What is Aavegotchi (GHST) and how does it work?

Aavegotchi is an Ethereum-based game in which users collect and trade digital pets in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). These pet NFTs, called Aavegotchis, are "playable" and, per hackmd.io, act as "interest-generating piggy banks" into which DeFi tokens can be directly staked.

GHST is the game’s native currency, used as a means of payment for in-game items and also for governance, CoinGecko said. Additionally, the token can be staked for additional rewards including parcels of digital land.

Per the project’s whitepaper, Aavegotchi introduces many innovations into the blockchain gaming sphere, including DeFi token collateral stakes, DAO-governed game mechanics and an open metaverse with smart contract interoperability and town hall style voting.

Drawing the first part of its moniker from the popular lending protocol, Aaave (AAVE), each unique Aavegotchi is backed with yield bearing aTokens (known in-game as ‘Spirit Force’) that accrue rewards in AAVE-backed lending pools.

Players actively work to enhance the rarity and features of their digital Aavegotchis. Additional GHST is dished out through this process, referred to as rarity farming.

In late March 2022, the protocol released of their own open-world game called “The Gotchiverse,” touted as a unique take on the metaverse that allows players “to explore, battle, craft exclusive NFTs, and play-to-earn via their Aavegotchis.”