1. Sbarter introduces itself as a “skill-based gaming protocol” powered by blockchain. What exactly does that mean in practical terms, and how does it redefine the relationship between gaming, competition, and technology?
When we say Sbarter is a skill-based gaming protocol, we mean it’s not a platform or a game; it’s the invisible layer that allows players to compete for real rewards based purely on skill, not chance.
In practical terms, Sbarter connects directly to existing games through a lightweight API. Players can agree on a small, skill-based challenge; for example, “best of three” in their favourite title, and the publisher itself verifies who wins. The protocol then automates the payout instantly and transparently through smart contracts.
This changes the dynamic between gaming, competition and technology fundamentally. It brings back the authenticity of friendly competition, the kind that has always existed between friends, but now makes it fair and traceable on a global scale. For publishers, it adds a new, legal monetisation layer that rewards engagement and performance rather than spending.
In short, Sbarter uses technology to make it fairer and more rewarding for both players and publishers, not to complicate gaming.
2. The global gaming industry is worth over $180 billion, but faces saturation in traditional monetisation models. What gap in that ecosystem is Sbarter filling, and why is now the right time for this kind of innovation?
The industry’s main revenue engines, ads, in-app purchases and subscriptions, are reaching their limits. They have powered growth for more than a decade, but players are spending more time in games and less money, while publishers are looking for new ways to monetise engagement without disrupting the experience.
Sbarter fills that gap by introducing a fourth monetisation pillar: fair, skill-based competition. It complements existing models rather than replacing them, adding a new, compliant way to create value based on performance.
3. You’ve built Sbarter as a protocol, not a typical gaming platform. Can you explain the technical advantages of that approach, particularly for developers and publishers looking to integrate Sbarter into existing games?
Building Sbarter as a protocol rather than a traditional platform was a deliberate choice. A platform centralises control, data, and user experience, which can create friction for publishers. A protocol, by contrast, is lightweight, neutral, and easily integrable. It works in the background, connecting directly to existing games through a simple API without changing their core economy or user flow.
For developers and publishers, this means no redesign, no dependency and no loss of control. They keep full ownership of their game data and player relationships while unlocking a new, compliant monetisation layer.
Technically, it also ensures scalability and transparency. Every match result is verified by the publishers, and payouts are handled automatically through smart contracts, which are instant, secure, and fully auditable.
4. Blockchain promises transparency, but it also raises questions about scalability and transaction speed. How does Sbarter’s infrastructure handle these challenges, especially for real-time gaming contests that require instant results and payouts?
That’s a key question, and it’s exactly why we built Sbarter with a hybrid architecture rather than relying on a single blockchain layer. Our goal was to combine the transparency of blockchain with the speed and scalability of traditional game infrastructure.
The results are verified by the publishers, ensuring instant validation with no gameplay delay, while only the essential elements, like payouts and smart contracts, are recorded on-chain. This makes every transaction verifiable, tamper-proof, and fully auditable, without compromising performance.
Players never experience latency or technical friction; everything works seamlessly in the background, so the experience feels instant, but remains transparent and compliant behind the scenes.
5. Your smart contracts are designed to deliver instant, automated payouts. How do you ensure fairness, prevent exploits, and maintain data integrity when money and performance outcomes are directly linked?
Fairness is built into the system. The game, through the publisher, verifies the result, which is then executed automatically by a smart contract. There is no room for manipulation or subjective intervention.
Sbarter manages player verification with bank-grade KYC, age-gating and geo-fencing so that everyone playing is eligible and protected. Publishers maintain their own anti-cheat systems, and all verified results are recorded immutably on-chain. That combination of publisher validation and blockchain auditability makes fraud or tampering virtually impossible.
6. The Sbarter Association is structured as a Swiss non-profit. Why did you choose this governance model, and how does it help balance decentralisation, compliance, and user protection?
We chose the Swiss non-profit association model because neutrality, transparency and long-term trust are essential to how Sbarter operates. Rather than creating a private company that controls the ecosystem, we built a neutral foundation that governs the protocol on behalf of everyone who uses it, publishers and developers.
This model ensures that no single entity can dominate or profit unfairly from the system. All revenues are reinvested into ecosystem development, compliance, and community governance. It also gives regulators and partners confidence that Sbarter’s incentives are aligned with fairness and consumer protection, not speculation.
