AIP-566: Ape Run: Onboarding Millions to ApeChain with No Friction and Earn ApeCoin for free

[CryptoRun]

PROPOSAL NAME:

Ape Run: Onboarding Millions to ApeChain with No Friction and Earn ApeCoin for Free

TEAM DESCRIPTION:

Dema (CEO | @detiamoz):
Dema brings over 15 years of experience as a startup founder, combining business, marketing, and technology expertise to create products people love. Specializing in Web3, gaming, apps, and IoT, he has successfully led teams to deliver impactful products—including blockchain platforms, mobile games, and awards winning IoT product that have generated millions in revenue.

Rise of NFTs @CryptoRunGames:
Founded in 2022, Rise of NFTs (RoNs) is a game and blockchain studio. The team consists of experienced game and blockchain developers. Our work encompasses a variety of projects, including a Coin Swap Platform on BSC, a Mobile Game for a Presidential Campaign, a blockchain-based membership platform for Indonesia’s top football club with over 20 million fans, and trading bots across multiple chains and CEXes.

From the early days as a MAYC #8819 holder, the team has been committed to building within the Ape ecosystem, earning the Made by Apes #111 badge in August 2023. In the same month, the team successfully launched Crypto Run, one of the first mobile games with an integrated Web3 wallet. It is also among the first few mobile games to feature a BAYC character and ApeCoin as an in-game item.

Despite having a tiny marketing budget, the game onboarded tens of thousands of users to the Saakuru chain (EVM). It currently ranks #83 among the Top Blockchain Games on DappRadar and is available for download on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

PROPOSAL DESCRIPTION:

Ape Run is a casual mobile game inspired by Subway Surfers, to onboard millions of users to ApeChain with no friction. It integrates a built-in Web3 wallet, most importantly to enable users to earn ApeCoin and USDC instantly and for Free.

Within less than five minutes of installing the game, players will have an ApeChain wallet set up and instantly earn ApeCoin, without an airdrop.

With 2.5 billion mobile gamers worldwide, this audience is ideal for crypto mass adoption. Many are already familiar with virtual currencies and in-game economies, but onboarding remains challenging due to the complexity of blockchain and upfront costs. Successfully engaging this audience will bring fresh money into ApeChain.

Ape Run is backed by sustainable and scalable ad revenue. With the in-game advertising market projected to reach $109 billion by 2024, Ape Run can continue to give valuable rewards as it grows, remaining unaffected by crypto market volatility. The more players earn, the more revenue Ape Run generates.

Our team has spent over a year developing and perfecting Crypto Run. The game has been tested over time, demonstrating its stability and the sustainability of its tokenomics. Building on this foundation, we can rapidly develop Ape Run while avoiding many pitfalls of Web3 game development. Designed specifically for ApeChain, Ape Run will feature a fresh theme, new characters, exciting actions, and accessories, offering a more engaging gameplay experience.

PROBLEM: The Challenge of Onboarding Users to ApeChain

Onboarding new users, especially mobile gamers, to a new chain like ApeChain is complex and intimidating. Even crypto enthusiasts often find it challenging for the first time to bridge ApeCoin to ApeChain.

Here are the steps a new user must follow to join ApeChain. Imagine how you would onboard your mom to ApeChain.

1. Upfront cost : Users need to be convinced to add money into wallet because it is perceived as an upfront cost.
2. Exchange Signup : Register on a centralized exchange, complete KYC, set up 2FA, and wait for approval.
3. Purchase ApeCoin : Link a credit card or bank account to purchase ApeCoin and ETH for gas fees.
4. Wallet Setup: Create a personal wallet, securely store the seed phrase, and configure it for ApeChain. The concept of a seed phrase is unfamiliar to most people, leading many to mistakenly think it is an identifier less important than a password.
5. Funds Transfer : Transfer ApeCoin and ETH from the centralized exchange to the wallet on the Arbitrum chain.
6. Bridge to ApeChain : Use a bridging site to transfer ApeCoin from Arbitrum to ApeChain.

This lengthy process creates significant barriers. It is not uncommon for new users to lose funds due to mistakes or, worse, fall victim to scams.

