6. Integrating your ERC-20 token into marketplaces
It's assumed that you have already launched your custom ERC-20 token on Immutable zkEVM or Set up your existing ERC-20 token on Immutable zkEVM.
If you're a Web3 gamer or developer, you'll most likely be familiar with the concept of marketplaces. In a marketplace, players can buy, sell, and trade unique NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens). In order to facilitate these transactions, there must be one or more fungible tokens accepted by the marketplace as currency. Common examples include ETH, USDC and on the Immutable zkEVM blockchain, IMX.
However, you may want players to be able to buy, sell and trade items related to your game with your own custom ERC-20 token. Once you have created, deployed and minted your ERC-20 token on Immutable zkEVM, this guide will take you through integrating it into marketplaces.
ERC-20 tokens and marketplaces
Immutable integrated marketplaces typically support ETH, USDC and IMX, as they are the most relevant and popular.
Marketplaces tend to prefer liquid assets with high trading volume and large market capitalization. The may hesitate to accept ERC‑20 tokens that are difficult to convert to real-world monetary value.
Why integrate your custom ERC-20 token?
Many games launch ERC-20 tokens for the following purposes:
- Fundraising: Generate revenue to complete the game.
- In-Game Economy: Serve as an in-game currency.
There are also several reasons games may then choose to integrate their ERC-20 token into marketplaces.
- Integrated economy: Using your game's token for both in-game transactions and the purchases on the marketplace creates a unified, integrated economy which is easier to navigate.
- Increased liquidity: Having multiple ways to spend your game's token can drive up its demand and usage.
- Reduced friction: Being able to use your game's token on the marketplace, your players won't need to deal with multiple currencies. This can greatly reduce friction, especially for players who are new to Web3.
- Partnerships and promotions: Making your game's token compatible with other platforms and services can boost community engagement and create marketing opportunities.
Additional considerations
However, there are a few barriers to consider:
- The value of these custom tokens is more difficult to determine, compared to major ERC-20 tokens, unless they are listed on a centralized exchange (CEX).
- Even if listed, they tend to be less liquid and more volatile, making them less appealing to marketplaces.
- Additionally, custom ERC-20 contracts, when listed on some marketplaces, become available for all collections, not just those related to the game. This can degrade the user experience, as all marketplace users will see the custom token in dropdown menus, leading to potential clutter.
How to integrate your ERC-20 token into marketplaces
Despite these challenges, some marketplaces are willing to accept custom ERC-20 tokens for listings. To get an ERC-20 token listed on an Immutable partner marketplace, follow these steps:
- Deploy your ERC-20 token to Immutable zkEVM, or bridge it from another chain. Write down the token address.
- Verify your ERC-20 token with Immutable so Immutable’s partners know it's legitimate.
- Reach out to the marketplaces below to discuss adding your ERC-20 token as an accepted trading currency for your collections.
Where to integrate your ERC-20 token
There are several marketplaces that support Immutable zkEVM assets. We recommended incorporating your ERC-20 token into at least one of the following marketplaces:
| Marketplace | Website | Contact | Accepts Custom ERC-20's | ERC-20 restricted to your collections |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Token Trove | https://tokentrove.com/ | partnerships@tokentrove.com | ✅ | ✅ |
| Sphere | https://sphere.market/immutable | Website Support | ✅ | ❌ |
| OKX | https://www.okx.com/web3 | Website Support | ✅ | ✅ |