Meet The Guild: CryptoShanks

Shanks is one of the most passionate members of the YGG community. Read here how he got started with Axie, began creating educational crypto content, and established his own scholarship program.

The Axie Infinity channel under the Yield Guild Games (YGG) Discord is an active and vibrant community for play-to-earn gamers from all around the world. 

In this article we talk with one of the most passionate Axie players in the Philippines, to get insight into the game and his personal journey into the world of play-to-earn.

CryptoShanks, best known for his enormously popular Facebook page for crypto education, joined the YGG community in August 2020 and has been battling and breeding Axies ever since. 

What made you decide to play Axie Infinity?

It was a leap of faith. I had no extra funds to get into the game, so I decided to sell almost everything I could possibly sell that I’d collected in Dota 2 including Arcanas, Immortals and Ultra Rare items to fund my first Axie Infinity team.

I learned it through research and by asking the OGs, like Gabby Dizon, co-founder of YGG. And Benn Beckman, also known as Manila Crypto, a scholarship manager and top Axie breeder. The Axie community is very welcoming and helpful. Having experience as a gamer was also a huge factor as it helped me to quickly understand the dynamics of the game.

How has playing Axie Infinity changed your life? 

Axie is definitely one of the greatest plot twists of my life! This is like a dream come true for me as a gamer, where I can finally earn just by playing. I used to work full time, but because of Axie, I was able to leave my full time job and become a full time professional gamer. 

I no longer have to deal with the usual office dramas or the graveyard shifts. I never have to worry that I won’t be able to afford the things that I need! 

The thing that I like the most is that I also get to help other people access play-to-earn through Axie scholarship programs.

Are you part of any Axie community groups online? What has been the best aspect about being part of a community? 

Yes! The best aspect has been my ability to help others through playing Axie, especially during this pandemic. So many people lost their jobs and some can barely afford their basic needs because of this crisis. Thanks to Axie, and the community built around it, we are able to empower  players and provide them with the opportunity to go against this huge tide that we are all facing right now.

Tell us about your Facebook Page — what kind of content do you create, why do you do it, and who is it for?

When I first started playing Axie, I decided to remain anonymous and just play for fun.

Then, when I saw how many new people were coming in to play the game, and I realized its potential to improve people’s lives, that is when I decided it was time to step out of my anonymity in order to support the community.

I wanted to become a legitimate go-to person for the people who didn’t have the know-how to achieve their goals, and zero clue about how the game works, or how blockchain technology makes play-to-earn possible. 

I created my Facebook page to provide insights and information about Axie and other blockchain games. While many people are interested, not everyone is brave enough to dive deep into it, unless there is someone willing to guide them all the way. 

What are you most excited about for the future of Axie?

Axie has been a lifelong dream of most - if not all - gamers. This game really sets the bar high, especially for the concept of play-to-earn. 

I am excited to see Axie replacing the mainstream games that we normally play. I imagine a future where you can walk through the streets and hear the Axie music playing everywhere and you can see the joy on a player’s face when they win a match. This is how blockchain games will invade the mainstream territories. 

Can you tell us more about your experience earning through Axie? 

It is a completely new world for me. When I first started, I said to myself: This is just a game, nothing fancy about it. But as I played along and started earning, I slowly realized how big Axie is and its positive impact on the lives of many people, especially for the people in the Philippines, who were affected by the pandemic. 

As soon as I earned back the upfront money that I had to spend to buy my first team of Axies, I quickly jumped into buying my second team, and so on. I also sold the Uniswap tokens that I received from the airdrop in September 2020 so I could get started with the Axie breeding project.

I first bought some Tank Axies, also known as defender Axies. The role of the tank is to shield the primary attackers from damage done by the opposing team. Then, after selling a few Axies, I then decided to buy Beast and Bird Axies. This build is aiming to remove potential threats in the enemy back-line. And that is how I was able to start my own scholarship program: The Akagami Crew.

The Akagami Crew is my scholarship program started in late 2020 with just family members and friends. Fast forward today and most of my scholars have now earned enough that they’ve been able to invest in their own Axie teams. 

What would you tell people who think play-to-earn gaming is too good to be true? 

I am a skeptic as well and I remember at some point I said to myself that the concept of play-to-earn is too good to be true but that changed after my first cash out. Now, I can say that playing to earn is actually too good because it is true! 

We in the Axie community, especially in YGG, are offering new players a life-changing opportunity through the scholarship program. They are free to try the game out without spending anything and just brace themselves for the rewards that they can get, just by playing.