The loyalty industry is changing due to the integration of blockchain technology. According to a PYMNTS Intelligence report, “From Transaction to Transformation: Blockchain’s Loyalty Proposition,” in collaboration with Solana, the loyalty market is projected to exceed $24 billion in revenue within the next five years, and brands are racing to tap into blockchain’s potential to create more flexible, appealing and profitable reward structures. Unlocking Loyalty With BlockchainBlockchain technology is reshaping loyalty programs by offering more flexible and engaging reward structures. A key advantage for brands is the use of smart contracts — self-executing agreements that eliminate intermediaries, streamlining processes, reducing costs, and boosting profitability

1Pavilion Solar advances to Solar Prize finals; wins $100K plus supportMiami-based Pavilion Solar is one of 10 teams nationwide moving to the final phase of the American-Made Solar Prize Round 7. The U.S. Department of Energy recently announced that 10 finalist teams were each awarded $100,000 in cash and $75,000 in technical support vouchers for their innovative ideas for advancing solar deployment.Pavilion Solar  is developing a hurricane-resistant, structurally stable, accessible, and cost-effective solar carport. This innovation will increase residential solar adoption in hurricane-prone areas by providing a product that can endure storms and growing electricity needs. The finalist announcement was made at the conclusion of the second phase of competition, the Set! Contest, where 20 semifinalists participated in question-and-answer sessions with a panel of expert industry reviewers. The 10 teams that were chosen will now move on to the final phase, the Go! Contest, to bring their concepts closer to commercialization.“The Solar Prize has been so instrumental in helping innovators get new solar energy projects off the ground and closer to the hands of consumers,” said Markus Beck, manufacturing and competitiveness program manager at DOE’s Solar Energy Technologies Office. “The Round 7 finalist teams are already proving to be impactful at both the community and industry levels.”The Solar Prize, funded by DOE’s solar office and administered by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, was launched in 2018 to inspire innovators to devise solutions that could help boost the efficiency, cost effectiveness, and widespread adoption of solar power

Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the gaming industry’s top leaders? Learn more about GamesBeat Summit sponsorship opportunities here. Think Web3 games are crappy? Yuga Labs is leaning into that with Dookey Dash: Unclogged, a Bored Ape universe game with a lot of toilets.The “dookey” here refers to stuff that goes in a toilet with green liquid. Led by Yuga Labs chief gaming officer Spencer Tucker and Alex Paley, cofounder of Faraway, the endless runner game Dookey Dash has returned with a closed beta test tournament that just ended and a soft-launch in limited regions.Dookey Dash: Unclogged will feature a new “creator mode,” where players can monetize the creation of skins and other cosmetics for in-game purchases. Creator mode uses the blockchain to mint skins/cosmetics on the Faraway digital storefront. They can be used in over 9,000 gaming experiences, as well as generate secondary sales for all players.Dookey Dash: Unclogged is in soft launch.The game continues the development of Yuga and Faraway’s interoperable gaming ecosystem. A series of partnerships will be hosted on the Faraway digital storefront