Web3 Gaming with Ezra Strauss: How Portal Is Playing the Game

With the Web3 gaming landscape rapidly evolving, Portal’s Head of Partnerships, Ezra Strauss, answers questions on blockchain, interoperability, and why he believes the next big thing in gaming is already here.

What drew you from finance into the gaming and Web3 space?

I started my career in capital markets, doing structured product sales. Like many who venture into finance, I found it dreary. Growing up, I was passionate about video games—sports games, story-based RPGs, and games with cinematic experiences. I wanted to find a path where tech, entertainment, and consumer experience intersect. That led me to TimePlay in Toronto, where we worked on interactive media platforms and with big IP and distribution partners like Paramount and Sony.

When the crypto market began to embrace consumer applications, especially during the NFT boom, it became apparent that there was a path where games, entertainment, and crypto could all meet. That’s what brought me to Immutable and eventually to Portal.

Many believe NFTs and Web3 gaming are past fads. What’s your take on the current state of the NFT market in gaming?

200+ Games

Look, the old NFT market? It’s frozen over—no doubt about it. But that’s the NFT market as a product in itself. We’re seeing NFTs as underlying technology integrated into products, especially games. We’re witnessing exciting game ecosystems that use NFTs in novel ways—as in-game assets that players can truly own, trade, and interact with meaningfully and that tie into broader economy gameplay and metagames that drive deeper engagement.

For example, games like Off the Grid are launching on platforms like Avalanche and working with some of the industry’s biggest streamers. Streamers openly discuss the NFT and token economies within the game, and their audiences are receptive. The idea of secondary markets and the ability to trade assets trustlessly online is landing well with mainstream audiences.

How is Portal addressing the challenges of fragmented blockchain economies in gaming?

The fragmentation across different blockchains is a significant issue. Users are stuck in silos – different chains with other assets, and that creates friction. Our vision at Portal is to help developers tap into users wherever they are, breaking down these silos.

We developed Portal Pay, a solution allowing users to pay with any token on any chain, settling on the developer’s choice. Imagine being a developer building on Base but wanting to engage users primarily on Ethereum mainnet. With Portal Pay, you can accept payments directly from those users, even if their assets aren’t on the same network as your game economy.

This not only smooths out the payment experience but also reduces the technical barriers that cause users to drop off at the point of sale.

Are mainstream gamers ready to embrace Web3 games?

Absolutely. We are seeing significant progress but must build trust with more quality games implementing web3 economies.

You’ve mentioned working with Futurverse. How does this partnership enhance the user experience and the ecosystem?

Futurverse is incredibly exciting for us. They’re building an open and interoperable metaverse, consolidating several companies focused on different aspects—Web3 components like the Root Network blockchain, identity solutions like FuturePass, and even AI projects around generative audio.

Our visions align perfectly. We’re focused on driving liquidity and economy to make this metaverse sustainable. By integrating Portal Pay into their ecosystem, we enable users to engage with the on-chain parts seamlessly. It’s about making ownership meaningful and interactions frictionless.

What are the hurdles in bringing Web3 technologies to mainstream users, and how is Portal overcoming them?

One of the biggest hurdles has been the user experience—specifically, the complexities around wallets and transactions. We’ve been rapidly working on solutions like the Portal Wallet and Portal Account to make owning, storing, and spending digital assets seamless.

Users can sign in with a simple Gmail account and own assets across any blockchain. We’re abstracting away the technical differences under the hood so users don’t have to deal with the complexities of blockchain technology.

How do you see the role of market dynamics and economies within Web3 games?

Market dynamics are integral to Web3 games. These economies resemble financial markets more than traditional in-game economies. The volatility and market behavior add layers of engagement and entertainment for users already interested in stock trading or sports betting.

Games that embrace these dynamics rather than try to smooth them out will thrive. They tap into the entertainment value of speculation and investment, which is becoming increasingly prevalent in other parts of society.

Are global brands showing genuine interest in entering the Web3 space?

Absolutely, and not just superficially. Brands like Ubisoft, Warner Brothers, and Reebok actively invest in long-term ecosystems within the Web3 space. They’re working on projects integrating deeply with blockchain technology, such as Futurverse’s open metaverse.

These brands seek new and exciting ways to tap into the Web3 audience and engage with robust, organic communities. They’re investing millions to tens of millions of dollars into product initiatives and partnerships that are very Web3-focused.

With the rise of AI and other technologies, how does Web3 fit into the future of gaming and entertainment?

Web3 is part of a more extensive technological evolution that includes AI and VR. These technologies are converging to create new kinds of experiences. For instance, VR and data streaming advancements will change how we experience digital worlds. When combined with blockchain’s ability to provide ownership and economic systems, we’re looking at entirely new paradigms of interaction and engagement.

What about regulations? How does Portal navigate the complex legal landscape around crypto payments and gaming?

Compliance is critical. From a payments perspective, developers are mainly responsible for managing their regulatory compliance, especially when choosing where to operate and from whom to accept payments. Portal Pay is non-custodial—we don’t take custody of customer or developer funds. We work with partners that have global compliance solutions to facilitate fiat purchasing and crypto payments.

We aim to reduce risk while championing crypto as a viable payment method. We strive to make it easier for tokens and the crypto economy to be used efficiently and safely in more places.

What’s the endgame for Portal in the Web3 ecosystem?

Our vision is to be the gateway to the new internet—a place where anyone can interact with anything seamlessly across Web3. We’re building tools and platforms that make it easy for users to access content, own assets, and engage with economies across any blockchain.

Whether it’s connecting brands, gamers, or global markets, we want to make it so that anyone can buy, sell, or trade anything, anywhere, in any game, on any chain. It’s about creating meaningful value and change for the gaming industry and digital interactions.

How can interested developers or users get involved with Portal?

You can find us at portalgaming.com and on Twitter @portalcoin. We’re rolling out more products regularly, focusing on distribution, and improving how games and consumer apps find new users and access liquidity. We’re active in our Twitter DMs and love to hear from people interested in what we’re building. Feel free to reach out—we’re always open to engaging with our community.