweb and Paima Studios. Thirdweb specializes in developing custom account abstraction technology and payment systems tailored for games and decentralized applications (dApps) deployed on the Xai platform, while Paima Studios is developing top-notch Web3 games for the Xai blockchain. Many other groups, including game developers, infrastructure providers, and various other contributor types, will soon be announced and added to this growing list.

On December 29, Xai will distribute the first season airdrop, which has already been snapshot for Xai Odyssey legends and Vanguard participants, and Sentry Node Key holders.

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