STEPN M2E App To Integrate Apple Pay To Allow Users To Buy Virtual Sneakers

STEPN, a move-to-earn application, has emerged as the first blockchain gaming platform that will integrate with Apple Pay, according to an announcement that was made on May 22, 2023. The integration will help bridge the gap between the Web2 and the Web3 gaming industry.

STEPN integrates Apple Pay

STEPN is a product created by a Web3 development studio known as Find Satoshi Lab. The project was launched in December 2021, and it became a top project in the industry by emerging as the first move-to-earn app featured on the App Store.

This app allows users to buy virtual sneakers and gain rewards when they participate in physical activities such as walking and running. These activities are tracked using the user’s smartphone, which has been synced to the platform.

The STEPN platform exploded in popularity in May 2022. At the time, the number of active monthly users surpassed 705,000, according to a report by Dune Analytics. After one year, the number of users has significantly dropped to below 30,000.

Despite the drop, the STEPN move-to-earn platform has continued to become innovative. The new fiat on-ramp partnership will also mark a significant forward in bringing the Web2 and the Web3 industries together. The move will also ease access to STEPN products, whole also facilitating user growth.

Reducing the barrier to entry for Web3

The integration of Apple Pay by STEPN will remove the need for users to link their crypto wallet and use it to transact in the app. Users can also integrate credit and debit card information to the Apple Wallet on their iPhones, which will significantly reduce the complexity of the transactions.

The simplification is also aimed at boosting user convenience and payment security, as the card details of users are not stored within the app. The co-founder of FSL, Yawn Rong, has said that he is optimistic about the effects of the integration and anticipates that the partnership will bring Web3 technology to the mainstream audience.

“This integration opens us up to a whole new audience, making Web3 more accessible to the masses, and, crucially, bringing Web2 and Web3 technology in a way that is thus far unseen,” Rong said.

Jerry Huang, who is also a co-founder at the company, supported the sentiment saying that the integration of Apple Pay could improve the user journey and guarantee that the Web3 space attains a high level of maturity needed to go mainstream. According to Huang, the success of STEPN came from the release of products to users that are dedicated to the community.

The recent partnership with Apple Pay comes after the news of the New Horizon initiative by STEPN. The initiative is a rewards program targeting loyal community members at STEPN. Those holding the STEPN Genesis Sneakers, which are the rarest sneakers within the app, secured an airdrop valued at 80 million GMT tokens in February this year. GMT is the native token for the project.