GALA (GALA)

Overview

GALA (GALA) is the utility token that powers the GALA blockchain, also called GalaChain—a purpose‑built Layer‑1 focused on entertainment, including Web3 games, music, and film. Players use the GALA token to pay gas, mint and trade NFTs, and interact with dApps and titles across the ecosystem. Because GALA is burned as gas and distributed daily to node operators under a transparent schedule, GALA tokenomics are designed to support long‑term participation rather than short‑term hype. Recent upgrades have expanded cross‑chain options, with official bridges connecting GalaChain to Ethereum and, more recently, to Solana, opening doors to GALA DeFi, NFTs, gaming, and broader liquidity. (support.gala.com)

What makes GALA unique

• Entertainment‑first chain: GalaChain is optimized for fast, low‑fee transactions tied to games, music, and film, all using the same on‑chain wallet and identity. (support.gala.com)
• Real digital ownership: Users can own in‑game items, music collectibles, node licenses, and film rewards as NFTs, tradable across the Gala ecosystem and bridged to other chains. (support.gala.com)
• Expanding interoperability: The team launched GalaConnect for swapping and bridging, plus a direct bridge to Solana for GALA itself. (news.gala.com)

History & Team

Gala began in 2019 with a goal to put players and creators in control of digital content. The company behind the network is Blockchain Game Partners, Inc., doing business as Gala Games (and the wider Gala Entertainment ecosystem). The founders most commonly cited are Eric Schiermeyer (also a co‑founder of Zynga), Michael McCarthy, and Wright Thurston, each bringing deep experience in gaming and technology. (futureteknow.com)

Key milestones include:

• September 11, 2020: Daily GALA distributions to Founder’s Nodes began—there was no pre‑mine or ICO. (support.gala.com)
• May 15, 2023: Contract upgrade to GALA v2 with new burn and security features; at the same time, the team burned about 20.9 billion GALA from company‑controlled wallets. (support.gala.com)
• 2024: Governance approved a smoother daily emission model, replacing the old “halving” schedule. (support.gala.com)
• 2024–2025: GalaConnect launched for swaps and bridges; GALA became bridgeable between GalaChain and Ethereum and, later, to Solana. (news.gala.com)
• 2025: Official Gala Wallet apps (mobile and browser extension) rolled out to simplify self‑custody on GalaChain. (apps.apple.com)

Note: Since 2023, the company has been involved in civil litigation between co‑founders. Court rulings in 2024 describe the dispute but do not alter how end users interact with the GALA token or GalaChain. (caselaw.findlaw.com)

Technology & How It Works

GalaChain is a Layer‑1 blockchain where the GALA token is the native gas. Every on‑chain action—minting an NFT, trading an item, submitting a game result—pays a small fee in GALA that is burned, aligning network usage with token scarcity over time. Users can access GalaChain through a Gala account or the standalone Gala Wallet. (support.gala.com)

Nodes and the network

• Founder’s Nodes: Up to 50,000 licenses form the core of the network by running node software. Eligible operators receive a share of the daily GALA distribution and may receive random NFT drops, plus voting rights on ecosystem proposals. In 2024, Founder’s Nodes were tokenized on GalaChain, enabling transfer under a formal process. (support.gala.com)
• Workload nodes: Game‑specific and media nodes (for example, Last Expedition servers or Film Theater Nodes) run dedicated workloads that support gameplay or content delivery. (support.gala.com)

Cross‑chain connectivity

GalaConnect is the official gateway to bridge tokens between Ethereum and GalaChain and to swap GalaChain assets peer‑to‑peer. In April 2025, GALA gained a direct route to Solana, broadening access to outside DeFi, marketplaces, and tooling. (support.gala.com)

Security design and 2024 incident

In May 2024, an address with mint permissions was misused to mint 5 billion GALA on Ethereum; approximately 600 million were sold before the wallet was frozen using a GalaChain blocklist feature. Law enforcement was engaged, the ETH proceeds were returned, and governance proposed a contract update to formalize the burn of the frozen supply and enhance controls. The team emphasized that the Ethereum contract itself remained secure and under multisig. (news.gala.com)

Tokenomics & Utility

GALA tokenomics have two pillars: emissions and burns.