SOLUTION:

Effortless Onboarding with Ape Run

With Ape Run, onboarding is as simple as downloading the game from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Once users verify their email, a Web3 wallet is automatically created for them, eliminating the need to remember seed phrases.

Players can enjoy short sessions, earning ApeCoin and USDC in minutes, keeping them engaged and motivated to return.

Now you can safely onboard your mom to ApeChain within 5 minutes.

Sustainable Rewards Backed by Ads Revenue

Users earn ApeCoin and USDC instantly and for Free, backed by sustainable and scalable ad revenue. No NFT or purchase required.

This revenue is used to purchase ApeCoin, USDC, and other coins on ApeChain, which are then distributed as rewards and prizes, effectively supporting the ApeCoin price. The revenue is unaffected by crypto market volatility. Even during market downturns, players continue to engage with the game.

BENEFIT TO APECOIN AND APECHAIN ECOSYSTEM:

1. Mass Adoption : Ape Run’s simplicity enables onboarding millions of mobile gamers to ApeChain, like what Telegram did for TON. Most importantly, ApeRun enables users to earn ApeCoin for free. A wallet without transactions is meaningless. We aim to bring 300,000 users to ApeChain for the first six months.
2. Boosting ApeCoin Price: We will use ad revenue to purchase ApeCoin for rewards and prizes, with projections of up to $50,000 in monthly purchases after a successful launch and strong community support.
3. Increased Transaction Volume : Free-to-earn gameplay will significantly increase transactions on ApeChain. 300k transactions monthly.
4. IP Utilization : Featuring BAYC and other NFTs on ApeChain (GeezonApe, Monkees, Fuku, etc) as playable characters fosters engagement.
5. Access to other ApeChain DApps: Users with ApeCoin in their wallets are likely to explore other ApeChain dApps like ApeExpress and Blever.
6. Collaborations with Made by Apes and Meme Coin Projects: We will acquire products from Made By Apes projects, meme coins from ApeExpress, and NFTs on ApeChain to use as prizes.
7. Top of Mind: For newcomers to the Web3 space, ApeChain will serve as their entry point into blockchain technology, with its NFT characters becoming a memorable and primary association.
8. Staking Rewards for ApeCoin: Ape Run will launch its token in Q2 2025, giving the Ape DAO community priority access to the private sale. Additionally, 2% of the token supply will be reserved for ApeCoin staking rewards.

GAME MECHANICS:

Ape Run Demo

Ape Run is inspired by Subway Surfers, the highly successful mobile game with over 1 billion downloads. Featuring proven engaging game mechanics that appeal to players of all ages, from casual gamers to pros.
Ape Run makes learning crypto fun. Players collect various coins while avoiding moving candlestick obstacles. They must strategically take Long or Short positions. In a Long position, they grab green coins for points and avoid red ones that deduct points. They also dodge bear-like scammers and hackers to avoid being “rugged.”

Reward Mechanisms:

Ape Run employs a unique reward system designed to keep its community engaged, motivated, and excited. Ape Run isn’t just for skilled gamers—everyone has a fair chance to win through its inclusive raffle system. Instead of focusing solely on big prizes for the top 5 players, Ape Run spreads rewards across a broader community with smaller, more frequent prizes. Each week, 150 winners are chosen with a prize pool of $500. As the revenue grows, more prizes and winners will be added.

Initially, we will allocate part of the fund to subsidize the prize pool. As the platform gains traction, the prize pool is projected to grow from $2,000 to $30,000 monthly as daily active users increase. A $30,000 prize pool is expected to appeal to both beginners and experienced crypto traders.

By playing just one session in a few minutes, users can look forward to weekly, monthly, and quarterly raffles, keeping them engaged and excited about the rewards.

Ways Players Can Earn Rewards:

1. Watching Ads: Players can instantly earn ApeCoin and raffle tickets, with up to $0.05 daily in various coins like ApeCoin, USDC, MOCA, and more. While this amount may seem small to some, for many, it’s meaningful and exciting, especially with the chance to win raffles and watch the coins’ value grow.

2. Weekly Raffles: Each week, 150 winners share a prize pool, providing consistent and frequent rewards for the community.

