Blockchains and smart contracts need an oracle network to deliver tamper-proof, cryptographically secure, transparent on-chain randomness in order to perform many functions like minting NFTs with unique attributes and determining outcomes in on-chain games.
Chainlink VRF provides a source of randomness that cannot be controlled or manipulated by bad actors or even application developers themselves. By generating a random number along with cryptographic proof, VRF delivers provably fair, verifiable, tamper-proof results. As the blockchain industry’s leading random number generator, VRF currently serves more than 2,200 unique smart contracts across multiple blockchains, including Ethereum, Polygon, and Binance Smart Chain (BSC).
VRF is at the heart of popular projects that are laying the foundation for web3’s metaverse, including blockchain-based gaming economies like Axie Infinity, NFT collections like Bored Ape Yacht Club, and dynamic NFT platforms like Ether Cards. Over 230 blockchain projects integrated Chainlink VRF in 2021 alone.
Today, Chainlink announced the release of its new and improved Chainlink VRF v2, with upgrades including a pay-as-you-go model that allows developers to reduce transaction fees by 60% and manage secure randomness for multiple smart contracts with a single subscription. These improvements will not only benefit current projects but pave the way for a new generation of increasingly sophisticated, fair and transparent blockchain-based games and dynamic NFTs.
“Over the last year, Chainlink VRF has become the industry standard for randomness in the blockchain sector,” said Chainlink co-founder Sergey Nazarov in an official statement. “I believe the efficiency benefits of v2 will further accelerate its adoption rate across many new ecosystems.”
As a verifiable source of randomness, Chainlink VRF authentically replicates entropy in digital realms like Axie Infinity, which has become a real-world life line for players who have earned a living wage for their in-game contributions during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Verifiable randomness solutions like Chainlink VRF v2 are essential for developers introducing entropy into on-chain gaming and NFT experiences, empowering them to create fair and tamper-proof play-to-earn games,” said Axie Infinity COO Aleksander Leonard Larsen.
Ether Cards founder Andras Kristof said he’s particularly excited about the ability to receive multiple random numbers per request and use custom callback gas limits with VRF v2.
“VRF v2 enables us to build dynamic NFTs with wider design capabilities and lower development costs for collections using our Ether Cards Platform,” he said. Such collections include NBA Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball’s inaugural NFT launch this past June.
Currently live on Ethereum mainnet, Chainlink VRF v2 will deploy onto other top blockchains already supported by the Chainlink Network, including Polygon and BSC, in the near future.