Pearls in the Marketplace
Using Pearls in the Marketplace
With the latest update to the Nifty Island marketplace, you can now buy items using Pearls, without needing a crypto wallet or any blockchain knowledge. This upgrade makes it easier than ever for new players to participate in the creator economy of Nifty Island.
Why Pearls?
Pearls make purchasing simple. No crypto, no wallet, no friction. More ease of use means more players interested in assets they’d normally never be exposed to.
This system was built to welcome players who are new to web3 or even completely unaware of it. If you’re just here to have fun, play, and collect, you don’t need to worry about blockchain. But if you ever want to go deeper, the door to true ownership is still open. Purchases are still backed by NFTs on the blockchain and can be transferred between wallets any time. Secondary purchases are still available through crypto.
This change also benefits ISLAND token. A significant percentage of all Pearl sales are used to buyback ISLAND. More marketplace driven Pearl sales means more demand for ISLAND.
Pearl Listings vs. Crypto Listings
Marketplace listings now fall into two categories:
Purchased with Pearls
Primary Sales: These include first-party Nifty Island items (like Palms and Pistols), quest rewards, and new user-created assets.
Items are listed in Pearls by default.
They’re accessible to any player, no crypto connection required.
Purchased with Crypto
Secondary Sales: These are already-minted NFTs being sold by players.
These remain listed in other currencies, such as ETH or ISLAND, and require a connected crypto wallet.
If you’re a creator, this update lets your work reach more players, especially those new to crypto. More eyes means more sales.
Earning from Sales
When you sell an item through a primary sale (i.e., the first time it’s bought from you using Pearls), you’ll receive Pearls in a special balance called your Pearl Rewards.
The Pearls you earn from selling items are eligible to be converted to ISLAND or spent in-game.
Pearl Balances
You now have two separate balances:
Spendable Pearls: These can be used immediately to purchase items and boosts in-game.
Pearl Rewards: These are Pearls you’ve earned from sales. They become available for cash out into ISLAND, or transfer into your Spendable Pearls balance, after a vesting period.
Your completed and pending sales can be seen in Your Pearl Transactions.
Converting Pearls to ISLAND
Creators who earn Pearls can redeem them for ISLAND.
The conversion rate is based on the valuation Pearls against the current market value of ISLAND
Only Pearls from your Pearl Rewards can be converted
There is a minimum threshold of 1000 Pearls you must reach before redeeming
A 50% fee is applied to account for marketplace discounts and to support the game
Marketplace discounts include:
Purchasing Pearls directly with ISLAND
Having a staked ISLAND balance
Buying larger bundles for a bulk discount
Intermittent sales on Pearl bundles
This gives creators a pathway to turn in-game sales to non-crypto natives into real value.
Creator Leaderboard
To celebrate top creators, Nifty Island will run a Pearl Sales Leaderboard. If your creations are among the most-purchased in Pearls during a given period, you’ll earn bonus ISLAND.
Each period, a reward pool of ISLAND is distributed to the top sellers based on the total Pearls spent on their creations. Reward schedules will be announced ahead of time.
What About Minting?
Even if you buy something with Pearls, it’s still an NFT under the hood.
Asset are minted on the blockchain the moment they’re purchased.
A wallet is automatically created for new users during account setup (thanks Privy).
You can change your primary wallet at any time in your settings.
That means there’s a clear upgrade path from playing with no blockchain knowledge to becoming a full web3 user with real ownership of your assets.
The Big Picture
This Pearl-based marketplace is designed to:
Reduce friction for new users
Increase sales volume for creators
Expand the Nifty Island economy to an entirely new class of player on Steam and other web2 platforms.
It’s a win-win. Players get convenience. Creators get a larger audience.
Keep creating and building. Nifty Island's creator economy is getting ready to grow.
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