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#66 - Arbitrum Gaming Ventures Meets Wildcard: Dan Peng and Blake Waddington on Scaling Web3 Gaming, Blockchain Infrastructure, and Community-Led Esports
Earn up to $100 in Bitcoin on River at:
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🎙️ In this episode of The Web3 Gamer, I sit down with Dan Peng — Founding Partner of Arbitrum Gaming Ventures — and Blake Waddington — Community Lead at Wildcard — to explore how blockchain, Web3 gaming, and community-driven ecosystems are converging to shape the future of play.
As one of the builders behind Arbitrum Gaming Ventures (AGV), Dan is helping lead a $200M initiative dedicated to accelerating gaming and entertainment adoption on the Arbitrum platform. With a background spanning strategy consulting at BCG, co-founding roles in protocols like Vela, and nearly a decade in tech and SaaS, Dan brings sharp insight into how capital, infrastructure, and ecosystem design can unlock breakthrough Web3 games.
Blake joins from Wildcard, a 2v2 collectible card action game (CCAG) built by the creators of Words With Friends and Age of Empires. As Community Lead, he’s focused on growing Wildcard’s player base and bridging the gap between traditional esports audiences and blockchain-powered interactive entertainment.
In this episode, we dig into:
🔹 Dan’s Journey Into Web3 Gaming & Venture Building
From consulting to co-founding Web3 protocols and now leading Arbitrum Gaming Ventures, Dan shares how his career evolved into reshaping blockchain gaming ecosystems.
🔹 The Arbitrum Gaming Ventures Mission
We explore how AGV is connecting founders with capital, tools, and support to launch breakout Web3 projects — and why a long-term strategy matters for sustainable adoption.
🔹 Inside Wildcard: A Next-Gen Web3 Esports Game
Blake breaks down how Wildcard blends action, strategy, and community into a blockchain-powered competitive game, and how players are responding to the shift toward ownership and interactivity.
🔹 Why Community Is the Real Moat in Web3 Gaming
We discuss why community-led growth is essential for Web3 titles, and how Wildcard is experimenting with new models for engagement, fan participation, and esports culture.
🔹 Player Experience vs. Play-to-Earn Hype
Dan and Blake share perspectives on why Web3’s success depends on creating engaging, retentive gameplay — not just token incentives — and what lessons have been learned from early failures.
🔹 What’s Next for AGV and Wildcard
From ecosystem investments to Wildcard’s roadmap, we dive into what’s coming next and how both teams are building for mass adoption of blockchain gaming.
As forward-thinking leaders in the Web3 entertainment space, Dan Peng and Blake Waddington are helping pioneer a future where blockchain, esports, and community-powered economies converge to unlock entirely new categories of digital play.
📢 Tune in now to hear how Arbitrum Gaming Ventures and Wildcard are reinventing Web3 gaming with community-driven ecosystems, breakthrough gameplay, and the infrastructure to scale globally.
Links to Arbitrum's Socials:
Links to Wildcard's Socials:
Stay tuned for more episodes as we continue our deep dive into the latest trends and innovations in Web3 gaming. The future is now—let's jump in together! 🎮
Shoutout to my good friend Cheeky Face for making the intro to my podcast. Give him a like, listen and stream.
You can find more on him here:
Spotify
If you enjoyed the episode, your support means the world to us. Here’s how you can help:
- Leave a Review: Your feedback helps others discover our podcast.
- Share the Episode: Spread the word by sharing with friends, family, and on social media. Tag us—we’d love to connect with you!
- Support Us: Consider contributing on Patreon or sending BTC to help us continue bringing you this content. Every bit counts!
Patreon
BTC Wallet: bc1q5sngh2w2cjj04pm9taw4m4rkapy6zhgqy3vnj2
Mentioned in this episode:
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Not only does River offer zero-fee recurring buys and full Bitcoin custody, but they also provide 3.8% APY on cash deposits, giving you Bitcoin rewards just for holding your money with them. Plus, your cash is FDIC insured for extra peace of mind.
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âś… Your withdrawals are protected even if your account is compromised.
âś… You control your send limits or turn them off completely.
✅ There’s a 5-day delay for deactivation, giving you time to stop an attacker.
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View all episodes
By Matthew SimoneEarn up to $100 in Bitcoin on River at:
https://river.com/signup?r=X3KBKD7A
🎙️ In this episode of The Web3 Gamer, I sit down with Dan Peng — Founding Partner of Arbitrum Gaming Ventures — and Blake Waddington — Community Lead at Wildcard — to explore how blockchain, Web3 gaming, and community-driven ecosystems are converging to shape the future of play.
