1. Project Description
What is PlayMate?
PlayMate is a skill-based PvP gaming platform. Players deposit funds into a non-custodial smart contract escrow, play a head-to-head match, and the winner is paid automatically by the contract. There is no house taking the opposite side, no platform custody of funds, and no token speculation.
The platform launches with chess and checkers, with additional skill-based games planned based on player feedback. Every game follows the same model:
- Stake USDT
- Play the match
- Verify the result
- Receive an automatic on-chain payout
PlayMate also includes a tournament layer.
Anyone, communities, DAOs, creators, livestreamers and gaming groups can launch branded tournaments without writing code or managing payouts. They choose the tournament format (swiss or single elimination tournaments) while PlayMate handles registration, brackets, prize distribution, and on-chain settlement automatically.
What problem does it solve or what opportunity does it address?
Onboarding users is only half the battle; retention is the real barrier to crypto adoption, including Nimiq. Creating a wallet is only the first step. Users need a reason to return.
PlayMate gives Nimiq Pay a recurring use case by rewarding skill-based play with real USDT payouts.
It keeps players engaged because:
- Skill earns rewards. Winners earn through gameplay and merits of their skills rather than token emissions or price speculation.
- Fast matchmaking. Players join by stake size or challenge friends directly.
- Every match uses Nimiq Pay. More gameplay means more wallet activity inside the ecosystem.
- Trust comes from smart contracts. Funds remain in escrow until results are verified on-chain.
Why build on Nimiq Pay?
Nimiq Pay natively handles wallet connection and USDT on Polygon, so players onboard in seconds and every payout is verifiable on-chain, all within the Nimiq Pay without needing to install additional app.
PlayMate fits naturally into Nimiq Pay’s Mini App ecosystem by providing a real consumer use case that encourages recurring wallet usage instead of one-time onboarding.
Grant Scope
This proposal funds only two areas:
- Weekly free-entry tournament prize pools
- Security, infrastructure, and platform operations
The PvP stake-and-win layer described above is PlayMate’s organic retention mechanic, it is an out-of-scope product feature that players engage with on their own. No Council funds touch PvP stakes, and PvP is not part of the funded deliverables.
Fraud Prevention
Because real money is involved, PlayMate includes multiple layers of fraud protection.
Device intelligence
Fingerprint Pro Plus identifies duplicate accounts, VPN usage, bots, and incognito sessions using server-side device identification.
Bot protection
Cloudflare Turnstile blocks automated registrations and match entry.
Risk scoring
Accounts sharing devices, IP addresses, or suspicious behavior receive a fraud score that can restrict tournament participation.
Match monitoring
The platform detects repeated matchups between linked accounts, suspicious move timing, abnormal win rates, and likely engine assistance.
On-chain settlement
Prize payouts are released only after verified match results, and every transaction can be independently verified on-chain.
Who benefits?
Players
Competitive players who want to earn real USDT through skill.
Communities
DAOs, creators, and gaming communities looking for a ready-made on-chain tournament platform.
Nimiq Ecosystem
A recurring Mini App use case that drives wallet activity and showcases Nimiq Pay’s browser-first experience. Every session starts and ends in a Nimiq Pay wallet. The more they play, the more they live in Nimiq’s ecosystem.
2. Project Goal
This proposal focuses on three outcomes:
Adoption
Every new player connects a Nimiq Pay wallet. Wallet activations can be exported directly for Foundation and Council reporting.
Awareness
Weekly tournaments create content that players naturally share across social platforms, bringing new users into Nimiq Pay.
Engagement
Tournaments attract new users while regular PvP matches keep them returning. Together they create long-term wallet activity instead of a one-time spike.
New Use Cases
PlayMate introduces two new use cases for Nimiq Pay:
- Skill-based gaming with real USDT payouts
- Community-created tournaments with automatic on-chain prize distribution
The platform launches with chess and checkers, with more games added over time without changing the underlying payout system.
Community Benefits
- A recurring use case beyond payments
- Community-led tournaments that bring new audiences into Nimiq. Perfect Co-marketing flywheel.
- A live demonstration of trustless, browser-first payments
Monthly KPIs
- New Nimiq Pay wallet activations: 80–150
- Returning users: At least 25% return the following month
- Matches played: 200+
- Tournaments completed: 4 per month (12 total)
- USDT distributed: Approximately $1,000 per month
- Platform fee revenue: Tracked from month one to demonstrate sustainability
3. Budget Request
Total requested: $6,000 USD equivalent, paid in NIM according to milestone completion.
Grant Scope
Council funding covers only:
A. Weekly tournament prize pools
B. Security, infrastructure, and operations
A. Weekly Tournament Prize Pools — $3,000
Three months of weekly tournaments.
