Skip to main content

In-Game Currency

Using the Sui Closed-Loop Token standard, you can create in-game currency (such as gems or diamonds in mobile games) that you can grant to players for their actions or make available to purchase. You mint the tokens on Sui, but players can only use the tokens within the economy of the game itself. These types of tokens are usually not transferrable and you would typically mint them in predefined amounts to maintain scarcity and game balance.

The following example creates an in-game currency called a GEM, which represents a certain number of SUI. In the example, the user can buy fungible GEMs using SUI, which can then be used as currency within the game. Use the code comments to follow the logic of the example.

sui/examples/move/token/sources/gems.move
/// This is a simple example of a permissionless module for an imaginary game
/// that sells swords for Gems. Gems are an in-game currency that can be bought
/// with SUI.
module examples::sword {
use sui::tx_context::TxContext;
use sui::object::{Self, UID};

use sui::token::{Self, Token, ActionRequest};
use examples::gem::GEM;

/// Trying to purchase a sword with an incorrect amount.
const EWrongAmount: u64 = 0;

/// The price of a sword in Gems.
const SWORD_PRICE: u64 = 10;

/// A game item that can be purchased with Gems.
struct Sword has key, store { id: UID }

/// Purchase a sword with Gems.
public fun buy_sword(
gems: Token<GEM>, ctx: &mut TxContext
): (Sword, ActionRequest<GEM>) {
assert!(SWORD_PRICE == token::value(&gems), EWrongAmount);
(
Sword { id: object::new(ctx) },
token::spend(gems, ctx)
)
}
}

/// Module that defines the in-game currency: GEMs which can be purchased with
/// SUI and used to buy swords (in the `sword` module).
module examples::gem {
use std::option::none;
use std::string::{Self, String};
use sui::sui::SUI;
use sui::transfer;
use sui::object::{Self, UID};
use sui::balance::{Self, Balance};
use sui::tx_context::{sender, TxContext};
use sui::coin::{Self, Coin, TreasuryCap};

use sui::token::{Self, Token, ActionRequest};

/// Trying to purchase Gems with an unexpected amount.
const EUnknownAmount: u64 = 0;

/// 10 SUI is the price of a small bundle of Gems.
const SMALL_BUNDLE: u64 = 10_000_000_000;
const SMALL_AMOUNT: u64 = 100;

/// 100 SUI is the price of a medium bundle of Gems.
const MEDIUM_BUNDLE: u64 = 100_000_000_000;
const MEDIUM_AMOUNT: u64 = 5_000;

/// 1000 SUI is the price of a large bundle of Gems.
/// This is the best deal.
const LARGE_BUNDLE: u64 = 1_000_000_000_000;
const LARGE_AMOUNT: u64 = 100_000;

#[allow(lint(coin_field))]
/// Gems can be purchased through the `Store`.
struct GemStore has key {
id: UID,
/// Profits from selling Gems.
profits: Balance<SUI>,
/// The Treasury Cap for the in-game currency.
gem_treasury: TreasuryCap<GEM>,
}

/// The OTW to create the in-game currency.
struct GEM has drop {}

// In the module initializer we create the in-game currency and define the
// rules for different types of actions.
fun init(otw: GEM, ctx: &mut TxContext) {
let (treasury_cap, coin_metadata) = coin::create_currency(
otw, 0, b"GEM", b"Capy Gems", // otw, decimal, symbol, name
b"In-game currency for Capy Miners", none(), // description, url
ctx
);

// create a `TokenPolicy` for GEMs
let (policy, cap) = token::new_policy(&treasury_cap, ctx);

token::allow(&mut policy, &cap, buy_action(), ctx);
token::allow(&mut policy, &cap, token::spend_action(), ctx);

// create and share the GemStore
transfer::share_object(GemStore {
id: object::new(ctx),
gem_treasury: treasury_cap,
profits: balance::zero()
});

// deal with `TokenPolicy`, `CoinMetadata` and `TokenPolicyCap`
transfer::public_freeze_object(coin_metadata);
transfer::public_transfer(cap, sender(ctx));
token::share_policy(policy);
}

/// Purchase Gems from the GemStore. Very silly value matching against module
/// constants...
public fun buy_gems(
self: &mut GemStore, payment: Coin<SUI>, ctx: &mut TxContext
): (Token<GEM>, ActionRequest<GEM>) {
let amount = coin::value(&payment);
let purchased = if (amount == SMALL_BUNDLE) {
SMALL_AMOUNT
} else if (amount == MEDIUM_BUNDLE) {
MEDIUM_AMOUNT
} else if (amount == LARGE_BUNDLE) {
LARGE_AMOUNT
} else {
abort EUnknownAmount
};

coin::put(&mut self.profits, payment);

// create custom request and mint some Gems
let gems = token::mint(&mut self.gem_treasury, purchased, ctx);
let req = token::new_request(buy_action(), purchased, none(), none(), ctx);

(gems, req)
}

/// The name of the `buy` action in the `GemStore`.
public fun buy_action(): String { string::utf8(b"buy") }
}