Ever heard of STEPN? It’s not your typical fitness app. Think of it as a blend of running, gaming, and crypto all in one. The idea is simple: stay active, and you’ll earn GST (Green Satoshi Token), a cryptocurrency you can actually cash out for real money. Sound too good to be true? Well, there's more to it. While the concept is pretty straightforward, how you maximize those earnings requires strategy. In this guide, I’ll take you through everything you need to know about STEPN, from the basics to advanced strategies that can help you get the most out of your sneakers and energy.
STEPN is a Web3 lifestyle app that rewards users for walking, jogging, or running. Built on the Solana blockchain, it incorporates both GameFi and SocialFi elements, allowing users to earn cryptocurrency while keeping fit. But it’s not just about exercise. The app also promotes carbon offsetting and includes user-generated Web3 content through its SocialFi features.
But here’s the kicker—what makes STEPN stand out from regular fitness apps is its move-to-earn model. With the help of NFT sneakers, you can earn crypto for staying active. So, instead of just tracking your steps for a virtual badge or pat on the back, you're rewarded with actual tokens that have value.
In STEPN, users "wear" digital sneakers, represented as NFTs, and earn GST for walking, jogging, or running. You can use GST to level up your sneakers or mint new ones. But before diving into advanced strategies, let’s get the basics down.
You can buy sneakers from the STEPN marketplace or through marketplaces like Magic Eden. The price of sneakers depends on factors like sneaker type and attributes, with current floor prices hovering around 1.5 SOL.
In STEPN, picking the right sneaker type is essential. Your sneaker determines how much GST you can earn based on your activity level. There are four types of sneakers:
Pro Tip: If you're like me and regularly run 3-8 miles per week at a steady pace, the Jogger is the ideal sneaker. But if you like to vary your speed or do interval training, the Trainer is a versatile option.
Now that you’ve got the basics down, let’s talk about how to maximize your earnings in STEPN. This is where the game gets interesting. Your ability to earn depends on your sneaker's attributes, Energy, and strategy.
Energy is the most critical factor in how much you can earn. It determines how long you can earn GST each day. Here’s how Energy works:
I currently have 3 sneakers (Jogger, Runner, and Trainer), which gives me 4 Energy per day. That translates to 20 minutes of active earning time. Want to earn more? Consider investing in additional sneakers to increase your Energy pool.
Pro Tip: Plan your workouts around Energy restore times. Energy replenishes at 25% every 6 hours, so you can spread out your activity sessions to maximize your GST earnings across the day.
Efficiency is one of the most important attributes of your sneaker because it directly impacts how much GST you earn per Energy spent. The higher your Efficiency, the more tokens you rake in.
When I first started with STEPN, I focused on leveling up my sneakers’ Efficiency to maximize my earnings. You can do this by:
Pro Tip: Prioritize Efficiency early on to quickly accumulate GST, which you can use to repair your sneakers, level up, or mint new ones.
Just like real-life sneakers, your NFT sneakers in STEPN wear down over time. Durability decreases as you use your sneakers, and once it drops below 50, your GST earnings take a hit. At 0 Durability, your sneakers stop earning entirely until repaired.
Here’s how Durability affects your earnings:
Pro Tip: Balance your points between Efficiency (to maximize earnings) and Resilience (to reduce repair costs and slow Durability decay). This ensures you're not spending too much on repairs and still earning optimal GST.
Minting Scrolls allow you to mint new sneakers, a key feature if you want to scale your STEPN experience. To mint a new sneaker, you’ll need:
You can use Minting Scrolls to grow your sneaker collection and increase your Energy, which ultimately allows you to earn more GST. However, minting comes at a cost, so plan your moves carefully.
Once you start earning consistently, leveling up your sneakers will unlock new features like:
Pro Tip: Invest in Efficiency first, then add points to Resilience to reduce repair costs. If you’re targeting Mystery Boxes, throw some points into Luck as well.
STEPN isn’t just about casual walking or running. The app also offers different modes that can keep things fresh and potentially increase your earnings:
Pro Tip: Marathon Mode is a great way to test your endurance while earning rewards. Register for marathons to add variety and increase your earning potential.
While STEPN is an exciting way to earn while staying fit, it’s not without risks. GST and GMT are volatile tokens, meaning their value can fluctuate significantly. For example, GST was once valued at $8.51, but now sits at around $0.02.
Before diving in, keep in mind:
STEPN is more than just a fitness app—it's an ecosystem where fitness meets finance. With the right strategy, you can maximize your earnings, but it requires careful planning, investment, and an understanding of how the app’s mechanics work. Whether you're casually jogging or seriously minting new sneakers, there's a lot of potential here.
That being said, the app’s long-term viability depends on the token economy and user growth. With new features like marathons and background mode, STEPN has the potential to keep users engaged and earning.
If you’re looking to stay fit, earn crypto, and explore the world of Web3, STEPN is worth checking out. Just be sure to manage your risks and plan. Message me if you need an activation code.
Ever heard of Disney Pinnacle? It's the latest app for Disney fans, but instead of a physical collectible, it takes the famous Disney pin-trading experience and takes it online...with a few caveats.
The app was created by Dapper Labs, which you might know if you've followed NFTs before. They are known for creating user-friendly NFT marketplaces like Doodles 2 and most famously NBA Top Shot.
