Improved tokenomics and prepared for the TGE: Banksters story
What we are building
Banksters is an ed-tech product, a gamified trading simulator that helps users get into the crypto trading space without risking their capital. We’ve been building Banksters for more than a year, and at the moment we’re in the beta testing phase, preparing for the token listing and sale.
Who we are
We have an international team of six individuals, all with an extensive background in fin-tech. Our CEO has a successful track record of launching multiple crypto projects, the CTO has expertise in launching infrastructures for crypto exchange platforms, and the CPO, who has previous experience in product operation, marketing, and analytics within a big gaming company, helped us develop and launch the economy and mechanics for the game.
Why we joined HUMANS
We were facing a challenge with the low registration rate as one of our key concerns. We had certain KPIs set with partnering launchpads, so we needed to boost the community activity and increase players registrations, as this number was low. What’s more, as we’re preparing for an investment round, we also recognized the need for assistance with tokenomics.
Before joining HUMANS, we had some intro calls with other accelerators but they were not our cup of tea: I could feel that they’re treating us as a part of their marketing funnel. The process was automated and there was no “soul" in communication. But when our CEO discovered HUMANS and we hopped on a call to get to know each other, it felt like we were treated as humans. So we decided to give it a go.
Kosta Seliuminau, COO & cofounder of Banksters
What we gained
On our way to the token release, we faced various uncertainties, especially regarding marketing strategies, tokenomics and other crucial aspects.
Fortunately, through our collaboration with HUMANS, we were introduced to a group of experienced advisors who provided valuable insights and guidance.
- Tokenomics Review & Advisory
Stefan Piech, Macro Researcher at Binance helped us with the product's tokenomics. We now have a document, where he provided us with a tokenomics review, offering suggestions on how to improve in-game tokens. Additionally, he thoroughly assessed each aspect of the token's utility and proposed various tier systems for our token, $BARS.
Stefan also reviewed our pre-launch and post-launch activities, and gave us recommendations for Airdrops and NFT drops.
- User Acquisition Advisory
The primary problem we came up with was our low registration numbers and DAU (up to 200~400 users depending on the day). But the launchpads we collaborate with had set specific KPIs for us: a total of 100,000 community members across all platforms and 1,000 active players per day.
In HUMANS we approached Masha Vyazemskaya, Head of Marketing and Communications at Rarible, to get a “recipe” that would help address this challenge.
One of the forms of help we received was when Masha reviewed our website and social media networks and provided us with a structured framework to attract new users. According to her, we should shift our messaging focus away from just the product and instead target specific groups of users and their needs. She advised us to segment the community into different verticals and develop tailored marketing materials for each segment. This could involve creating distinct landing pages for particular audience groups or directing our marketing efforts toward a specific user group for one month and then switching to another group the following month.
- Community Engagement Assistance
Our community has grown significantly and shows good activity in terms of click-through actions. However, we've noticed that some members of the community have become less engaged, remaining in what we call "sleepy mode." They’ve stayed with us but haven't been actively playing the game or participating in our weekly activities.
Masha provided us with various potential options for marketing activities that would enhance community engagement and foster emotional connections with our product. Additionally, she consulted us on how to improve our newsletter so it could also increase conversions effectively.
- Enhanced Knowledge on the GameFi industry
What’s more, personally I also find the weekly workshops offered by HUMANS very helpful. While my workload sometimes prevents me from attending all of them (I’m trying to build a product, you know), I genuinely appreciate that these activities are tailored to address the needs and requests of founders within the community. You always know that any of your questions will be answered in one of these sessions.
For instance, there was a workshop hosted by Jordan Blackman, Game Designer & Director at Bright Black, who launched multiple games. It was super beneficial for us, as we delved deeper into understanding game cycles and gained a fresh perspective on our own product.
In general, it feels like you can find unwavering support from HUMANS at any stage of the product's roadmap. And so it was: I used to approach Fedor, co-founder & CMO at HUMANS, with countless questions and he consistently provided me with prompt and helpful answers.
