$9M for Wildcard and its ecosystem

Thousands and The Wildcard Alliance, sister companies led by Paul and Katy Drake Bettner, have announced a joint funding round of $9 million, backed by Arbitrum Gaming Ventures and Paradigm.

The investment aims to accelerate the development of an ecosystem that combines gaming, community participation, and an innovative Web3-based user acquisition model.

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A New Vision for Gaming and Content Distribution

Both companies share a common vision: to transform how video games are developed, shared, and monetized. Within this approach, Wildcard, the flagship game, and Thousands, the attribution and reward protocol for creators, work in close integration.

Wildcard delivers a third-person 2v2 combat experience, blending real-time action with collectible card game mechanics.

Currently, Wildcard is in its Alpha phase with over 100,000 players participating in weekly playtests, and has been approved for release on Steam.

Thousands acts as an on-chain infrastructure that rewards creators based on their direct impact in user conversion. Every view, click, or interaction is automatically recorded and monetized.

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Funding to Expand a Connected Ecosystem

With this new round, the companies aim to solidify a system where the game’s success and community growth are directly linked. The funds will be used to:

• Expand the development of Wildcard.
• Strengthen the infrastructure of Thousands and its streaming platform Thousands.tv.
• Enhance creator-based user acquisition, reducing reliance on traditional marketing channels.

Since their Series A round in 2022, which raised $46 million, progress has remained steady. In May 2025, Thousands reported:

• Over $800,000 USD in revenue.
• An average of $50,000 USD per stream.
• A viewer-to-buyer conversion rate of 77%.
• A single-stream revenue record of $134,000 USD.

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Active Participation at the Core

The approach of Thousands differs from traditional platforms like Twitch. During Wildcard streams, users can interact in real time, generating revenue for both creators and the platform.

“Wildcard only succeeds if its community and its creators succeed.” – Paul Bettner

This integration allows viewers to become active participants in a Web3 economy, where being present has tangible value.

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A Joint Commitment to the Future of Interactive Entertainment

Support from investors such as Arbitrum Gaming Ventures and Paradigm strengthens the projection of this ecosystem as a viable alternative in the digital entertainment industry. The integrated model between game and protocol opens new pathways for distribution, attribution, and monetization.

With approximately 60 collaborators between employees and contractors, Wildcard and Thousands are moving toward two major milestones:

• Launch of Wildcard in Early Access.
• Expansion of the Thousands protocol to new communities and platforms.

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