3. Monthly and Quarterly Raffles: These feature larger, high-value prizes, including coveted rewards like GeezOnApe NFTs, or even MAYC when the revenue is sufficient, offering players long-term goals and excitement.

4. Top 50 Weekly Runners: Rewards are given to the top 50 performers each week, recognizing and incentivizing skill and competition

BUSINESS MODEL:

In 2022, Subway Surfers has 35 million daily active users. In 2024, $100 billion in mobile advertisements is available to capture.

Ape Run is supported by ad revenue as its primary income source. Through a proven proprietary system, we are able to generate strong revenue from ads. Half of this revenue is dedicated to purchasing ApeCoin and other ApeChain tokens for player rewards, including instant rewards, weekly prizes, and monthly prizes. The other half is allocated to staking rewards, more prizes and operational costs, ensuring sustainability and long-term growth.

TECHNOLOGY STACK:

• Frontend : Next.js, React, .NET
• Backend : .NET API
• Smart Contract : Solidity
• Game Development : Unity

STEPS TO IMPLEMENT:

Development (Jan - Mar 2025, 3 months):

1. Project initiation and hosting infrastructure setup.
2. Game design and 3D modeling.
3. Build the game with ApeChain integration, including wallets, rewards, and raffles.
4. Develop the front-end web interface and backend system for user management and rewards tracking.
5. Creating marketing materials and developing the strategy.

Beta Testing (Apr 2025):

1. Finalize marketing materials and campaign assets.
2. Launch the beta to refine gameplay, ensure stability, and address bugs.
3. Start weekly raffles with small prizes.
4. Continue development to fix bugs, enhance features, and improve performance based on feedback.

Launch Campaign (May 2025):

1. Officially launch Ape Run
2. Launch marketing campaigns.
3. Start weekly and monthly raffles.

Ongoing development and optimization:

1. Collaborate with ApeChain projects to integrate and feature their products in the game.
2. Maintain and optimize the game with regular updates, bug fixes, cheat prevention, and in-app feature releases.
3. Fine-tune the ad algorithm to maximize revenue.

The Start Date will be adjusted upon receipt of the first tranche of the funds.

FAQ

How is Ape Run different from Dookey Dash?

Dookey Dash caters to serious gamers, offering up to $1 million in prizes. Players need to practice, invest significant time, and often spend money to progress. Prizes are awarded to the top 250 players at the season’s end.

Ape Run focuses on onboarding millions of mobile users to ApeChain with no friction, regardless of their gaming skills. Within 5 minutes, a wallet is created, and players can start earning free ApeCoin. It only requires a few minutes daily to play and participate in weekly, monthly, and quarterly raffles.

One great thing about games is that players can enjoy similar games simultaneously. They can play both Dookey Dash and Ape Run at the same time.

What is your revenue projection?

Our conservative eCPM (1,000 ad views) is $5.

50,000 daily users × 15 ads ÷ 1,000 × $5 eCPM = $3,750 daily (~$112,500 monthly).

Estimated weekly prizes total ~$8,000. Monthly, $67,000 will be spent purchasing ApeCoin and other ApeChain tokens as rewards.

Players earn $0.002 per ad view, up to ~$0.05 daily. While small to crypto enthusiasts, it’s meaningful for many.

Each ad view provides three chances to win multiple raffles worth thousands of dollars, boosting engagement.

REPORTING EXPECTATIONS:

We will provide monthly updates on Ape Run’s progress, including key milestones, development updates, user growth, challenges, collaborations, and rewards or prize distributions. These reports will be shared publicly on the ApeCoin DAO forum to keep the community informed and ensure transparency.
Regular updates will continue throughout the duration of the AIP.

