In this episode of Grit Daily Startup Show, host Leonard Kim sat down with Ezra Strauss, the Head of Partnerships at Portal Gaming. They delved into the evolution of his career, the dynamic world of Web3 gaming, and Portal’s innovative approach to overcoming the challenges in this rapidly growing space.
A Unique Path from Finance to Gaming
Strauss’s journey into the gaming industry is anything but conventional. Starting his career in capital markets, Strauss soon realized that the finance world lacked the passion he sought. This realization led him to transition into the gaming industry in 2017, beginning with a role at TimePlay, a Toronto-based company known for its interactive media platform.
Reflecting on his career shift, Strauss shared, “everyone that goes into finance or a lot of people that go into finance kind of find it, you know, a bit dreary and they look for something that they’re a little more passionate about.” His love for sports games and story-driven RPGs, combined with an interest in where tech, entertainment, and consumer experience intersect, naturally guided him towards gaming.
At TimePlay, Strauss honed his expertise by working on various projects involving cloud streaming, WebRTC technologies, and interactive media. This experience, coupled with his work at Immutable, a leading blockchain platform, solidified his position in the Web3 gaming space, eventually leading him to Portal Gaming.
Portal Gaming and the Web3 Revolution
Portal Gaming, where Strauss now heads partnerships, is at the forefront of tackling some of the most significant challenges in Web3 gaming. A key focus for the company is addressing the fragmentation within the Web3 ecosystem, where different blockchains create isolated pockets of users and assets.
Strauss emphasized the importance of interoperability, stating that Portal aims to “help developers tap into users where they already are on-chain” and make it easier for new applications to reach mainstream audiences.
One of Portal’s flagship solutions, Portal Pay, directly addresses the complexities of blockchain economies. Strauss explained, “If I’m a developer using Portal Pay, a developer, a user, player who’s been on another chain… it removes these sort of technical barriers.” This solution smooths out the technical barriers that often cause users to abandon their transactions.
The Future of Web3 Gaming
When it comes to the broader implications of Web3 for the gaming industry, Web3 is transforming traditional gaming by introducing market dynamics and ownership models that allow players to truly own in-game assets. This shift not only protects players’ investments but also opens up new avenues for economic interaction within games.
The conversation then turned to Portal’s ongoing projects, including its partnership with Futureverse, a collective of companies working on creating an open and interoperable metaverse. Strauss noted that this partnership is a perfect match, as both companies share a vision for a seamless, interconnected digital world.
Looking ahead, Portal’s ambitious plans include expanding its ecosystem with tools like Portal Wallet, which aims to simplify the Web3 experience for mainstream users, and Portal Explorer, a recommendation engine designed to help users discover new content and opportunities across the blockchain landscape.
