ZKcandy Launches AI-Powered Layer-2 Mainnet for Web3 Mobile Gaming

ZKcandy Supercharges Web3 Mobile Gaming with L2 Mainnet Launch

ZKcandy, an AI-driven gaming and entertainment Layer-2 powered by ZKsync and iCandy Interactive, launches its mainnet chain today. The announcement comes after the successful testnet phase and a $4 million seed round funded by Wemix Pte. Ltd., Animoca Ventures, and renowned institutional and angel investors. With a strong backing behind it, ZKcandy aims to rethink Web3 game development. ZKcandy focuses on building immersive, interoperable gaming ecosystems where users own their assets and enjoy their unrestrained movement across different titles. ZKcandy uses the best of AI to breathe life into NPCs, create dynamic, unscripted storylines, and provide an individualized experience to each player. The platform focuses on mobile-first Web3 games, competing in a rapidly growing global mobile gaming market. During the open testnet phase, users created 2.46 million wallets on ZKcandy. Five games featured on the platform amassed 230,000 active users. This makes it one of the most well-received ZK Chains in ZKsync's Elastic Network ecosystem. To achieve this, ZKcandy collaborated with names like Layer3, Aethir, Rarible, and Out Of The Nest, onboarding 19 partners in total to grow the project's ecosystem. Immediately after the mainnet launch, gamers will have an opportunity to try eight Web3 games, including Pepe Kingdom, Candy Defense, and Sugar Rush. To bring more to the table, ZKcandy is partnering with game studios to co-develop Web3 games based on Hollywood film IPs. The first Tier-1 Hollywood IP game is already in development. ZKcandy is looking to expand to 2 million active ecosystem users in 6 months after the platform's public launch. The global mobile gaming market is one of the fastest-growing industries, with its revenue projected to reach $126.1 billion in 2025. Combining iCandy's expertise of 500+ successfully launched titles across multiple decades with low fees and account abstraction of ZKsync, ZKcandy is uniquely positioned to become a mobile-first Web3 gaming hub. ZKcandy was created in partnership with iCandy Interactive and Matter Labs. iCandy Interactive is the largest game developer in Southeast Asia and has worked on 500+ mobile games and world-class award-winning AAA titles such as The Last of Us, Spiderman, Starcraft Remastered, Gears of Wars, and a long list of others. Matter Labs is a contributor to ZKsync, a blockchain technology using zero-knowledge proofs and uniting ZK Chains into an elastic modular network. Offering frictionless interoperability, ZKsync has attracted more than $1.5B in Total Value Locked. ZKcandy is powered by ZKsync -- an Ethereum L2 ecosystem that advances the mass adoption of crypto through ZK-proof technologies. With ZKsync's tech stack, ZKcandy builds an ecosystem of interoperable games with fast transactions, negligible fees, and top-notch account abstraction features. ZKcandy is a ZK Chain in the Elastic Network, ZKsync's ecosystem of natively interoperable L2s, so it can easily communicate with other chains, ensuring unrestrained liquidity flows. Other ZK Chain operators include Xsolla, Cronos (Crypto.com), Abstract, and Sophon. To encourage ecosystem growth after the mainnet deployment, ZKcandy will be launching promotional campaigns on the Layer3 launchpad. The platform has allocated 5% of the total native token supply as a monetary stimulus for the participants. Onboarding developers will also be able to submit applications for the upcoming ZKcandy grant. About ZKcandy ZKcandy is an AI-powered Layer-2 aiming to redefine what's possible in gaming and entertainment. As a ZK Chain built on ZKsync's Elastic Network, it focuses on building immersive gaming ecosystems where players make the most of today's AI capabilities. Unscripted storylines, dynamic NPCs, and a deeply personalized experience. ZKcandy delivers mobile-first Web3 games, tapping into the fastest-growing global mobile gaming market. ZKcandy is backed by iCandy Interactive, Southeast Asia's largest game studio, with 500+ games, including 180 AAA titles, downloaded 300M+ times. The platform is powered by ZKsync technology, where simplified onboarding and negligible fees lay the ground for mass adoption. $4M+ in funding and strategic partnerships (WEMIX, Animoca Brands, Spartan Group, and others) set ZKcandy to push the boundaries in Web3 entertainment, inspired by the AI revolution. Disclaimer: Press release sponsored by our commercial partners.

ZKcandy's Web3 Gaming Ambitions Take Form With Mainnet Launch

Web3 gaming may be on the cusp of a breakthrough. ZKcandy, a new Ethereum-compatible Layer-2 (L2) built for gaming, has launched its mainnet with plans to expand Telegram-based blockchain titles. The platform, developed using zkSync's ZK-stack, follows a successful testnet phase that saw 2.46 million wallets created. ZKcandy aims to capture the growing interest in mobile Web3 games with fast onboarding and integrated incentives. ZKcandy L2 Launch The rollout follows a $4 million seed round backed by Animoca Ventures and WEMIX. As per the release, ZKcandy's mainnet will debut with eight games after a trial phase that peaked at 230,000 active users. Unlike some other gaming L2s, ZKcandy is built to integrate directly with Telegram, which played a major role in reviving interest in crypto games in 2024 through tap-to-earn titles like Hamster Kombat and Catizen. Hamster Kombat has since launched its own L2 but has yet to release new titles on it. ZKcandy's leadership has set ambitious targets: scaling to hundreds of games and reaching 2 million active users within six months. Commenting on the success of the testnet, Kin Wai Lau, CEO of ZKcandy and chairman of parent company iCandy, explained: "We'll keep building immersive games with simple onboarding, where blockchain tech adds much entertainment and no complications." He added that the team is focused on creating a developer-friendly ecosystem to attract more game builders. The platform will explore how artificial intelligence can improve non-playable characters (NPCs) by allowing them to respond more dynamically to player behavior and generate adaptive storylines. "It makes game content unique for each user based on their behavior and preferences, creates engaging storylines, and allows NPCs to have meaningful dialogues and to improvise," the team explained. According to the team, this approach could reduce production costs and enable faster iteration during game development. Incoming AAA Release? Beyond its mainnet launch, ZKcandy's upcoming releases are expected to include incentive-based mechanics, potentially tied to its native $CANDY token, though full details remain limited. On the high-end gaming front, ZKcandy's parent company, iCandy, is reportedly developing a major AAA title based on a "Tier-1 Hollywood IP." While few details are public, iCandy's previous ties to studios such as Naughty Dog and Square Enix hint at a possible crossover into mainstream gaming culture.