CryptoKitties Is Like Tamagotchi Built on the Ethereum Blockchain
BitPinas. Ever want to have your own cat but don’t like the fur, furniture scratch marks, and landlord restriction? Don’t worry, CryptoKitties will solve your problem. You can now have your own “kitty” in the ETH blockchain that you can collect and breed.
What is CryptoKitties?
First and foremost, these kitties live in the Etherium blockchain. And before I forget, yes, these CryptoKitties are for real. It prides itself on being one of the first game built with the blockchain technology.
If Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies have coins, in CryptoKitties, you will get these collectible one-of-a-kind kitties that cannot be destroyed, replicated, or taken away.
CryptoKitties was born in Vancouver, BC in 2017. Funding wasn’t via the usual ICO but under a sustainable revenue model. After buying your first Kitty, you can then pair it with another to breed.
“When two CryptoKitties breed, their offspring’s appearance and cattributes are determined by each parent’s 256-bit genome and an element of chance, leading to 4-billion possible genetic variations.” – CryptoKitties
But the catch here is you have to pay a Birthing Fee in order to breed a new CryptoKitty. Birthing Fee used to cost 0.002 ETH and because of high demand, they pump it up to 0.015 ETH to have the Kitties born on time without delay.
CryptoKitties and the Marketplace
Want to have your own cryptocollectible? You must have ETH coins and sign up and download their wallet – MetaMask to store your Kitties.
What is the Marketplace?
This is where you’ll get to choose your very first CryptoKitty. You can buy just one, but the team recommends you to get two so you can start breeding. Under the drop-down button, you have the option to choose to see Youngest first, Oldest first, Cheapest first, and Most Expensive first.
How to breed CryptoKitties?
After getting a pair of CryptoKitties, you can then start breeding them. As of this writing, the Birthing Fee is 0.015 ETH.
The process of breeding your CryptoKitties is you just choose which Kitty is the sire and the mother, pay the Birthing Fee and wait for it to “hatch”.
Another way to breed your CryptoKitty is by using the Sire button in the Marketplace. Choose the cat you want to be the Sire (dad, yeah I know it’s redundant) and choose your soon-to-be mother CryptoKitty. Give them some privacy and don’t forget to pay the Ether transaction.
Breeding Cooldown
Sadly, you can not have another breeding session after another. There’s a cooldown period while both sire and mom (or dam) are expecting an offspring. The more they breed, the longer their cooldown is. You can see the countdown on their bio page.
CryptoKitties Summary
CryptoKitties is a new and fun way of getting involved in the blockchain. All transactions in the game are in Ether and you will need to get MetaMask in order to store your Kitties. You can download MetaMask from their official website HERE. This is also a great way to introduce the blockchain to kids and kids at heart. Make sure to save ETH and start breeding!
Read Part 2: How to Buy Cryptokitties from the Philippines
