Episode 6 of Verifiably Random gives hosts Min, Mark, and John a chance to look at some numbers from the launch of Staking Rewards in January. This episode also features a special guest from the newly launched Alpha Arcade prediction market on Algorand.
Staking success: impressive early numbers
John shares some impressive statistics about Algorand's staking adoption in the first month:
- Over 2,000 accounts now participating in consensus
- More than 4,300 nodes running on the network
- 1.56 billion ALGOs staked (nearly 20% of circulating supply)
- Approximately 400 million ALGOs of fresh "organic community stake"
The Algorand Foundation is deliberately reducing its own stake to decentralize the network further, with plans to become an "insignificant portion" of total stake. This controlled withdrawal allows community participation to grow naturally while maintaining network security.
Alpha Arcade: New prediction markets on Algorand
The episode features Max from Alpha Arcade (and Lofty), discussing their newly launched prediction market platform. The project began when Max and his partners became fascinated with Poly Market during the election cycle and realized such markets would work better on Algorand's faster, cheaper infrastructure.
Alpha Arcade has gained impressive traction. Their first token sale sold out in just 38 seconds, and their second in two minutes. They launched with the Super Bowl as their beta market and have since improved the platform with one-click market orders and expanded wallet support.
Unlike some competitors, Alpha Arcade is fully available to U.S. users, and the team plans to launch approximately eight new markets in the coming days.
Max emphasizes how prediction markets drive engagement by requiring participants to "put their money where their mouth is. " This often results in more accurate forecasts than traditional polls.
Algorand at ETH Denver
ETH Denver marks Algorand's first major conference participation of the year, signaling a renewed focus on the US market. The foundation is making a significant splash with Algorand billboards welcoming attendees at the Denver airport and a series of strategic events throughout the conference. These include a women's breakfast and a full day of activities at the Ramble Hotel featuring presentations from several ecosystem partners
Mark emphasized that this conference kickstarts Algorand's increased US presence for the year ahead. The team plans to have ambassadors throughout the venue distributing Algorand-branded water cans, ensuring high visibility.
They'll also be recording the next episode of the Verifiably Random podcast directly from Denver, featuring interviews with attending partners and community members.
Watch the complete episode on YouTube here, or listen on Apple Podcasts here, or Spotify here.