The Civic Node

Gala Games

3 min read

Overview

Gala is a Web3 entertainment ecosystem built on GalaChain, a proprietary Layer-1 blockchain. Founded in 2019 by Eric Schiermeyer (co-founder of Zynga), Gala applies DePIN principles to gaming, music, and film — with Founder’s Nodes (50,000 total) forming the decentralized infrastructure that powers the chain and earns $GALA token rewards. GalaChain has opened to external developers, positioning itself as a platform blockchain for entertainment-sector Web3 applications.

Key Facts

  • Founded: 2019 by Eric Schiermeyer (Zynga co-founder).
  • Headquarters: San Francisco; 350+ full-time employees (as of early 2024).
  • Native token: $GALA.
  • Max supply: 50 billion $GALA; ~47.6 billion circulating (95%+).
  • Market cap: ~$135M (price $0.0028/token as of reporting date).
  • CoinMarketCap ranking: #158.
  • Daily emission: Dynamically adjusted via halving tranches based on total supply.
  • Founder’s Nodes: 50,000 total; operators earn daily $GALA rewards and have governance voting rights.
  • GalaChain: Layer-1 blockchain; supports smart contracts, custom tokens, NFTs; bridgeable to Ethereum and Binance Smart Chain.
  • No ICO: All $GALA enters circulation via Founder’s Node rewards — no initial coin offering.
  • Token burn: $GALA used as gas is burned (reducing supply).
  • Security rating: AAA / Gold badge from CertiK; ranked #3 most secure altcoin (behind BTC, ETH).
  • June 2025: 2.8 billion $GALA migrated from Ethereum to GalaChain as part of new Node Staking Program. GalaChain Sees 2.8 Billion GALA Migration
  • New token $GSTAKE introduced in Phase 2 (late June 2025): minted by converting eligible NFTs, initially 1:1 with $GALA; tradeable on GalaChain. Gala Games Founder Node Staking Whats Changing
  • Phase 4 (Q3 2025): $GSTAKE lending — surplus holders can lend to other node operators for a share of rewards. Gala Games Founder Node Staking Whats Changing
  • 20,000-node minimum threshold removed; daily emissions continue regardless of node count. Gala Games Founder Node Staking Whats Changing

The Staking Upgrade

In June 2025, Gala launched a phased Node Staking Program, tying daily Founder Node rewards to on-chain $GALA holdings. The four-phase rollout:

  • Phase 1 (live): Rewards scaled to $GALA holdings (up to 1M per node for full rewards).
  • Phase 2: Introduce $GSTAKE token via NFT conversions.
  • Phase 3: Transition from holding to locking $GALA or $GSTAKE.
  • Phase 4: $GSTAKE lending — allow holders to delegate to other operators.

The 2.8B $GALA migration from Ethereum to GalaChain is one of the largest single on-chain migrations in the project’s history.

Newsletter Relevance

Gala Games is the entertainment-sector DePIN experiment — asking whether blockchain node infrastructure can power gaming, music, and film in a user-owned model. The no-ICO model (all tokens earned through node operation) is notable: it’s an attempt to build a crypto economy without the pump-and-dump dynamics of early-stage token sales. For the newsletter, Gala asks: can DePIN principles that work for wireless networks and GPU compute extend to entertainment and social platforms?

Connections

  • DePIN — Founder’s Nodes are the DePIN infrastructure layer
  • Helium Network — comparison: physical wireless DePIN vs. gaming/compute DePIN
  • Render Network — comparison: GPU compute DePIN
  • Tokenomics — Gala’s dynamic emission/halving model is a case study

Source Appearances

Open Questions

  • Does GalaChain have meaningful developer adoption beyond Gala’s own brands?
  • The $GSTAKE lending mechanic (Phase 4) — does this create centralization risk as large holders delegate?
  • Is the 50,000 Founder’s Node cap creating an oligopoly of infrastructure operators?
  • What’s the competitive moat against Ethereum/Solana gaming ecosystems?

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