Welcome to the alpha please newsletter.
This week is a special edition of Alpha Apps as we dive into the TCG (Trading Card Game) × Crypto vertical.
If you’ve ever loved collecting trading cards as a kid (particularly Pokemon), or still do, this one’s for you.
I have secured some special offers below, and invite codes to a closed beta app, so make sure you read everything.
This newsletter is made possible by Mantle 🙏
MNT hit a new ATH this week. If you’ve been following along, you’ve seen many of the new integrations between Mantle and Bybit.
MNT x Bybit 2.0 roadmap:
Buy – Get large amounts of MNT instantly with lower slippage
Use – Pay, trade and explore more utilities across Bybit
Hold – Unlock VIP benefits and exclusive privileges
Earn – Grow your MNT with savings, staking, structured products, and earn new tokens via Launchpool and Megadrop
Limited offers – Join exclusive campaigns and special perks
Trading fee discounts using MNT should start late September, which will create a big new source of demand and utility for MNT.
TL:DR of the TCG x Crypto thesis
The hype around trading cards (Pokémon, One Piece, MTG, etc.) has been insane for years. Why? A mix of factors:
Financial nihilism: Many young people feel locked out of traditional assets like housing. Cards become an accessible store of value, and nostalgia makes them meaningful.
Cultural status: A rare card today is like a Rolex or AP, but for a different crowd. Scarcity plus social media flexing = cultural capital.
Speculation: Big money chasing cards accelerates momentum.
We’re not early to this trend, but there’s still froth in the short term. The mid-term could bring dips (better entry points), but long-term, I remain bullish on the category long term.
Where does crypto fits in?
Recently, CT has rediscovered the TCG hype. The synergy is obvious:
Crypto solves liquidity and instant availability issues for TCG cards.
TCG is already a gambling-like category, crypto natives with deep pockets love the dopamine hit of opening expensive packs.
The sector is clearly taking off. That’s why I’m highlighting my top picks for TCG × Crypto apps worth checking out.
1. Courtyard
Courtyard is currently the most popular TCG crypto marketplace, leading in traction and trading volume. It’s also live on mobile (which is a huge plus when trying to onboard mainstream collectors).
You can open packs of different price points to get a single graded card or a physical graded comic. You will always get a buyback offer. The odds of pulling collectables of different price points are transparently displayed. You always have like a 1% chance of landing something huge.
With Courtyard, you can also buy and sell graded cards in the marketplace. You can redeem your slabs whenever you want, but will need to pay some fees to do so.
Overall, it’s a nice product that is simple to understand, very trustworthy, and also the current market leader.
You can earn points for purchasing packs. You can also earn 30 points for checking in each day. Points can be used to pay for packs now.
What makes Courtyard stand out:
Biggest platform by volume
Wide range of TCG choice
Seamless UX + Mobile app
Pre-token and with an active leaderboard
So you got the point: if you are into TCG, Courtyard is a no-brainer to try. They also recently did a 30M raise that highlights how well they are doing. This is also pre-token.
I’ve managed to get a nice promo code from Courtard for all of you that want to try the app.
Use this code to get 15% off on any starter, pro or master pack: ALPHAPLEASE15
2. Rip.Fun
Rip.Fun is a more recent Pokemon card collecting app that I’m very fond of.
It currently has two main product offerings:
• Buy real Pokémon packs and open them in app (modern and vintage packs)
• Trade cards on their market place
The Rip.Fun team opens the pack securely and transparently for you to view on the platform. In addition, Rip.Fun provides a secure vault for storing your cards and the ability to redeem them in the real-world.
I also think Rip.Fun has the best and most engaging UI/UX. The interface feels smooth, trading cards is easy, and it includes useful tools to track your collection and showcase it to others which adds a strong social element.
I have been in touch with the founder, who seems very sharp, and their roadmap is full of exciting things:
• Mystery packs
• Grading service - you can get your cards graded at the click of a button (this solves a big headache for many collectors)
• Booster boxes
It’s still early days, but Rip.Fun is one of my personal favorites among the emerging TCG crypto apps.
Rip.Fun is in Closed Beta for now but I have managed to get 14 invite codes for you (be quick):
7UYV-9JS5
YB89-4Z1R
FLW6-WMI9
QE0V-XZMM
XYNH-DP14
0VAX-7QX2
HKWS-Z82N
WVX5-047H
3JY7-6BJ3
D37C-OW74
K6D8-L3FN
HTVI-GGSP
SAZT-M61Y
HKD8-A6H8
3. Phygitals
Phygitals is built on Tensor’s protocol, letting them focus on distribution instead of marketplace infrastructure.
The project is still early (currently in Beta), but it already has a strong offering, and a well-polished product. I particularly like its clean dashboard for exploring collections, which definitely makes you want to collect more.
On top of its marketplace, Phygitals also offers two ways to collect trading cards: Claw Machines (pay to open a pack, similar to Courtyard) and Lucky Draw (a lottery-style system for cards).
I like that Phygitals displays the fair market value (FMV) of each card on its marketplace, so even if you are new to Pokemon collecting you have a reference price. The UI/UX is also very good.
Phygitals has seen 10× growth in the past month, gaining significant traction and reaching 1/5 of Courtyard’s revenue.
Last but not least, Phygitals is pre-token, so there’s an added carrot for trying out the app.
4. CollectorCrypt (Bonus #1)
The fourth (and #1 bonus) app I want to present you is CollectorCrypt (CC).
It is yet another platform for trading both physical and digital collectible cards through an onchain marketplace on Solana. They also feature a virtual Gacha Machine where users can open packs online.
Here’s how it works:
You send your cards to secured vaults (PSA, PWCC, ALT), where they’re stored and insured
Cards are authenticated, scanned, and linked to your wallet or profile
You can then buy, sell, and transfer cards securely at a fraction of competitors’ costs
Finally, you can also try the Gacha Machine where you pay to open a random card pack (odds are clearly defined).
In recent weeks, the platform has experienced strong growth. Currently, CollectorCrypt is in the top 30 highest revenue-generating projects in all of crypto over the past 7 days.
For now, they specifically deal with Pokemon cards (where they are literally one of eBay's largest card buyers, purchasing $500,000 worth of cards every single week).
This is another platform that is definitely worth trying if you are into TCG.
The only caveat: they already have a token $CARDS. That means there’s no extra upside just from using the app, but $CARDS itself could be worth adding to your watchlist.
I’ll leave you with this article from Kyle for a deeper dive into CollectorCrypt and $CARDS.
5. Beezie (Bonus #2)
Last TCG crypto app for today is Beezie.
Its core offer is similar to the others with a Marketplace, a Vault option for your collectibles, and a Claw.
However, it has had less traction than the others so far. I haven’t spent as much time on Beezie, but it features a wide variety of card categories.
That said, Beezie is pre-token, which means there could still be upside for early users.
One last quick note
If you’re serious about TCG collecting, you should definitely register to all of these platforms.
Certain cards may only be available on specific marketplaces, and having access to multiple platforms gives you more options to compare prices and find the best deals.
More choice means better opportunities (and bigger airdrop opportunities).
And that’s your alpha.
Not financial or tax advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Crypto currencies are very risky assets and you can lose all of your money. Do your own research.