• Emissions: Since August 2024, daily emissions equal 0.25% of the gap between the Max Supply (50B) and current Total Supply, creating a smoothing effect instead of abrupt halvings. The daily distribution is allocated to active Founder’s Node operators and ecosystem purposes as defined by governance. (support.gala.com)
• Burns: GALA is burned as gas for GalaChain transactions. Additional burns occur when ecosystem items are sold in GALA or through special events. In May 2023, the team also burned ~20.9B GALA from company wallets, including prior revenue held in GALA. (support.gala.com)

What people use GALA for today:

• Gas for the GALA blockchain
• Payments for games, NFTs, and collectibles
• Node incentives and governance in the Gala ecosystem
• Bridging to Ethereum or Solana for broader liquidity and GALA DeFi participation

These mechanics directly influence perceived scarcity and may impact GALA price over time, alongside adoption, new game launches, burn levels, and cross‑chain demand. (support.gala.com)

Ecosystem & Use Cases

The Gala Entertainment ecosystem spans three pillars—Games, Music, and Film—built on GalaChain but accessible with the same wallet.

Games

• Mirandus (MMORPG): Ongoing early‑access playtests add survival, crafting, and gear durability systems, with regular content updates and limited events. (news.gala.com)
• Common Ground World (formerly Town Star): A top‑down farm sim with weekly competitions awarding GALA and monthly NFT rewards. The rebrand reflects a partnership with the regenerative agriculture film “Common Ground.” (news.gala.com)
• Spider Tanks (team shooter): Economy updates, NFT tanks and parts, and captain/pilot systems drive on‑chain rewards and item progression. (news.gala.com)
• Last Expedition (extraction shooter): Node operators can run community servers; premium events and node upgrades highlight the “players run the servers” model. (support.gala.com)

Music

Gala Music enables “listen‑and‑earn” mechanics, artist‑fan engagement, and tokenized tracks, with evolving tokenomics for the $MUSIC ecosystem. Users can support artists, collect music NFTs, and receive rewards for activity. (news.gala.com)

Film

Gala Film brings tokenized “moments,” mystery boxes, and creator rewards to streaming—and in March 2025 launched a Web3 film app on LG Smart TVs, pushing GalaChain content into millions of living rooms. (globenewswire.com)

DeFi and swapping

Inside the ecosystem, GalaConnect offers P2P swaps for GalaChain assets (including wrapped stablecoins like G‑USDC and G‑USDT). Bridges connect GALA to Ethereum and Solana, where users can tap external DeFi tools and marketplaces. (news.gala.com)

Advantages & Challenges

Advantages

• Entertainment‑optimized L1: Low fees and fast transactions tailored for games, streaming, and collectibles—backed by the burning of gas in GALA. (support.gala.com)
• Community nodes: A 50,000‑license Founder’s Node network decentralizes operations and rewards active participants daily. Tokenized node licenses improve flexibility. (support.gala.com)
• Interoperability: Official, supported bridges to Ethereum and Solana expand reach to major ecosystems, supporting liquidity, NFTs, and GALA DeFi, NFTs, gaming. (support.gala.com)
• Expanding content footprint: Games, music, and film updates—including a TV app launch—drive mainstream touchpoints. (globenewswire.com)

Challenges

• Execution complexity: Running three verticals (games, music, film) plus a custom L1 is ambitious; shipping content and scaling governance at once is demanding.
• Past security incident: The 2024 unauthorized mint led to rapid mitigation and returned funds, but it underlines the importance of operational controls and monitoring. (news.gala.com)
• Leadership disputes: Ongoing co‑founder litigation has created headlines, though day‑to‑day token functionality remains unaffected. (caselaw.findlaw.com)
• Competitive market: Game‑focused chains and major L1s also target Web3 entertainment, pressuring user acquisition and retention.

