The Aavegotchi community has spoken. After a lengthy debate, they’re packing their digital bags and moving from Polygon to Base, the Ethereum Layer 2 backed by Coinbase. It’s a big shift, and not a particularly cheerful one. Pixelcraft Studios, the team behind the quirky NFT game, will also be shutting down “Geist,” their Layer 3 experiment. Let’s be honest, nobody really noticed Geist anyway.
- Aavegotchi is moving from Polygon to Base, an Ethereum Layer 2 solution backed by Coinbase, due to the declining NFT market and stagnant TVL on Polygon. This decision reflects a broader trend of projects seeking more active and liquid environments.
- The move was overwhelmingly supported by the Aavegotchi community, with over 95% voting in favor, and will involve migrating all Aavegotchi assets to the Base blockchain. The migration is expected to take four to six weeks and will include a security audit.
- Despite the challenges, the founder of Pixelcraft Studios remains optimistic about gaming on the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) and believes Base is well-positioned for long-term growth. This move follows Aave DAO’s decision to withdraw from Polygon due to concerns about asset management.
This isn’t just about one game. It’s a sign of the times. The NFT market, once a roaring bonfire, is now more of a flickering candle. And even the Layer 2 solutions, designed to make Ethereum faster and cheaper, are starting to feel the squeeze. Liquidity is scattering like startled pigeons, and attention spans are shorter than ever. It’s a bit like trying to herd cats, really.
Pixelcraft Studios felt the pinch. Founder coderdan explained in a February proposal – a proposal you can find here – that significant team cuts were necessary to survive. The market for altcoins, especially in gaming, had turned sour. And, crucially, Polygon’s TVL (Total Value Locked – basically, how much money is parked in the system) hadn’t budged in years. “Eyeballs go where liquidity flows,” coderdan wrote, which is a surprisingly accurate assessment of the internet.
🚨 PROPOSAL: Aavegotchi to Base 🚨
https://t.co/wJq9wJq9wJ
Vote NOW to decide the future of Aavegotchi! 👻
pic.twitter.com/wJq9wJq9wJ
The vote was overwhelmingly in favor of the move – over 95% support, according to Snapshot. Aavegotchis, wearables, parcels, everything will be “minted 1:1” on Base. That means you’ll get a new version of your stuff, identical to the old, but living on a different blockchain. The migration itself is expected to take four to six weeks, including a security audit. Which is good. We like security.
Why Base?
Arbitrum and Ronin were also considered, but Base won out. Why? Simple. It’s the most used EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine – the software that runs smart contracts) chain besides BNB and Tron. And Coinbase is throwing its weight behind it. Integrations with Coinbase Wallet, Farcaster (a decentralized social network), and existing liquidity pools on Aerodrome and Uniswap sealed the deal. It’s about being where the people – and the money – are.
Coderdan remains optimistic, despite the challenges. “It’s been a rough cycle,” he admitted, “but we are still bullish on gaming on EVM.” He believes Base is the best positioned for long-term growth. A bold statement, perhaps, but a necessary one. You have to sound confident when you’re asking people to move their digital possessions to a new home.
Interestingly, this move comes hot on the heels of Aave DAO’s decision to pull *its* deployment from Polygon. Apparently, there were concerns about Polygon potentially rehypothecating bridged assets – a fancy way of saying they might have been playing fast and loose with people’s money. It’s a messy situation, and it doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.
For the uninitiated, Aavegotchi is a collaboration between Pixelcraft Studios and Aave, the lending protocol. Think Tamagotchi meets DeFi. You stake Aave’s “aTokens” (assets you’ve deposited in Aave’s lending pools) to bring your Aavegotchi NFTs to life. It’s a strange and wonderful world, and it raised a hefty $30 million in a token sale last year – without any venture capital involvement, which is unusual. Pixelcraft got a quarter, the DAO got the rest.
So, what does this all mean? It means the crypto landscape is shifting. It means even well-funded projects are having to make tough choices. And it means that sometimes, even the coolest ghosts need a new place to haunt. Base seems to be the chosen afterlife, at least for now. Whether it’s a permanent move or just a temporary stay remains to be seen. But for Aavegotchi, it’s a new chapter. And honestly, a little change of scenery might be just what they need.