- $250 per tournament
- 12 tournaments total
- Free entry for all players
Each tournament distributes prizes automatically through the smart contract.
| Placement | Weekly Amount |
|---|---|
| 1st | $100 |
| 2nd | $75 |
| 3rd | $50 |
| Platform fee (10%) | $25 |
| Total | $250 |
Across twelve tournaments:
- $2,700 distributed to players
- $300 retained as platform fees
All prize distribution is automatic and verifiable on-chain.
B. Infrastructure, Security, and Operations — $3,000
| Item | Cost | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Nethermind AuditAgent | $500 | Smart contract security review before mainnet deployment |
| Vercel Pro (12 months) | $240 | Frontend hosting and public dashboard |
| Railway (12 months) | $240 | Backend, matchmaking, and tournament services |
| Dedicated Polygon RPC | $480 | Reliable blockchain connectivity |
| Paymaster Gas Sponsorship | $300 | Gasless player experience |
| Fingerprint Pro Plus (6 months) | $594 | Fraud detection and device intelligence |
| Maintenance & Development | $646 | AI subscriptions, Ongoing fixes, monitoring, and content production |
| Total | $3,000 |
Budget Justification
Tournament funding drives player acquisition through free weekly competitions.
Infrastructure funding keeps the platform secure, reliable, and operational for twelve months. It covers smart contract auditing, hosting, blockchain infrastructure, gas sponsorship, fraud prevention, and ongoing maintenance and operations.
4. Sustainability Beyond the Pilot
This grant is intended to launch adoption, not provide ongoing support.
Once the pilot ends, PlayMate is sustained through platform fees.
Existing Fee Structure
- PvP matches: 2% platform fee
- Tournament prize pools: 10% platform fee
Conservative Example
- 100 weekly active players
- 5 matches each
- $5 average stake
- 3% effective fee
This generates approximately $3,600 per year, enough to cover the platform’s annual operating costs.
The three-month pilot establishes the player base while the infrastructure is already funded for a full year.
No recurring Council funding is expected.
5. Timeline
The tournament program begins immediately after approval.
Month 1
- Complete AuditAgent review
- Publish public dashboard
- Run tournaments 1–4
Month 2
- Run tournaments 5–8
- Launch community and DAO partnerships
- Publish mid-pilot report
Month 3
- Run tournaments 9–12
- Publish final report and sustainability update
Months 4–12
Operations continue using platform fee revenue while infrastructure remains fully funded.
6. Milestones
M1 – Audit & Launch ($3,500)
- Infrastructure and security stack provisioned
- Weeks 1–4 tournaments completed
- Public dashboard live
- Audit report published
M2 – Growth ($1,250)
- Weeks 5–8 tournaments completed
- Community partnerships active
- Mid-pilot report published
M3 – Completion ($1,250)
- Weeks 9–12 tournaments completed
- Final metrics and sustainability report published
Unused tournament funds will either be returned to the Council or rolled into a continuation grant at the Council’s discretion.
7. Terms of Completion
The project is complete when:
- PlayMate is publicly available as a Nimiq Pay Mini App.
- Twelve tournaments have been completed with automatic on-chain payouts.
- A public dashboard displays wallet activations, participants, matches, and USDT distributed.
- Mid-pilot and final reports have been published.
- The AuditAgent report has been shared with the Council.
- All results can be independently verified through on-chain data and the public dashboard.
8. Compliance with the Legal and Ethical Guideline Framework
This proposal addresses paragraphs 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 11.
- Skill-based gaming only. Chess and checkers contain no randomness, loot boxes, or house odds. Prize payouts are determined solely by verified match results.
- Grant scope. Council funding is limited to tournament prize pools and platform infrastructure. PvP stake matches remain separate and receive no grant funding.
- No financial advice. PlayMate makes no investment recommendations and has no token associated with this proposal.
- Non-custodial architecture. Funds remain in smart contract escrow until settlement. PlayMate never takes custody of player funds.
- Transparency. Escrow, payouts, fees, and platform activity are publicly verifiable on-chain through a public dashboard.
- Privacy and security. Minimal user data is collected. Fraud prevention uses Fingerprint Pro Plus solely for account integrity rather than marketing or profiling.
- Compliance. The project lead is not a sanctioned individual or entity. Wallet screening will follow Nimiq’s requirements.
- Risk disclosure. Smart contract risk is mitigated through independent auditing, while fraud risk is reduced through device intelligence and behavioral monitoring.
Applicant Attestation
- [x] This project complies with Community Council guidelines.
- [x] Funds will not be used for prohibited purposes.
- [x] Material risks and conflicts will be disclosed.
- [x] Milestone reporting requirements are accepted.
- [x] The applicant is not a sanctioned individual or resident of a sanctioned jurisdiction.
9. Resources
- Live App: https://playmate-dev.vercel.app/
- Demo Video: Demo video
- GitHub: https://github.com/roadsidedev/playmate
- Project Twitter / X: PlayMate Twitter
- Founder: tonywtf
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Public Dashboard:
tbd