They've teamed up with Disney this time, which on paper, which should bring us something truly magical (right?). Does it though?
Let's see what happens when Disney Pin Trading meets the world of NFTs.
Not familiar with NFTs or even Disney Pin Trading? Let me catch you up.
NFTs are essentially digital collectibles that have been verified as authentic through a technology called the blockchain. Let's go back to the aforementioned NBA Top Shot. This revolutionized the trading card industry by putting them on internet.
Now imagine NBA Top Shot, but instead of trading cards, you're swapping iconic Disney pins. Don't know about Disney pins? It's one of the most timeless and thriving collector ecosystems out there actually. They're a BIG deal! Just hop on eBay and you'll see what I mean. Or better yet, take a trip to a Disney park and check out the serious collectors with their binders full of pins. There are walls and entire stores at Disneyland dedicated to Pin Trading and people wear them around the park on lanyards and backpacks.
Now, I don't know about you, but I grew up being a Disney fan, and collecting pins was a big part of that. I remember decking out my lanyard with pins from Disney California Adventure specifically. Some of my first eBay purchases were Disney pins - good times!
So, why am I telling you all this? Well, because Disney Pinnacle isn't just about trading digital pins. It's about recapturing that feeling of excitement and wonder that comes with collecting something special. It's about bringing the magic of Disney right to your fingertips, wherever you are.
It has always made a lot of sense to bring Disney pins onto the blockchain. Counterfeit pins is actually a big issue, so by using Dapper Labs as a partner, they can make them authentic and immutable. Already, they've solved one BIG issue of pin trading!
For that reason, I was initially really excited about Disney Pinnacle's release. However, the question remains to be seen, does the app recreate any of the magic?
I got early access to Disney Pinnacle as I signed up for the alerts when the app was announced in November of 2023.
I gave my email and was instructed to sign up for an official invite link in their Discord. I joined the Dapper Labs Discord, found the Disney Pinnacle channel, and entered my email again.
From there, I was told to download the official Disney Pinnacle app in the Apple App Store (it's available on Android devices now too) and connect my Dapper Labs account to it.
From there, I was in the app and ready to start collecting pins!
Unfortunately, as constituted, it's rather a barebones app. There are 4 sections:
You can't currently trade on it, which is a big issue. However, as with Top Shot, I'm sure that the reseller marketplace will launch after they've established a base of users.
That dedicated base of users remains to be seen though.
Right now, some of the premium pin drops are not selling out. This does not bode well for the long term sustainability of the app. There needs to be a "market" if they ever hope of having a thriving marketplace.
Much like in traditional pin trading, there is a starter pack that will get you going. With it, you'll have a base of the famous Mickey Friends...Pluto, Daisy, Minnie and Goofy...for $5.95.
To get Donald and Mickey, you will have to keep an eye on the Revolving Storefront (more on that in a bit).
Once you have your starters, you might want to start getting new pins to add to your collection. Luckily, there are always pins for sales and two ways to buy a pin currently in the Disney Pinnacle app.
First, there is a rotating set of individual pins that are constantly for sale, called the Revolving Storefront. For example, you can buy a Mickey pin for $5.95, an open edition pin for $6.95, and a gold for $13.95.
If you're feeling lucky though, you can buy a capsule. Inside the capsule is a random pin from a certain collection called Mystery Capsules. For $6.95 you get a pin that could be a wide variety of options. It even be a rare gold pin, but you pay the same price as you would for a standard pin.
Mystery Capsules and the Rotating Storefront are from current "Collections". A collection is a set of pins from a certain movie, series or type of pin. For example, there is an Alice in Wonderland collection, a Rogue One collection, and a Villains collection respectively.
There are limited runs of "collections" in the Pinnacle app. The length of the run varies by the type. So far, there are always at least 2 ongoing collections on sale. Strike quick though, once they're done selling they're gone forever! You will only be able to buy them through resale moving forward.
Collections typically run for a month, unless it's a Premium Collection. Premium collections run you $49.95 for one pin and are only available for 1 week only.
While the price is high, the limited run might make them more of a collector's item down the road. I bought a Disney Up premium pin, for example. You can learn more about that experience here.
From what I can tell, there are 5 types of pins in Disney Pinnacle so far:
Despite the underwhelming app and the floundering market so far, there's some cool stuff brewing here.
Disney Pinnacle could totally shake things up with real-world redemption stations at their theme parks or other innovations like that. It's like when you can only get that special Star Wars pin from a specific spot in Downtown Disney. How cool would it be to swap pins right there in the park?
Much like how NBA Top Shot added Challenges, there could be some sort of gamification to the app too. It's all about adding that extra layer of fun and excitement.
Now, I know that Disney could very well kill this app tomorrow. If it's not selling, it's not selling. However, if it lasts, there's a good chance it'll be a good long term play. Disney collectibles might not be the hottest topic right now, but trust me, they've got staying power. Think of them as the classics of the collector's world...the "blue chips" if you will.
Sure, Disney might be going through some changes, but that's no reason to count them out yet. If anything, their venture into NFTs could be a game-changer for the brand. And hey, why wouldn't you want some of the first official Disney NFTs, if you truly believe in NFTs?
So, keep your eyes peeled and your pin collection ready. The magic of Disney Pinnacle is just getting started, and you won't want to miss out on the fun!