NEWSROOM

Las Vegas, NV – 13th February 2025 – The Hydra Doom Tournament Finale at the CPLAY Summit marked a historic moment for blockchain gaming and Cardano’s capabilities. Following an exciting qualifier round, which saw thousands of players competing concurrently on a global scale, the Hydra technology proved its scalability by reaching an impressive 1 million transactions per second (TPS), showing that with the use of Hydra, Cardano’s infrastructure can scale accordingly without interruption. This remarkable achievement set the stage for an epic conclusion at the CPLAY Summit in Las Vegas, where the tournament finale brought together top-tier esports competition, cutting-edge blockchain tech, and unforgettable entertainment.

Charles Hoskinson’s Reflections

“This event was a true milestone for the Cardano ecosystem,” said Charles Hoskinson. “We proved that Hydra can scale to 1 million TPS, enabling a future where gaming, finance, and decentralized applications run at the speed of thought. The Hydra Doom Tournament showed the world how blockchain can enhance competitive gaming while providing trust and transparency.”

Tournament Results and Prize Distribution

After an intense battle, the four finalists took home a share of the remainder of the 100k USDM tournament prize pool (the initial half prize pool went to those who made it past the qualifiers), all of which was securely distributed on the Cardano blockchain:

• 1st Place prize of 25,000 USDM = Name: Joshua Woolman, Gamer Tag: Woolyman
• 2nd Place prize of 15,000 USDM = Name: Matthew Dillman Gamer Tag: CubicleShine
• 3rd Place prize of 5,000 USDM = Name Łukasz Kaźmierczak, Gamer Tag: Vi2zz4rD
• 4th Place prize of 5,000 USDM = Name: John Surface Jr., Gamer Tag: Concinnis

Prize funds were distributed using Cardano’s smart contracts and Hydra technology, where unique non-fungible tokens (NFTs) were awarded to the top four finalists. These NFTs were used to securely claim the prize via the Lace wallet, showcasing the seamless intersection of blockchain and gaming. The Hydra protocol facilitated over 200 smart contract TPS between the four competitors during the finale, demonstrating Cardano’s potential to support applications in a scalable environment.

Hydra Doom Panel at CPLAY Summit

The event’s attendees also had the opportunity to dive deeper into the technical functionality and the behind-the-scenes creativity of the tournament. The panel explored how Hydra is revolutionizing blockchain gaming, its potential to disrupt industries, and how it made the Hydra Doom Tournament possible. Panel speakers included:

• Trym Buset, Project Manager of Hydra Doom from Input Output
• Adam Dean, Cardano community leader
• Pi, Lead Developer from Sundae Labs
• Johnathan ‘Fatal1ty’ Wendel, Esports Legend and Hydra Doom Tournament Player
• Phu Styles, Hydra Doom Tournament Producer

Fireside Chat with Charles Hoskinson

A key moment of the CPLAY Summit was the fireside chat with Charles Hoskinson, co-founder of Input Output, moderated by Phu Styles alongside Farid from the YouTube channel Dapp Central. The discussion delved into the future of Cardano, Hydra, and blockchain gaming, highlighting how Cardano’s innovation is paving the way for decentralized applications to thrive across industries.

Celebrity Appearances and Live Entertainment

The Hydra Doom Tournament also attracted major celebrity attention, with Supreme of Wu-Tang Clan attending to cheer on the players. The grand finale featured sizzling performances by hip hop star Mims and Dave Kim, an electronic violinist and DJ, providing a high-energy conclusion to the event. Tournament action was expertly cast by Logan Summit and Fatal1ty, ensuring a dynamic viewing experience for the audience.

About Input Output Global

As the sponsor of the Hydra Doom Tournament, Input Output continues to be at the forefront of blockchain innovation. Hydra’s cutting-edge scalability technology is one of the key solutions making Cardano the go-to platform for high-performance applications.

Stay Connected

For updates on future Hydra developments, Cardano advancements, and gaming events, follow https://x.com/InputOutputHK or visit https://hydra.family/

Press Queries:

Georgia Hanias

Head of PR, Input Output

georgia.hanias@iohk.io

+44 (0) 7812 211 403