Over time, the governance will gradually decentralise, giving publishers and ecosystem partners voting rights to shape future decisions. In this way, Sbarter combines the accountability of a regulated structure with the inclusivity of Web3.
7. One of Sbarter’s differentiators is its focus on compliance, with KYC/AML, geo-fencing, and underage restrictions built in. Given Africa’s fragmented regulatory landscape, how will these systems work across markets like Nigeria, Kenya, or South Africa?
Compliance isn’t something we add on top of Sbarter, it’s built into the protocol from day one. Every feature, from player onboarding to payout, is designed to adapt automatically to local regulations.
In markets like Nigeria, Kenya, or South Africa, we take a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction approach. The protocol applies local bank-grade KYC, age-verification standards and uses geo-fencing to ensure only eligible users in compliant regions can participate. If a market’s framework isn’t yet clear, Sbarter simply disables contest access until full legal validation is achieved.
We also work with local legal and compliance partners in each key region to ensure continuous alignment with national laws as they evolve. This way, publishers and players can trust that if Sbarter is accessible in their country, it meets both international compliance standards and local regulatory expectations.
8. Regulators in Nigeria are still defining where to draw the line between gaming, gambling, and crypto activity. How is Sbarter engaging with these frameworks to ensure it’s seen as compliant rather than speculative or risky?
We work with regulators, not around them. Our framework is compliance-first by design, and we engage legal experts in every target market. That’s why we can expand globally while staying fully compliant and clearly distinct from gambling.
9. The pre-seed and seed rounds are complete, and you’re opening a €40 million Series A tied to SBT tokens. Beyond fundraising, what strategic goals are you aiming to achieve with this round, and how does the token fit into that vision?
This round is about scale, accelerating publisher onboarding, expanding into new markets and investing in compliance frameworks that enable global reach. It’s about building for long-term trust rather than short-term hype.
We’ll also use this round to grow our player base and strengthen adoption. The SBT token sits at the centre of that ecosystem. It’s the utility token that powers every contest, fee and payout, creating a self-sustaining loop where players win, spend and stay engaged.
10. You’ve mentioned plans for up to 10 million users in five years. What’s your growth strategy for emerging markets like Nigeria, in terms of partnerships, localisation, and user trust?
Our ambition is to reach 10 million users and 150 integrated games by 2031. To get there, we are building partnerships with publishers and studios that already have strong local communities.
Sbarter works with games that have clear, measurable outcomes such as sports, racing, fighting or puzzles, which makes integration simple and relevant. In markets like Nigeria, we will focus on mobile-first adoption and local partnerships that build trust. The goal is to show that skill-based competition can be both exciting and sustainable, wherever players are.
11. Many African developers are exploring Web3 tools to build new revenue models. How can they plug into Sbarter’s ecosystem, and what technical or business incentives exist for local studios or creators?
Sbarter was designed to empower developers and creators, not compete with them. Any studio can integrate the protocol through a simple API and instantly unlock skill-based competition in their games.
Beyond that, Sbarter gives creators tools to do more than stream. It lets them shape how their communities play together by hosting tournaments, running events and creating shared moments where fans support their favourite creators and studios.
In doing so, Sbarter builds a sustainable, transparent ecosystem where fun drives engagement, skill drives value and community sits at the heart of it all.
12. Finally, beyond gaming, Sbarter positions itself as part of a broader “digital skill economy.” What long-term role do you see the protocol playing in Africa’s tech landscape, where finance, entertainment, and blockchain increasingly intersect?
Sbarter was designed to be open, lightweight, and inclusive, so developers anywhere, including across Africa, can integrate it without needing blockchain expertise. Sbarter is just an API, so local studios can enable it very easily, while keeping full control of their player data and economy.
From a business perspective, the incentives are clear. Every verified match generates value, and publishers earn a fee for validating results and providing match data, creating a new, compliant income stream that complements ads, in-app purchases or sponsorships. For smaller studios, this means they can monetise engagement directly, without relying on external marketplaces or intermediaries.
We are already speaking with several African developers and gaming communities to support adoption, provide integration guidance, and ensure local compliance alignment. The goal is to help emerging studios turn community engagement into sustainable business value, within a trusted and transparent framework.
