Echelon Prime (PRIME) — a token for blockchain gaming
What is Echelon Prime?
Echelon Prime is positioned as an ecosystem to support the design and development of next-generation computer games that fully utilize blockchain technology. Game projects utilizing the Echelon ecosystem can release various types of NFTs, use Echelon's Web3 solutions, participate in asset stacking, and even receive grants from the community.
In practice, however, no developed game ecosystem has emerged despite the project's existence since 2022. As of early 2025, the only game in the ecosystem is the digital collectible card game Parallel, where blockchain tracks decks and player collections, and each card is a non-interchangeable token.
Although Parallel is officially considered only a partner of Echelon, Messari researchers believe that Echelon Prime was created directly by Parallel's developers. Echelon powers Parallel's game economy and also uses the game to demonstrate the ecosystem's capabilities.
Echelon operates a diverse set of Parallel-related assets within Echelon. These include:
- Masterpiece — 258 NFT entitles you to receive royalties on selling any Echelon-issued assets on secondary markets.
- Prime Key — 1500 NFTs entitling to free drops of new cards in Parallel and participation in PRIME token distribution.
- Prime Set — 32 combinations of Parallel cards that entitle you to participate in token distribution
- Catalyst Drive, Prime Drive, etc. — various NFTs, either alone or in combinations, gave the right to receive PRIME tokens. Valid for a limited time.
- 6 types of "keys" for Parallel, providing various bonuses. For example, increased reward for winning a match.
The degree of decentralization of Echelon is also very relative. The platform is managed by a limited pool of "PRIME Emissaries" — leaders elected by the community. The number of "emissaries" has never exceeded 11 and has been reduced to 9 as of February 2024. They make most ecosystem management decisions, with the community directly voting on a limited number of issues, such as grants to outside projects.
PRIME token
PRIME is an ecosystem management token and the platform's main native currency. It is used for voting in emissary elections and other key platform management issues, as well as purchasing NFT and other game values in Parallel. When other games appear in the ecosystem, PRIME will also be integrated into their economies.
In addition, several specific services in the ecosystem require either a one-time contribution to PRIME or ownership of a certain number of tokens. These include:
- admission to events,
- putting a proposal on the ballot,
- admission to contests,
- drops of NFT collections in the ecosystem.
Also worth noting is the unusual mechanics of token allocation. In addition to allocating a part of PRIME to investors and partners, direct sales at the initial stage, steaking, and other "traditional" ways of getting tokens, a significant part of PRIME is allocated to Play-to-Earn mechanics in Parallel. Just over 33 million tokens out of 111 million are planned to be distributed through the game.
PRIME has been trading on significant crypto exchanges since March 2023. The listing price was $5.4611. As of mid-January 2025, the token is trading around $13.2. PRIME's capitalization is over $474 million, which places the asset at #155 on CoinMarketCap. The historical high of $27.6 was reached on March 21, 2024.
PRIME's exchange rate has been highly volatile over the past year — fluctuations of tens of percent over several days are not unusual. However, for most of 2024, PRIME traded above the listing price (unlike in 2023). The only exception was a few days in August.
PRIME's investment prospects
The PRIME token and the Echelon project represent a rather interesting and unusual case for the crypto market. On the one hand, the project failed to achieve its stated ambitious goals, so PRIME remains nothing more than another gaming token. On the other hand, PRIME is in demand in the market; it is actively traded and shows reasonable growth rates. Moreover, PRIME showed growth even during unfavorable periods for the rest of the crypto market.