Thousands and Wildcard Announce $9M Fundraise Co-Led by Arbitrum Gaming Ventures and Paradigm

Yahoo

18-06-2025

MCKINNEY, Texas, June 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Thousands, a revolutionary web3 protocol that transforms word-of-mouth marketing into a universal attribution infrastructure - together with sister company The Wildcard Alliance - today announced a joint $9 million fundraising round co-led by Arbitrum Gaming Ventures and Paradigm. The companies, founded by co-CEOs Paul and Katy Drake Bettner whose past work includes Words With Friends, Lucky's Tale, and Age of Empires, have secured $6.5 million to date and expect to close the remaining funding over the next 60 days.
This new funding builds on the companies' $46 million Series A raised in 2022, and will be used to accelerate development of their integrated ecosystem of products, utilizing the Thousands protocol and Thousands.tv platform to unlock new channels of creator-centric user acquisition and help launch their own upcoming game, Wildcard.
"It's simple," said Paul Bettner, co-CEO. "Wildcard only succeeds if its creators and community succeed. So we need a better way to reward these incredible contributors who drive immense value to the game. Thousands gives us the on-chain 'rails' to solve this problem, to record and reward user acquisition and conversion at every step of the funnel."
"It's simple," said Paul Bettner, co-CEO. "Wildcard needed a better way to reward the incredible contributors who drive immense value to the game – the creators, the influencers, the super fans. Thousands gives us the on-chain 'rails' to solve this problem, to record and reward user acquisition and conversion at every step of the funnel."
The synergy between Wildcard and Thousands has already demonstrated explosive growth. The Thousands network recorded over $800,000 in revenue in May 2025 alone, with an average revenue-per-stream of $50k, average viewer-to-payer conversion of 77%, and a new all-time-high revenue record at $134k — metrics that far exceed industry standards.
The Thousands network addresses an untapped, trillion dollar word-of-mouth economy, by making influence and attribution transparent, programmable, and incentive-aligned. The Thousands network enables creators and communities to earn instantly when their content drives conversions, while IP owners benefit from significantly lower customer acquisition costs compared to traditional channels.
"Thousands is redefining how games and content reach audiences," said Rick Johanson, Founding Partner at Arbitrum Gaming Ventures. "Their web-native streaming layer – think Twitch meets WalletConnect – allows every connected viewer to become an active participant in an on-chain economy, transforming spectators into engaged users."
"We believe in this game and we believe in this team," said Dave White, Research Partner at Paradigm. "Paul, Kate, and team have created one of the most eagerly anticipated games in crypto and we're very excited for what comes next."
Since their initial funding, both platforms have achieved significant milestones. Wildcard was recently approved for release on Steam, where the 100k+ community are now playtesting Alpha builds of the game weekly, in preparation for Wildcard's Early Access release later this year. These playtests are broadcast on Thousands.tv several times a week, helping to demonstrate the Thousands' network's ability to sustain engagement and monetization, with an average revenue _per viewer_ of $141 dollars.
"Thousands doesn't feel like streaming. It's no longer a one-way street.", said Payton Kaleiwahea, content creator and founder of WolvesDAO, "Fans and creators are interacting; you're not just watching the game. You're connected to it. You're inside it. With Thousands, being there matters, and that changes everything."
About The Wildcard Alliance and Thousands
The Wildcard Alliance and Thousands are building the future of interactive entertainment, powered by communities. Founded by industry veterans Paul and Katy Drake Bettner, the companies are building disruptive new products at the intersection of cutting-edge technology, beloved IP, and fun. The Wildcard Alliance previously raised $46 million in 2022 from investors including Paradigm, Griffin Gaming Partners, and Sabrina Hahn. Learn more at wildcardgame.com and thousands.tv.
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SOURCE The Wildcard Alliance, Inc.