The most famous example is Axie Infinity. In order to play, prospective gamers have to buy or rent an Axie from an existing player. The game economy works because new players buy Axies from old players in hopes of reselling those Axies to newer players who join after them. 

Many people are rightly skeptical about the play-to-earn model in gaming.The most important question that will determine the destiny of the industry is this: can more money flow out of a game than what was put in?

Games where earning is at the core are also inheriting a difficult sustainability problem. It’s impossible to create an economy that constantly grows. Axie earnings have already started to decline, which will soon make the game undesirable for their current player base who are primarily playing to earn. If new entrants cannot win and turn a profit,... See more