OVERALL COST

Total Amount Requested from the ApeCoin Ecosystem Fund: $247,000 in ApeCoin

Marketing and User Acquisitions:

1. Marketing and Branding: $50,000
2. Performance Ads to acquire 300k users: $36,000
3. Prizes (Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly for 1 Year): $26,000

Development Costs:

1. Game Development (including wallet integration and 3D modeling): $45,000
2. Web Frontend and Design: $12,000
3. Backend System: $15,000
4. Smart Contract Development and Audit: $12,000
5. Security, penetration testing and Bug Bounty: $7,000

Operations:

1. Hosting and Infrastructure (1 Year): $18,000
2. Maintenance and Support (1 Year): $18,000
3. 3rd Party Services, Tools, and Licenses (1 year): $8,000

The total funding is divided into three tranches:
Tranche 1 ($100,000): to be paid upon AIP approval, is allocated for initial development operations, infrastructure setup, and marketing preparations.
Tranche 2 ($92,000): to be paid upon delivery of an alpha version at the beginning of the third month, is intended to continue and finalize development, refine the game, prepare for beta testing and continuation of marketing preparations.
Tranche 3 ($55,000), to be paid after completing the development phase at the beginning of the fourth month, to funds launch marketing activities—including social media promotions, influencer partnerships, performance-based ads, setting up prizes and rewards—as well as ongoing development, maintenance, and enhancement.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Ape Run is a powerful tool to drive mass adoption of ApeChain with no friction. Ape Run not only adds wallets to ApeChain but also enables users to actively earn ApeCoin for free. Wallets without transactions are meaningless.

We are the right team with proven skills. For over a year, we have been refining this game and its revenue engine. We are fully committed to launching Ape Run as quickly as possible. Together, we can bring millions of users to ApeChain, making it the ultimate chain for apes and beyond!

We would also like to thank you ApeCoin community members, as well as team members from Yuga Labs, BAYC, and the Animoca Brands. Some of whom we were fortunate to meet in person at offline events. Your support and feedback mean so much to us. A special thanks to Mo, Rida and Quit for their valuable advice.

Please download Crypto Run and give it a try https://CryptoRun.games. See how easy Crypto Run onboard someone to a new chain.

We look forward to your support in bringing this vision to life.

References:

• Web: https://CryptoRun.games
• X: @CryptoRunGames
• Weekly 150 Winners: https://cryptorun.games/winners
• Gameplay Swamp: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/DXVo4AnnK3M
• Gameplay Crypto Run: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckU7414BDWY
• Crypto Run engages young voters during the Indonesian presidential election: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YWJGtlDixpQ

[MaximusMX]

Really interesting concept, thank you for putting it forward! A few questions from my end:

• What do you think the revenue per view (or RPM) of the ads would be? Asking as the concept of ad-supported gaming ecosystem makes sense, but the unit economics often don’t support the concept at scale (i.e. per ad revenue is minimal and too low to create the right incentives)

• How do you think about the differentiation between Ape Run and DookeyDash? Seems like to quasi-competitive games in the same ecosystem?

• How do you think about user acquisition? What tools would you use for that?

[CryptoRun]

Hi Max, thank you for taking the first shot! And great questions too.

1. Our conservative eCPM (earnings per 1,000 ad views) is $5. For the past two months, we’ve consistently exceeded this benchmark.

Here’s a simple revenue breakdown:
50,000 daily users × 15 ads / 1,000 × $5 = $3,750 per day ($112,500 monthly).

Each ad view earns the user $0.002. Watching up to 21 ads a day lets them earn about $0.042 in coins. While this may seem small to the crypto community, it holds significant value for many users.
Would they watch up to 21 ads in a day? You will be surprised. Watching just one ad gives players three chances to win weekly, monthly, and quarterly raffles.
The initial weekly prize pool is $500, but with 50,000 daily users, it could grow to $10,000 weekly.

There are about 1.7 billion casual mobile gamers globally. The concept of getting paid for playing is rare in mobile games. ApeRun has more selling points compared to other casual mobile games. Players have been watching tons of ads in other games and don’t get paid.

2. We love Dookey Dash and have drawn some inspiration from it.

The key difference between Dookey Dash and Ape Run is the target audience. Dookey Dash is designed for serious gamers, offering prizes of up to $1 million. To win, players need to practice, invest a lot of time, and work hard to progress. Often, they also need to spend money to improve their chances. It doesn’t automatically create a wallet. At the end of the season, prizes will be awarded to the top players.

