Animoca’s Anichess Builds Community with NFTs and $CHECK

Anichess, a community-driven project founded by Animoca Brands and built in partnership with Chess.com, is merging one of the world’s most strategic games with blockchain technology.

With over 200 million members on Chess.com, the project taps into a massive player base while offering new digital ownership through the $CHECK token.

Ethernals: Scarce, Strategic, and Status-Defining

At the heart of Anichess are its 960 limited NFTs called Ethernals, each representing a piece of the game’s evolving universe. This number was chosen to honor Fischer Random Chess, also known as Chess960, which symbolized innovation in the traditional game. These NFTs are not just collectibles; they are the foundation of an active, competitive, and supportive community.

Ethernals launched in July through a free mint, with most reserved for early supporters. Despite the no-cost start, the collection quickly gained traction, hitting a 0.2 ETH floor after minting, consolidating around 0.3 ETH through the summer, and recently breaking out to an all-time high above 0.5 ETH following key ecosystem announcements from Kaito and Abstract.

The rarity system adds depth to collecting. Out of 960 pieces, only 24 hold the Void background and are considered legendary. Another 105 carry Special Effect backgrounds, making them rare. The rest are common, but each NFT is carefully designed with nine unique traits, from hairstyle to chess piece. Beyond rarity, holding larger bundles of Ethernals elevates a player’s status, with “Whales” owning 16 pieces at the top of the hierarchy.

This approach has kept Anichess standing strong while many gaming NFTs have struggled. For comparison, DappRadar data shows that NFT gaming volumes dropped nearly 50% in early 2023; however, projects that tie collectibles to utility—such as Axie Infinity in its prime—have proven more resilient. Anichess appears to follow that path, combining digital art with function.

Utility Backed by $CHECK

The real strength of Anichess’s NFTs comes from their utility. Holders of Ethernals will receive a 10% allocation of the $CHECK token at TGE, the token generation event. Future perks include partner airdrops, in-game privileges, exclusive whitelist spots, gated features, and early access to alpha. These benefits turn the NFTs into more than profile pictures; they are tickets to both strategy and rewards. In the thread below, you will find more info about $CHECK:

This model reflects a growing trend in blockchain gaming. According to a recent report by Messari, players are shifting toward games that reward long-term engagement instead of quick speculation. Anichess fits this mold by building a family-like culture among highly competitive players who also value collaboration.

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