‘Life-changing’ or scam? Axie Infinity helps Philippines’ poor earn

Siblings Eugene (left) and Ginger Arboleda giving a demonstration on how to play Axie Infinity, an NFT game where players earn tokens that can be exchanged for cryptocurrency or cash, in Taguig, suburban Manila. Axie Infinity is a blockchain-based play-to-earn game that exploded in popularity in developing nations such as the Philippines as Covid-19 has destroyed jobs and forced many to stay home. — AFP

MANILA: Dominic Lumabi sits on the computer in his Manila bedroom pitting his puffer fish-like cartoon NFT characters against others. But this is not just a game – he is earning cryptocurrency to support his family during the pandemic.

The source of his income is Axie Infinity, a blockchain-based play-to-earn game that exploded in popularity in developing nations such as the Philippines as Covid-19 destroyed jobs and forced many to stay home.