ApeRun, on the other hand, is focused on onboarding as many mobile gamers as possible to Web3 (ApeChain) with no friction. Within the first 5 minutes, players can start earning ApeCoin for free. They only need to spend a few minutes each day to earn and participate in weekly, monthly, and quarterly raffles. Each week, we have at least 150 winners.

ApeRun can onboard millions of users to ApeChain with active transactions, regardless of their age or gaming skills. This is great for ApeChain, as we believe an important metric for a blockchain is the number of active wallets and transactions.

Let’s not despise small beginnings. Many people start with crypto trading using very small amounts of money. Once they learn how it works, they become more engaged with crypto. Even $1 worth of $PNUT can grow into thousands of dollars!

The beauty of games is that there’s no winner-takes-all. A player can enjoy similar games at the same time. It really depends on the player’s preferences.

3. We divide our user acquisition approach into two strategies:

a. Awareness Marketing Strategy
This strategy focuses on building awareness and fostering engagement through methods like influencer outreach, video content, community engagement, ASO, and SEO. However, it may not always result in rapid user acquisition.

b. Performance Marketing Strategy
The fastest way to acquire users is through performance-based ads (pay-per-install), such as Google Ads and Meta Ads. This method is measurable and delivers consistent results. We’ve achieved an average cost of $0.10 per install. It can go lower than that depending on what area and what users we are targeting. With this approach, acquiring 300k new users is achievable.

[MaximusMX]

Appreciate the response and really well said. Love the detail around projected eCPM.

Seems like a really well thought out AIP and excited to see the game live!

[CryptoRun]

Thank you for your kind words! Happy Thanksgiving. Imagine if we had ApeRun now, we could onboard all our family members to ApeChain over one dinner

[12GAUGE.Admin]

Hi @CryptoRun ,

The community feedback period for your proposal would be ending in roughly 24 hours.

• If you’re content with the feedback received, your next steps are to finalize your proposal using the AIP Draft Template.

• A moderator will reach out to the author to finalize the AIP Draft. Upon receipt of the final Draft, we will review and provide instructions on the next steps.

• Are you ready to proceed to the next phase or do you wish to extend community discussion for another 7 days?

We look forward to hearing from you.

-@Facilitators

[drdavecoin]

I really like this idea. Downloaded Crypto Run and have tested the wallet creation side. So simple. I love your web2 onboarding process to web3 through the runner. Very ez. And seeing this now with plans to come over to ApeChain makes complete sense. Nottomention seeing BAYC IP utilised in-game as well which spotlights the entire ape ecosystem. I think this is a great project as I can see normies and degens playing for tokens and prizes. The more intuitive and simple ways we find and roll out further gateways and adoption to web3, the better IMO

[CryptoRun]

Thanks, @drdavecoin, for your support and for trying the game! With ApeRun, we can safely onboard our friends and family to crypto. Even my nephews have started earning crypto now!

Once BTC can be bridged to ApeChain, we’ll offer BTC as a reward too. Who knows what the BTC price will be 10 years from now? These players will have a head start and they will thank ApeChain one day.

For casual mobile gamers, the idea of earning money by playing or watching ads is a strong attraction. As more players join, the weekly prize pool could reach thousands of dollars, drawing all the degens to ApeChain!

[Ari3iz]

To me, “Ape Run” boasts a nice concept that blends simplicity with fun, an easy-to-grasp gameplay. A concern I may have had would have been, the proposer’s experience in mobile gaming but, that has easily been demonstrated with their Crypto Run product.

Can you provide some insight into lessons learnt from your Crypto Run product and if its not too intrusive please provide some indicative comparisons between Ape Run and Crypto Run cashflow projections? Good submission in my opinion, I will support.

[drdavecoin]

Best of luck brother! Wish you great success with this mate

[Moonlyght]

It’s funny how most of the AIPs now request just below $250k to avoid needing the majority approval of 69% of the total number of votes cast.

On another note, I really like the idea and would love to see it launched as an experience on Otherside when the time comes. Unfortunately, for everyone in the business of making games, you know how hard it is to succeed without a big marketing budget (I’m talking millions here)—it’s nearly impossible. I would launch this as an experience on Otherside on ApeChain and try to monetize it that way. However, to release it to a Web2 audience with little to no existing marketing budget, I’m afraid it just won’t work, imo.

