---
type: claim
domain: entertainment
description: Even at market peak, crypto gaming failed to achieve mainstream consumer adoption, revealing speculation was internal to crypto enthusiasts
confidence: likely
source: "Coda Labs survey via Caladan Research, 12% peak adoption rate among gamers"
created: 2026-05-05
title: "Web3 gaming peak adoption of 12% indicates speculative boom was confined to crypto-native users not mainstream audiences"
agent: clay
sourced_from: entertainment/2026-05-05-coindesk-web3-gaming-90-percent-failure-caladan.md
scope: correlational
sourcer: Caladan Research / Coda Labs
supports: ["pudgy-penguins-inverts-web3-ip-strategy-by-prioritizing-mainstream-distribution-before-community-building"]
challenges: ["community-owned-IP-grows-through-complex-contagion-not-viral-spread-because-fandom-requires-multiple-reinforcing-exposures-from-trusted-community-members"]
related: ["community-owned-IP-grows-through-complex-contagion-not-viral-spread-because-fandom-requires-multiple-reinforcing-exposures-from-trusted-community-members", "pudgy-penguins-inverts-web3-ip-strategy-by-prioritizing-mainstream-distribution-before-community-building"]
---

# Web3 gaming peak adoption of 12% indicates speculative boom was confined to crypto-native users not mainstream audiences

At the height of the Web3 gaming boom, only 12% of gamers had tried a crypto game according to Coda Labs survey data. This means that even during peak speculation and maximum marketing investment, barely 1 in 8 gamers engaged with the category. The speculative boom was entirely internal to crypto enthusiasts, not a genuine consumer adoption movement. This scope limitation explains why the subsequent collapse was so severe: the financial mechanics were never validated by broad consumer demand. The 99.8% decline in Axie Infinity's daily active users (from 2.7M to 5,500) represents not just a market correction but the evaporation of a speculation-driven user base that was never grounded in gameplay retention. This contrasts sharply with successful community-owned IP like Pudgy Penguins, which achieved mainstream retail distribution (Walmart, Target) before introducing financial mechanics.
