Almost two weeks ago, the closure of a mining farm in Ukraine caused a sensation. Apparently something completely different was being mined, namely Fifa Coins.
After reports of the breaking up of an illegal crypto mining farm in the Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia last week, many were surprised by the choice of equipment. Because the digital miners do not rely on ASICs or Antminer, but on PS4 consoles. As it now turned out, the real purpose was entirely different. The game consoles were not used to mine Bitcoin and Co., but to collect coins for the popular football simulation series Fifa from the publisher Electronic Arts (EA) to generate. That revealed research of the Ukrainian news portal Delo.
In the popular game mode Fifa Ultimate Team (FUT) become Fifa Coins needed to buy new players or to draw packages that can also contain players or consumables such as contracts, position and attribute cards. Alternatively, gamers acquire FIFA Points for real money to pull packs. This is also one of the biggest criticisms of the game concept. The vast majority of the community believes that EA forces gamers to invest hard cash in order to be successful in the virtual court.
Buying accounts popular alternative
An alternative that some console trainers resort to is buying pre-built accounts. Bots generate enormous start-up capital in advance – either through automated games or trading. The prices vary depending on the desired amount of Fifa Coins. Of EA however, this practice is not welcomed at all. The publisher regularly bans suspicious accounts without warning.
The Ukrainian secret service had such a farm SBU picked up almost two weeks ago. The authority had noticed the exorbitant power consumption that the criminals obtained from the city network. It is estimated that the cumulative damage will be between 5 and 7 million Hryvnia (about 220,000 euros). Accordingly, the SBU initiated criminal proceedings for the theft of water, electricity and thermal energy through unauthorized use.
Sorare: The Fifa counterpart on the blockchain
In addition to the “pay-to-win” allegations, inflation is another point of criticism within the Fifa-Scene that haunts the game, especially towards the end of the season. Due to numerous events where new packs are released, prices are falling for almost all players on the transfer market. Players who pursue a completely different approach can access the blockchain game here Sorare put. The player cards are limited to a maximum of 100 pieces, some versions are even unique. Gamers can purchase the cards for real money and, ideally, sell them on at a higher price. The market value results from various parameters. For example, the rarity level or the real performance of the footballer on the pitch are included in the calculation. BTC-ECHO has extensively tested the platform, the review can be found here.