The Emergence of Value in 'Digital Gems' Post-Launch
What's Brilliantcrypto
Brilliantcrypto is a blockchain game where users become miners, digging through mines to collect gems and tokens. Launched in June 2024, it introduces a new concept called 'Proof of Gaming'. Its proprietary token, BRIL, has been a topic of discussion as the world's first IEO by a subsidiary of a listed company.
── 'Brilliantcrypto' is about to celebrate its first anniversary since its launch. Could you share your experiences and the challenges that have emerged?
Koji Baba: It's almost a year since the project started, and my honest feeling is that we've somehow managed to come this far. It was probably the first attempt in the world for a subsidiary of a listed company to conduct an IEO and list tokens on a cryptocurrency exchange. The user base is completely different from the usual apps and games we develop, so everything was brand new.
For example, we started building a community on Discord a year before the game's release, which was a first attempt to foster relationships with users.
What became clear after the release is that digital gems have surprisingly established a solid value. As of April 21, nearly 90 million digital gems are in circulation. This number would be quickly reached with normal game items because they come with utilities like character strength or cool avatars.
However, digital gems currently have no utility effects and cannot be worn. Yet, the fact that these digital gems have already seen significant C to C trading volumes is quite remarkable.
As for the game itself, the number of mined-out mines has increased to about 350,000. Each mine takes about 12 to 13 hours to dig through, so the current number of mines shows that many people have spent time playing over the past year.
Of course, compared to other app games we offer, it's still on a smaller scale, but the game of digging out digital gems by oneself, storing them, pricing, and selling them was unprecedented, and achieving this in one year was quite an accomplishment.
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MAGAZINE
Iolite Vol.18
March 2026 issueReleased on 2026/01/30
Interview: Iolite FACE vol.18 Takeshi Chino, Representative Director, Binance Japan
PHOTO & INTERVIEW: Mai Shin
Special Features:
“Future Money — The Current State of Value Transfer”
“Upcoming Amendments to Japan’s Crypto Asset Regulations”
“The Reality of IEOs”
Crypto Journey
Beyond a Treasury Company: Becoming an Ethereum Evangelist —
The Essence and Determination Behind HODL1’s Digital Asset Treasury (DAT) Strategy
Interview with Hiroki Tahara, Representative Director, Kusim Inc. (now HODL1)
Series: “Expert Perspectives on Interpreting Volatile Crypto Markets” — Kasou NISHI
Series
Tech and Future — Toshinao Sasaki
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