CryptOrchids Using Chainlink VRF to Launch Rare, Digitally Alive NFT Flowers
CryptOrchids, an experimental Ethereum-based NFT game inspired by theSpring 2021 Chainlink Hackathon, is using Chainlink Verifiable Random Function (VRF) to determine the species of newly minted CryptOrchid NFTs. CryptOrchids are NFT flowers with varying rarities, which similar to Tamagotchis, require user interaction to nourish and keep alive. There will only ever be 10,000 CryptOrchids in existence, with Chainlink VRF being used as a provably fair and tamper-proof source of randomness for minting them into existence. This guarantees the integrity of CryptOrchid, as all CryptOrchids are both fairly accessible and verifiably rare.
Adding Gamified Elements to NFTs to Create a Dynamic User Experience
CryptOrchids is not another static NFT art project; it aims to go beyond and redefine what we think is possible with NFTs. CryptOrchids are dynamic NFTs, meaning they can change over time to reflect the real-world growth and impermanence of flowers. Users need to water their CryptOrchids weekly within a specific 3-hour time window or else their CryptOrchid will die. Dead orchids cannot be transferred or sold—though users can compost the flower by burning the token, allowing another CryptOrchid to be minted.
However, CryptOrchids also have some unique elements that are not possible in the real-world but are in the digital realm: there is a limited supply, no breeding, and the possibility of them living forever as long as they are watered. There are 10 unique species in the CryptOrchid genome, with each species having a varying degree of rarity. For instance, users have a 20% chance of generating a Blue Vanda, compared to a 0.01% chance of obtaining an ultra rare Shenzhen Nongke Orchid. There is no hard cap on the amount of flowers that can exist for each species, but the odds are hardcoded into the minting smart contracts, making certain species very unlikely.
After a user mints their CryptOrchid seeds, they can determine their species by calling a germinate function on the CryptOrchids contract, which makes a request to Chainlink VRF. Chainlink VRF generates a verifiable random number, which is used as an input to determine the species according to an n per 10k heuristic. On a smart contract level, this works by Chainlink VRF combining block data that is still unknown when the request is made with the oracle node's pre-committed private key to generate both a random number and a cryptographic proof. The smart contract will only accept the random number input if it has a valid cryptographic proof, and the cryptographic proof can only be generated if the VRF process is tamper-proof.
This provides users with automated and verifiable assurances that each CryptOrchid is provably rare and equally accessible, meaning no one can manipulate the sources of randomness to obtain better odds at a earning rare one, not the oracle or even CryptOrchid development team. The ability to transparently generate and distribute CryptOrchids enhances the gaming experience, making them more desirable and trusted as digitally alive, cross-metaverse objects.
For more information about CryptOrchids, including details on the illustrations, my philosophy, and potential next steps, view the almanac.
"CryptOrchids was inspired from my experiences during the Spring 2021 Chainlink Hackathon where I was first introduced to the difficulties of generating on-chain randomness. Unlike other blockchain entropy solutions, Chainlink VRF provides an unfalsifiable cryptographic proof that allows anyone to verify the integrity of the RNG as being truly random. CryptOrchid holders can rest assured that their species are produced in a tamper-proof manner with equal odds of getting rare NFTs, ultimately leading to a more fair and secure gaming experience."
- Sammy Bauch, Creator of CryptOrchids
About Chainlink
Chainlink is the most widely used and secure way to power universally connected smart contracts. With Chainlink, developers can connect any blockchain with high-quality data sources from other blockchains as well as real-world data. Managed by a global, decentralized community of hundreds of thousands of people, Chainlink is introducing a fairer model for contracts. Its network currently secures billions of dollars in value for smart contracts across the decentralized finance (DeFi), insurance and gaming ecosystems, among others.
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About CryptOrchids
CryptOrchids is the first NFT project to bring an entirely on-chain gaming experience to the Ethereum network. The experience combines ideas from idle games, alternative investments, and real-world houseplants to create a unique digital asset that is truly portable, persistent, and provable. CryptOrchids can be held as seeds indefinitely, but once they’re planted must be watered exactly every 7 days to remain alive - dead CryptOrchids cannot be sold. With all of the gameplay data on-chain, CryptOrchids is an open and portable NFT — the flowers can be brought into metaverse worlds as 3D, interactive objects, moving NFT portability beyond 2-dimensional poster display and towards the more full vision of true ownership on the virtual plane.
Interested green thumbs can acquire seeds in the Nurserywhere you can also join the community of growers and see a leaderboard of the oldest living plants.
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