CryptoKitties, the phenomenon that swept the cryptocurrency community last year, has officially launched a beta in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. What is CryptoKitties, you ask? In the simplest terms, CryptoKitties are digital cats you can buy, trade and breed that hold actual cryptocurrency value in the form of Ethereum. Recognized as one of the first attempts at employing cryptocurrency in a recreational way, CryptoKitties was released by Axiom Zen in October 2017 and at the time, completely congested the Ethereum network.

After causing quite a stir online, the popularity of CryptoKitties began to explode, with the most valuable kitty selling for around $117,000 USD. Cats can be traded, sold, bought, and bred with new cats being added every 15 minutes by Axiom Zen. Every cat is unique with distinct features, some being more sought after than others, driving value and rarity. Theses traits can be passed on to other cats through breeding and then sold or collected.

The idea of selling and buying fake cats, backed by an intangible currency, on a digital network is surely the last bit of evidence that we live in the strangest timeline. Of course, the next logical step after any digital phenomenon is to make an app. The app itself requires no third-party tools to run, unlike the browser version and has been released to 5000 users of the official WeChat channel.

Momo Wang a fashion designer and creator of the popular character Tuzki has also joined CryptoKitties as a brand ambassador in an effort to bring some exclusively designed, limited edition kitties to the game.

Historically, China has frowned upon cryptocurrencies and users were restricted from playing CryptoKitties. Axiom Zen has worked hard to enter the Chinese market where collectibles tend to do quite well. A region previously devoid of both cryptocurrencies and digital kitties, China may be the best market to launch CryptoKitties before its expansion to other regions. No release date for other regions has yet been announced but Axiom Zen does have plans to bring the app to North America.

Source: TouchArcade