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If you don’t understand blockchain, these cats can explain it to you

Since no centralised organisation created all the digital cats, and the system is recorded on a ledger to prevent fraud, CryptoKitties’ founders say it may be an easy way to understand blockchain technology

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The highest CryptoKitties sale ever was Genesis, which was the equivalent of US$114,481.59 at the time of sale. Photo: CryptoKitties website

By Michelle Castillo

People may be flabbergasted by the idea of an illustration of a cat selling for more than US$114,000, but CryptoKitties is more than that, according to its founders.

It’s a lesson in both blockchain and genetics wrapped up in a digital game.

“There’s no central organisation that owns these things,” said CryptoKitties co-founder Mack Flavelle. “These cats do a great job of explaining blockchain to people. There’s a democratisation of how to use blockchain.”

Flavelle is a product lead at Axiom Zen, which owns CryptoKitties.

The first thing to understand about CryptoKitties: It isn’t a cryptocurrency, it’s a cryptocollectable, Flavelle insists. The game involves collecting unique illustrated cats with specific digital genes, which breed and produce more cats after a certain period of time. You can keep, sell or trade your cat. That’s it – well, and the game is built on blockchain technology, specifically ethereum.

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