# Onchain TCG Gold Rush *Author: Bankless* *Published: Jul 26, 2025* *Source: https://www.bankless.com/read/onchain-tcg-gold-rush* --- [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e4/b7/e4b77544-5a37-4f0b-8824-8440aa348476/content/images/2025/06/image---2025-06-27T133530.679.png)](https://www.bankless.com/sponsor/uniswap-extension-1719068020?ref=read/bringing-tcgs-onchain&email=true) Onchain TCG Gold Rush Published on July 26, 2025 [ View in Browser ](https://www.bankless.com/metaversal) --- [**Sponsor: Unichain**](https://www.bankless.com/sponsor/uniswap-extension-1719068020?ref=read/bringing-tcgs-onchain&email=true) — Faster swaps. Lower fees. Deeper liquidity. Explore Unichain on web and wallet. [Swap Today](https://www.bankless.com/sponsor/uniswap-extension-1719068020?ref=read/bringing-tcgs-onchain&email=true) .  .  . CULTURE ROUNDUP Onchain TCG Gold Rush [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e4/b7/e4b77544-5a37-4f0b-8824-8440aa348476/content/images/2025/07/image-40.png)](https://www.bankless.com/read/bringing-tcgs-onchain) ## 1️⃣ Courtyard Raises $30M as Onchain Trading Cards Boom Courtyard, the trading card platform turning collectibles into NFTs, announced a $30M Series A round this week led by Forerunner Ventures, with prominent “Web2” VCs like NEA and Y Combinator joining in, among others. The raise comes during a breakout stretch for onchain trading card packs — especially Pokémon cards (which some call “RWAs”) on Solana — which have generated [$6.4M+ in revenue](https://x.com/zkayAPE/status/1948037543297241592) and over $95M in total volume so far. According to a [Dune dashboard by @zkayape](https://dune.com/zkayape/pokemontcgsol), a platform called Collector Crypt leads the way with $1.2M/month in revenue mostly driven by “gacha” mechanics (randomized rewards), while newer names like TCG Emporium and Phygitals are already pulling six figures in volume. One pack even revealed a $11.3K Mario Pikachu card. With tokenized TCGs gaining clear PMF — solving fraud, fees, and logistics — Courtyard's new funding is likely to bring more heat to this growing sector of alternative investments. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e4/b7/e4b77544-5a37-4f0b-8824-8440aa348476/content/images/2025/07/image-34.png)](https://x.com/Courtyard_io/status/1948410522426282286) ## 2️⃣ Google Cloud Adds Self ZK-ID for Web3 & AI ZKPs are increasingly bridging to the real world, with Google Cloud, this week, announcing an integration with Self Protocol — the zero-knowledge proof-of-humanity project that doesn’t rely on biometric hardware. Self will be embedded in Google Cloud’s AI search tools and used for sybil resistance in their testnet faucet, with a mainnet version to follow that includes OFAC-screened access. The system supports biometric passports from 129 countries and national IDs from 35, with attestations issued on Celo — where Google Cloud has been running validators since 2018. This move brings more privacy-preserving identity to the Web3 stack, just as demand for AI-aligned sybil resistance (prevention of bot overruns) continues to grow. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e4/b7/e4b77544-5a37-4f0b-8824-8440aa348476/content/images/2025/07/image-35.png)](https://x.com/SelfProtocol/status/1948005278554702005) ## 3️⃣ StarkWare Buys Into Daydreams StarkWare confirmed this week that they’ve purchased $DREAMS, the token of autonomous agents platform Daydreams, directly from the project’s foundation in an OTC deal. Beyond the buy, they also doubled the STRK/DREAMS liquidity on Starknet via Ekubo pools — a notable move as Daydreams continues expanding. My colleague William Peaster has written extensively about Daydreams, which he sees as a [new blueprint for how AI](https://www.bankless.com/read/eliza-daydreams-onchain-gaming) can operate onchain. The platform’s agents have extensive functionality, ranging from content creation to gaming and even market analysis. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e4/b7/e4b77544-5a37-4f0b-8824-8440aa348476/content/images/2025/07/image-36.png)](https://x.com/daydreamsagents/status/1947747931609874541) ## 4️⃣ Ether Rock Sells for $300K One of crypto’s oldest NFT memes — Ether Rock #59 — sold this week for 82.4 ETH (~$300K), flipping for more than 2x what it went for in a loan default back in April. Launched in 2017 and famous for being simply images of clipart rocks, the Ether Rocks grew to become quite the “high-status” asset in the 2021 NFT mania. NFTs overall have seen tremendous (relative) momentum recently alongside ETH’s repricing, with [CryptoPunks being bought up](https://x.com/lokithebird/status/1948634388742504502) alongside other blue chips of last cycle.  If NFTs are really back, don’t be surprised to see more fossil-era JPEGs coming out of hibernation. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e4/b7/e4b77544-5a37-4f0b-8824-8440aa348476/content/images/2025/07/image-38.png)](https://x.com/EtherRock/status/1948389192993558877) ## 5️⃣ Farcaster Adds Collectibles to Casts Farcaster rolled out a new feature this week that lets users turn any cast into a 1/1 NFT via 24-hour auctions settled in USDC, starting at $1.  Built on Base, early mints are already flowing as, *well*, collectibles and “cast-as-art” drops. The idea is to give creators a way to earn from the jump, without needing a massive following. There are already a series of experiments being jumpstarted around these, from tokenized versions to  Overall, Farcaster’s pushing hard to become the go-to place for crypto-native creators. Let’s see if the cast auctions catch fire. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e4/b7/e4b77544-5a37-4f0b-8824-8440aa348476/content/images/2025/07/image-39.png)](https://x.com/farcaster_xyz/status/1947701984150397126)[Bookmark on Bankless](https://www.bankless.com/read/bringing-tcgs-onchain) --- --- *This article is brought to you by [MetaMask](https://www.bankless.com/sponsor/metamask-1776260643?ref=read/onchain-tcg-gold-rush)*