As one of the builders behind Arbitrum Gaming Ventures (AGV), Dan is helping lead a $200M initiative dedicated to accelerating gaming and entertainment adoption on the Arbitrum platform. With a background spanning strategy consulting at BCG, co-founding roles in protocols like Vela, and nearly a decade in tech and SaaS, Dan brings sharp insight into how capital, infrastructure, and ecosystem design can unlock breakthrough Web3 games.
Blake joins from Wildcard, a 2v2 collectible card action game (CCAG) built by the creators of Words With Friends and Age of Empires. As Community Lead, he’s focused on growing Wildcard’s player base and bridging the gap between traditional esports audiences and blockchain-powered interactive entertainment.
In this episode, we dig into:
🔹 Dan’s Journey Into Web3 Gaming & Venture Building
From consulting to co-founding Web3 protocols and now leading Arbitrum Gaming Ventures, Dan shares how his career evolved into reshaping blockchain gaming ecosystems.
🔹 The Arbitrum Gaming Ventures Mission
We explore how AGV is connecting founders with capital, tools, and support to launch breakout Web3 projects — and why a long-term strategy matters for sustainable adoption.
🔹 Inside Wildcard: A Next-Gen Web3 Esports Game
Blake breaks down how Wildcard blends action, strategy, and community into a blockchain-powered competitive game, and how players are responding to the shift toward ownership and interactivity.
🔹 Why Community Is the Real Moat in Web3 Gaming
We discuss why community-led growth is essential for Web3 titles, and how Wildcard is experimenting with new models for engagement, fan participation, and esports culture.
🔹 Player Experience vs. Play-to-Earn Hype
Dan and Blake share perspectives on why Web3’s success depends on creating engaging, retentive gameplay — not just token incentives — and what lessons have been learned from early failures.
🔹 What’s Next for AGV and Wildcard
From ecosystem investments to Wildcard’s roadmap, we dive into what’s coming next and how both teams are building for mass adoption of blockchain gaming.
As forward-thinking leaders in the Web3 entertainment space, Dan Peng and Blake Waddington are helping pioneer a future where blockchain, esports, and community-powered economies converge to unlock entirely new categories of digital play.
📢 Tune in now to hear how Arbitrum Gaming Ventures and Wildcard are reinventing Web3 gaming with community-driven ecosystems, breakthrough gameplay, and the infrastructure to scale globally.
Links to Arbitrum's Socials:
Links to Wildcard's Socials:
Stay tuned for more episodes as we continue our deep dive into the latest trends and innovations in Web3 gaming. The future is now—let's jump in together! 🎮
Shoutout to my good friend Cheeky Face for making the intro to my podcast. Give him a like, listen and stream.
You can find more on him here:
Spotify
If you enjoyed the episode, your support means the world to us. Here’s how you can help:
- Leave a Review: Your feedback helps others discover our podcast.
- Share the Episode: Spread the word by sharing with friends, family, and on social media. Tag us—we’d love to connect with you!
- Support Us: Consider contributing on Patreon or sending BTC to help us continue bringing you this content. Every bit counts!
Patreon
BTC Wallet: bc1q5sngh2w2cjj04pm9taw4m4rkapy6zhgqy3vnj2
Mentioned in this episode:
Free Bitcoin with River
If you’re buying Bitcoin, you need a platform that’s secure, reliable, and built for Bitcoiners—and that’s exactly what River delivers.
Not only does River offer zero-fee recurring buys and full Bitcoin custody, but they also provide 3.8% APY on cash deposits, giving you Bitcoin rewards just for holding your money with them. Plus, your cash is FDIC insured for extra peace of mind.
But here’s the best part—River has ForceField, their next-level security feature designed to stop hackers, scammers, and cyberattacks before they can touch your Bitcoin. With ForceField active:
âś… Your withdrawals are protected even if your account is compromised.
âś… You control your send limits or turn them off completely.
✅ There’s a 5-day delay for deactivation, giving you time to stop an attacker.
And don’t worry—you can still stack, deposit cash, and auto-withdraw to self-custody without interruption.
If you’re serious about securing your Bitcoin and earning 3.8% APY on cash, sign up with my referral link [insert link] and start stacking with confidence today.
https://river.com/signup?r=X3KBKD7A