Crypto Startup Keyp Puts Game Boy Wallet Project on Hold
After just six months, the Game Boy crypto wallet project has been put on hold, project founder Joseph Schiarizzi confirmed to Decrypt on Wednesday. Crypto startup Keyp’s “Game Wallet”—which planned to gamify the crypto hardware wallet experience and allow users to store their Bitcoin and Ethereum on a retro, real Game Boy—is no longer in active development. In an email to supporters, the company said it has pivoted to a new stablecoin project, dubbed Open Dollar, instead.
Project Not Cancelled, but Indefinitely on Hold
When asked if the startup has canceled the project, Schiarizzi told Decrypt that the Game Boy project isn’t being “shut down,” but is “indefinitely on hold.” “We’re 100% focused on Open Dollar now, but I’m hopeful I’ll come back to Game Wallet at some point,” the founder added.
Reason for the Pause
In an email to Game Wallet updates subscribers, the company offered a reason for pressing pause for an undetermined amount of time. “Given the current market conditions, we have made the tough decision to pause development on Game Wallet to focus our efforts on a new, exciting project—Open Dollar,” the project’s team wrote.
Consolation for Subscribers
As a consolation, Keyp is offering its email subscribers access to Open Dollar’s beta. Gamers and crypto fans alike will now have to wait much longer for their Game Boy wallet dreams to come true—and hope that the team will revisit the project in the future.
Hot Take
While the Game Wallet project is currently on hold, Keyp’s shift to Open Dollar demonstrates the company’s ability to adapt to market conditions and focus on new opportunities in the evolving DeFi space. Although disappointing for Game Boy enthusiasts, the potential for a future revisit of the project offers hope for a retro-gaming crypto experience in the future.