Stepn To Block Users From Mainland China Due To Compliance Issues

Stepn will block Chinese users from accessing its essential GPS and IP services starting July 15th.

According to a report by SCMP, Stepn, the Solana-based “move-to-earn” game, will block users in mainland China as required by the authorities there. The new ban will come into effect on July 15th.

The Solana-based social-fi application is a mobile platform that rewards users through walking, jogging, or running. It works by letting users buy NFTs that last for a certain amount of time. 

Tracking users’ geographic position is an essential feature that enables the platform to figure out their level of participation. Thus, to take part in the game, players need to carry their phones while exercising and let their GPS be known by the platform.

The company will begin “checking and clearing out” mainland China users and stop providing them GPS and IP geolocation services on July 15, it said Thursday on Twitter.

Co-founded by Jerry Huang and Yawn Rong, the game’s biggest markets include Japan and the US, and it now employs about 60 people.

The team clarified that it had never launched any business or provided any means for people to download the app within the jurisdiction. Huang, noted that Chinese users only account for 5% of the game’s total user base, suggesting that the ban would not significantly impact its business.