Game On: Azarus Founder Alex Casassovici Talks Web3 Streaming and Blockchain

Streaming has leveled-up to become one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the world. With the rise of platforms such as Twitch, people can now watch their favorite content live and interact with creators in real-time.

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Alex Casassovici with four company exits, including Azarus being acquired by Animoca Brands, has a wealth of knowledge to share. In this interview, we discuss his journey as an entrepreneur and his insights on the current state of streaming and how Web3 can enhance the gaming industry.

The Intersection of Gaming and Streaming

The conversation began with a brief summary of how these two industries have evolved and grown together in recent years. Alex highlighted that creators were starting to make money doing what they love, playing video games and those watching were able to interact with them in new ways. This symbiotic relationship between gaming and streaming has created a new form of entertainment that is only gaining more traction.

Although this community driven approach was unlocking new opportunities for monetization, Alex questioned if creators were getting their fair share from the platforms they were using. This led to the creation of Azarus, a platform that allows creators to monetize their content through interactive challenges and rewards powered by blockchain technology.
"We wanted to ensure that everyone that was creating value for these ecosystems is getting a piece of it."

Alex Casassovici, CEO of Azarus
Rewarding The Watchers and Fans

A unique aspect of Azarus is the ability for viewers to earn rewards while watching their favorite streamers. This concept of "Play2Earn" has become increasingly popular in the gaming industry, with blockchain technology allowing for secure and transparent distribution of rewards. However, passive watchers of streams have traditionally been on the sidelines as they were not actively participating in gameplay. With Azarus, these viewers can now contribute to the content and engage with their favorite creators through gamified functions.
"Anyone who's watching a stream can inject a wallet, a game starts, and everyone that watches the stream can play at the same time."

Alex Casassovici, CEO of Azarus
Azarus is now working with Twitch, one of the biggest live streaming platforms in the gaming industry. By pairing Azarus with Twitch, the platform can now reach a broader audience and give more creators the opportunity to monetize their content. This partnership also allows for seamless integration of rewards and challenges within the streaming experience. Non Web3 natives can now experience the benefits of blockchain in a manner more familiar to them.

The Business Model of Azarus

With the game being on-chain, distribution of rewards and prizes is completely transparent and secure. Whether it be NFTs, tokens, or just general digital rewards, players can be confident in the validity of their winnings.

The way this ecosystem works is that most of the games are sponsored, so the sponsor decides how much money they want to allocate for rewards and the type of rewards they want to give. This not only benefits the viewers, but also provides a new and unique way for sponsors to reach their target audiences in a format that they are passionate about.

Other types of games can be used to measure the engagement and attention of the audience. Alex gives the example of a first-person shooter game where a pop-quiz can come up asking the audience how many shots it took to kill a certain enemy on screen. This flexibility of use cases unlocks endless possibilities for engagement and gamification of streams.
"The biggest value we saw when we started this project was trust and transparency and that's what blockchain brings."

Alex Casassovici, CEO of Azarus
The AzaCoin and Utility of This Cryptocurrency

Azarus has already distributed over $2 million in rewards and has proven to be a successful business model in the gaming industry. By staking AzaCoin, advertising sponsors can also access exclusive advertising space within the platform. This allows for another stream of revenue for both Azarus and content creators, creating a win-win situation for all parties involved.

With an AzaCoin wallet on every stream, and brands ready to drop coins for viewer attention, streams are entering a new dimension of fun. As a bonus, with the (upcoming) Azarus SDK, it's expected to become easier to build new interactive experiences on streams powered by the AzaCoin. AzaCoin holders get status and perks such as voting on-stream, early access, whitelisting, and more.

When it comes to spending rewards earned through AzaCoin, the Azarus store offers a wide variety of items such as gift cards, games (through Steam), and points for specific games. This not only allows viewers to enjoy their rewards, but also supports the gaming industry as a whole by promoting the purchase of games and other related items.

Final Thoughts

The roadmap after being acquired by Animico Brands is an exciting one. As a brand known for housing Web3 games, looking to get into the broader gaming market, the future of Azarus and its integration with Animico Brands looks promising.

Streamers have been responsible for helping games get attention in a UGC (user-generated content) world, but now game developers can directly incentivize streamers to cover new games right away through mini-games paired with crypto rewards. This not only creates a new way to market and promote games, but also adds a layer of interactivity and engagement for viewers.