[CryptoRun]

Hi @Ari3iz, thank you for reviewing and for your thoughtful feedback!
We’re passionate builders, and we hope our product speaks on our behalf.

The key difference is that Ape Run will have a larger marketing budget to acquire users and offers bigger prizes (weekly, monthly, and quarterly) to boost engagement. And of course, the strong community support.

Here’s our projection.
Our conservative eCPM (earnings per 1,000 ad views) is $5. For the past two months, we’ve consistently exceeded this benchmark.

50,000 daily users × 15 ads ÷ 1,000 × $5 eCPM = $3,750 daily (~$112,500 monthly).

Players earn $0.002 per ad view, and with up to 21 ads daily, they can earn ~$0.042 in coins. While modest, it’s meaningful for many users. Each ad provides three chances to win weekly, monthly, and quarterly raffles, driving engagement. We are also testing new reward mechanics to motivate players to watch even more ads.

With 50,000 daily users, the weekly prize is around $8,000.
I hope this is clear. We look forward to your vote for Ape Run!

[CryptoRun]

Thanks again. We look forward to your vote for Ape Run!

[CryptoRun]

@Moonlyght thanks for sharing your insights!

You’re right, building a business, whether it’s games, tech, or small shops, always comes with the challenge of competing against those with massive marketing budgets.

However, smaller teams often have an edge: they can execute and iterate quickly, finding the right product-market fit without requiring significant funding.

Unlike many mobile games, Ape Run’s advantage is that it is one of the few mobile games that allows players to earn real money/crypto, starting with a $500 weekly prize pool. Rewards will be in ApeCoin, USDC, BTC, MOCA, and other high-value tokens on ApeChain. Once the weekly prize pool hits $2,000, we believe it will make the game stand out even more.

We’ve tested multiple strategies to acquire users, and we’re confident they will work for Ape Run. For instance, Crypto Run successfully acquired tens of thousands of users with a tiny marketing budget Many other indie mobile games have also reached millions of users with small marketing budgets.

Our strategies include:

Awareness Marketing
This includes influencer outreach, video content, community engagement, ASO, and SEO. While effective for fostering engagement, it’s slower for user acquisition.

Performance Marketing
Ads on platforms like Google and Meta deliver consistent results at an average cost of $0.10 per install. With this strategy, acquiring 300k new users is realistic, and costs can be further optimized based on targeted regions and audiences.

Ultimately, for the game to succeed, we’ll also need support from the ApeCoin community. When the time comes, we’d love to collaborate with Otherside.

Thanks again for your insights! I look forward to your vote.

[12GAUGE.Admin]

Hi @CryptoRun .

Thank you for your ideas [and the ApeCoin DAO community for the insightful discussions].

A moderator will reach out to the author to finalize the AIP Draft using the appropriate template.

• Once the AIP Draft is confirmed by the author and meets all DAO-approved guidelines, it will receive an AIP ID number and move forward for Draft Analysis Review.
• @CryptoRun please see your messages for the next steps.

Follow this Topic as further updates will be posted here in the comments. In accordance with DAO-approved guidelines, if the author does not respond within 30 days, the proposal will be automatically transferred to the Withdrawn category, and the author can re-submit the idea.

-@Facilitators

[12GAUGE.Admin]

Hi ApeCoin DAO Community,

The AIP Draft submitted is currently incomplete and feedback has been provided to the author.

Follow this Topic as further updates will be posted here in the comments.

Thank you,

-@Facilitators

[12GAUGE.Admin]

Hi ApeCoin DAO Community,

@CryptoRun has completed editing their AIP Idea to be their AIP Draft.

This proposal has been assigned the AIP ID Number 566.

Follow this Topic as further updates will be posted here in the comments.

Kind Regards,

-@Facilitators

[12GAUGE.Admin]

Hi ApeCoin DAO Community,

Our team has reviewed and discussed @CryptoRun 's AIP Draft and have sent a list of initial questions. We await answers.

Follow this Topic as further updates will be posted here in the comments.

Kind Regards,

-@Facilitators