Beyond AceTCG

The next chapter of the physical crypto card game

tl;dr After two years of bringing crypto lore to life through physical trading cards, I'm launching the first complete "Alpha" NFT collection. These 192 cards represent moments of connection, play, and shared optimism about our onchain future. AceTCG is now open source, and this drop will directly support me as I bootstrap the next chapter of development.

You can buy packs here or read on for the full story!

Not your average crypto game

Crypto is notorious for over-hyped projects that vanish overnight. Ace took a different path, putting physical cards directly into players’ hands. But the story begins much earlier . . .

The Spark

Growing up in the woods of New Hampshire, my brother and I were homeschooled kids who spent our days crafting stories and inventing games. That creative foundation led me to become a Spider-Man character artist at Sony and later a Creative Director at Gitcoin, where my NFTs helped raise over $500k for public goods.

The story of AceTCG began in the depths of the 2023 bear market. While finishing the Infinite Garden Coloring Book with Kevin Owocki, my friend Harry suggested turning my crypto lore into physical cards. The response was electric – I'll never forget people at ETHDenver grabbing me by the shoulders, eyes wide, saying "I NEED MORE OF THESE CARDS!"

Building in the Wild

What followed was an epic journey:

• Secured a Gitcoin GCP grant and recruited my game-designer brother

• Lived cheap in my parents' basement and built a treadmill desk (where I logged countless miles while designing cards)

• Launched "Cake Edition" on my birthday for initial playtesting with friends and family

• Tapped into my savings to print the Alpha Edition cards for Devconnect Istanbul – the cards popped off and sold out

• Lived off-grid in the California desert at Mars College, continuing to develop through dust storms and floods

• Partnered with De University of Ethereum to develop and launch Alpha II at EDCON Tokyo

• Open sourced AceTCG and created the Alpha Library

“Anyone into TCG’s in crypto needs to play — Very fun, incredible art, fantastic memes”—David Hoffman, Co-Owner @Bankless

Why Mythology Matters

At crypto events worldwide, I've witnessed something magical: People gathering around these cards, forgetting about price charts and work talk, instead sharing moments of pure play and connection. The art draws them in, and the story and play keeps them coming back.

“I’ve been telling people for years to make a game like this.”—Juan Benet, Founder @Protocol Labs, IPFS, Filecoin

While the game explores deep themes in crypto and tech, its heart is in creating spaces for play and human connection. In an age of AI and rapid technological change, we need stories that inspire optimism and remind us of our playful spirit.

The Path Forward

Recently, we open sourced the entire game. The magic of web3 lies in its ability to enable new forms of coordination and creativity and I've met countless brilliant builders and artists, some of whom are already building upon the AceTCG foundation in ways I never imagined.

Seeds are sown,
For all to tend.
An infinite garden,
Where dreams ascend.

The creative chilling effect of exclusive IP could fill its own post, but for now, let me say this: I am deeply committed to exploring permissive licenses that empower others to build on this universe. More to come . . .

“My son and I loved the game :)”—Justin Drake, Researcher @Ethereum

Beyond AceTCG

When I started this journey, I made a conscious choice to prioritize building something meaningful over chasing profit – even if that meant working from my parents' basement to make it happen.

The library is designed to be something like a hitchhiker's guide to the metaverse, connecting these cards to the real-world subjects that inspired them. It's part of a larger mission to create something with genuine soul, something that contributes to human flourishing, and inspires others to build on the lore.

Whether you're a collector supporting through pack purchases, a builder creating new experiences with these cards, or a creative taking this vision in beautiful new directions – I hope you'll join me on this journey.

Want some cards? A few notes on the drop:

• The top collector will get a physical set of Alpha II cards shipped to them (sorry, all other physical decks are sold out!)

• Five random winners will get 1/1 Special Edition NFTs

• Sales will be split with other AceTCG artists based on their number of card designs

Get your cards here!

Gratitude

This journey wouldn't be possible without an incredible community of supporters: Kinley Orr, Serg Lotz, Kyle Weiss, Lane K Holiday, Harry, Janine Ledger, Aidan Saunders, Ethan Loewald, Mom <3, Juan Benet, Emery Grearson, Elliott Bayev, McKennedy, Cy Li, Edge City, Zuzalu, and so, so many more!