Where to Buy & Wallets

If you’re researching where to buy GALA, you have two broad paths:

Centralized exchanges (CEX)

GALA is listed on major global exchanges such as Binance, Kraken, and OKX. These platforms supported the 2023 v2 upgrade and currently handle GALA deposits/withdrawals on the updated contract. Availability varies by region; always check the token contract a venue supports before depositing. (binance.com)

On‑chain with GalaConnect and bridges

• Use GalaConnect to swap GalaChain assets and bridge GALA between GalaChain and Ethereum. You can also bridge to Solana, enabling access to SOL‑based DeFi and marketplaces. (support.gala.com)
• Fiat on‑ramps: Integrations with Banxa and Alchemy Pay make it easier to purchase GALA on GalaChain directly. (news.gala.com)

Wallet options

• Gala Wallet (mobile and browser extension) is the official self‑custody wallet for GalaChain assets. For GALA on Ethereum or Solana, users typically connect MetaMask or a chain‑appropriate wallet, then bridge to or from GalaChain with GalaConnect. (apps.apple.com)

Tip: When moving tokens across chains, double‑check the destination network and contract to avoid sending assets to an unsupported address. Official support pages include step‑by‑step bridge guides. (support.gala.com)

Regulatory & Compliance

General regulatory posture

GALA functions as a utility token on the GALA blockchain, used primarily as gas and for ecosystem transactions. Its treatment can differ by jurisdiction, and major exchanges implement standard KYC/AML controls at account onboarding. No public U.S. regulator guidance has singled out GALA specifically; however, as with many digital assets, classification can evolve with policy. (support.gala.com)

GALA halal and Shariah considerations

• Is GALA crypto halal? Yes—several independent Islamic finance screeners categorize GALA as generally halal or Shariah‑aligned, citing its primary use in ownership and exchange of digital goods, without interest‑based mechanics. At the same time, views can differ among scholars, and there is no single global authority. (sharlife.my)
• How this maps to usage: The token supports value exchange in games, NFTs, and creator economies. This structure is the basis for platforms calling GALA shariah compliant in principle, though specific activities (e.g., speculative trading) may be evaluated differently by different scholars. (sharlife.my)

Corporate and legal context

A civil case between co‑founders has proceeded in U.S. federal court, with orders issued in August 2024. This dispute concerns corporate governance and alleged misconduct but does not change how users interact with the token, wallet, or chain. (caselaw.findlaw.com)

Future Outlook

The near‑term roadmap centers on three themes:

1. Interoperability and reach
   Bridges to Ethereum and Solana are expanding GALA’s footprint into mainstream DeFi and NFT markets. As more assets and apps become bridgeable, GALA’s role as gas and payment on GalaChain can deepen while still interfacing with outside liquidity. This may also affect long‑term demand dynamics and, indirectly, sentiment around GALA price. (news.gala.com)

2. Content pipeline
   Regular updates to flagship games (Mirandus, Common Ground World, Spider Tanks, Last Expedition), plus Gala Music and Gala Film initiatives (including the LG Smart TV app), keep the ecosystem visible to non‑crypto audiences. Consistent content drops are a key catalyst for user growth on the GALA blockchain. (news.gala.com)

3. Tokenomics stability and governance
   The daily 0.25% gap‑based emission model is designed to smooth supply, while ongoing burns from gas and sales create a usage‑driven sink for GALA. Community governance via node operators continues to refine distribution and security features as the network scales. (support.gala.com)

Summary

GALA is the native token of a purpose‑built entertainment chain where players and creators truly own their digital items. The GALA token powers gas on GalaChain, pays for NFTs and in‑game assets, and rewards a decentralized node network that votes on key proposals. With evolving tokenomics, formal bridges to Ethereum and Solana, and a steady drumbeat of games, music, and film releases, the GALA ecosystem aims to blend ease of use with real digital ownership. For users comparing Web3 networks, the differentiator here is focus: an entertainment‑first L1 where GALA DeFi, NFTs, gaming, and media meet under one roof—while remaining interoperable with the wider crypto world. For those exploring whether GALA is halal, several independent assessors consider it GALA shariah compliant in principle because it centers on value exchange and ownership rather than interest or games of chance. As adoption grows and cross‑chain rails expand, GalaChain’s utility‑driven design and governance may shape the long‑term narrative around GALA tokenomics and the broader role of the GALA token in Web3 entertainment. (support.gala.com)