Chike Okonkwo, an active participant in the Fintech and Blockchain industries who has worked with companies like OKX, BitFXT, and Thresh0ld, among others, discusses the rapidly growing play-to-earn gaming sector in Africa.
Could you please make an introduction to us?
Chike Okonkwo is my given name. I work for Gamic Guild as a business developer, co-founder, and business lead.
How did you decide to invest in Fintech and Blockchain?
Indeed, my passion for technology and mathematics. I’ve always been a numbers man, and since my undergraduate days, I’ve been fascinated by anything that could earn me money legally online. This is why I decided to try my hand at programming. I obtained certification but was still having difficulty with it. I then decided to experiment with social media marketing, and it was during this time that I discovered bitcoin. I knew immediately after reading the bitcoin whitepaper that this was exactly what I was looking for. Since then, everything I’ve done has been centred on fintech, cryptocurrency, and blockchain.
When did you decide to go on this adventure?
I began my adventure in 2016, and despite the fact that it was confusing and there weren’t many publications about fintech and blockchain at the time, I made time to learn everything I could. Soon after, crypto became mainstream, and I decided to educate myself on what it takes to work in the crypto field. With my economics certificate in hand, I chose to major in business development. Since then, I’ve worked for a variety of organizations, primarily in business development.
What motivates you?
The fact is that blockchain technology has enabled us to produce value while simultaneously receiving value. That is, people can now make money on the blockchain just by submitting their work, and this does not preclude them from performing their normal daily tasks. For example, an art collector or producer can earn bitcoin simply by displaying or reselling works as NFTs.
How has your job at OKEx aided you in your endeavours?
Working with OKEx, now called OKX, aided in the advancement of my profession by exposing me to people from many regions of the world, including Asia, America, and, of course, Africa. This aided me by providing structure to my professional life, and I really, truly enjoyed working there, despite my reservations (laughs).
What is your greatest accomplishment to date?
As a co-founder of GAMIC. This is because we are building something that would effectively establish Nigeria and Africa as important players in the GameFi industry.
You co-founded Gamic. What is the point?
Gamic Guild genuinely teaches individuals about crypto games and provides them with everything they need to get started playing games and earning NFTs or any other tokens for additional money. Gamic is composed of roughly two key components: the guild and the infrastructure.
On the guild side, we expose gamers to these games, train them to improve their skills, and also give them the NFT required to play. They earn money in this manner. While we’re at it, we’re constructing a guild infrastructure that guilds may utilize to manage their players. Currently, guilds all around the world use spreadsheets to manage their members’ activities, which may be very tedious, which is why we’re developing the infrastructure that will make this process much easier.
How does the Gamic Guild want to make a difference in society?
One of our goals is to pioneer a community that is completely educated about the GameFi sector and, in doing so, to assist Africans in generating income with little or no understanding of how to trade bitcoin or even comprehend all of the market’s complexities.
How do you feel about play-to-earn platforms?
One of my most optimistic assessments of play2earn is that it will be the quickest way to introduce more people to bitcoin and, as it is still in its infancy, there is still a lot of work to be done as developers continue to create more games with a better user experience. There will be a greater understanding of how gaming projects operate. Additionally, I expect that more traditional gaming businesses will enter play2earn, as this is only the beginning and there is a lot that can be accomplished with GameFi.
You just attended the Binance Blockchain Week in Dubai. How was your experience?
It was an excellent opportunity for the Gamic team to learn, expand its network, and engage with individuals developing crypto games and others who are doing the same thing on a worldwide scale as we are. Additionally, it was a time to examine ways in which our community members may benefit more from gaming.
What can we expect from you and the members of the gamic guild?
I would argue that there should be more chances for Africans to earn money in the blockchain arena, as well as collaborations with other like-minded platforms to assist us in achieving our aim of putting Africa on the map. Additionally, we would do more to educate the public about play-to-earn games and blockchain technology in general.
What recommendations would you provide to individuals considering entering the blockchain space?
The best advice is to do your study on the business, determine which career path is ideal for you, and if you already work in marketing, accounting, social media management, community development, graphics, or UI/UX design, for example, you already have a place to fit in. Simply grasp the fundamentals of blockchain technology and, as you advance and climb the ladder, you will find yourself in places you never imagined. Additionally, volunteering is an excellent way to get started.