Cryptocurrencies are booming. Over the last few months, interest in cryptocurrencies increased rapidly. And if we don’t count the volatility of the last few weeks, prices increased even more.

But while cryptocurrencies are becoming more mainstream, cryptocurrency mining is not yet widespread. Aside from a top-notch graphics card, mining requires a high level of technical know-how.

So to make crypto mining accessible to everyone, we need an interactive cloud mining platform. A platform that is easy to understand and fun to use.

Enter Hash Rush, the first hash-powered game. Hash Rush allows players to earn cryptocurrency while simultaneously enjoying a great RTS.

What is Hash Rush?

I've introduced myself and the Hash Rush game before, but in this article I'll go into more detail.

Hash Rush is a unique browser game, that makes cryptocurrency mining fun and available to a large audience. Think of it as Age of Empires with a huge twist: All the ore you mine, you get to keep.

At its heart, Hash Rush is an RTS game — the goal is to conquer the galaxy, by building, maintaining and expanding your colony.

But what makes Hash Rush unique is its focus on cryptocurrency mining. Over the last year or so, we have developed an Ethereum-based crypto token called Rush Coin (RC). Rush Coin is the main currency of Hash Rush.

Players can get Rush Coin in four ways:

• Mining the in-game Crypto Crystals
• Exchanging items and units with other players
• Swapping currencies with other token holders
• Completing specific missions

Once you got a hold on some Rush Coins, you can use them for in-game transactions. Spend Rush Coin to upgrade your colony, fend off natural disasters or create more miners — it’s your choice.

A great story tells it all

To make cryptocurrency mining more engaging, we needed to create a great game. Luckily, the Hash Rush team is ambitious. We want you and millions of players to enjoy Hash Rush to the fullest.

That is why we are putting a lot of effort in creating three factions that rule the fictional Hermeian solar system. Each faction has its own missions, its own looks and capabilities and, of course, its own unique story line.

Just as important as the story are the game’s functionalities. Like a classical RTS game, we have implemented a mini-map and fog-of-war. In addition, a colony has different types of units (miners, engineers and prospectors), and different kinds of upgradeable buildings.

Expanding your colony is not the only goal in the game. There are specific story-driven missions you can fulfil to receive Rush Coin prizes. Or you can take part in a multiplayer competition that pits the factions against each other.

Trading valuable items

Hash Rush comes with a trading system used for trading valuable items. This allows you to sell unwanted items and get some Rush Coins in return.

So how does this work?

Well, Hash Rush comes with a variety of items, which may help your miners, engineers and prospectors to do their job better. For instance, binoculars allow your prospectors to look farther and reveal more territory.

Every unit and item a player buys or receives, comes with a card. These cards are tradable. Once you own a card, you also gain its perks.

For instance, this card provides the holder with extra mining power. But this is just one example. We are planning on releasing a variety of cards that provide different perks. Some are common, and others will be more unique (and more valuable).

Trading simply brings another dimension to the Hash Rush game. As you can see, there are many ways to earn Rush Coins — and many reasons to keep playing.

Participating in the Hash Rush project & Rush Coins ICO

We truly believe Hash Rush will be a great game. But with all that said, we need the participation of the wider crypto and gaming communities to make this project into a success.

There are three ways to take part in the Hash Rush project. First, you can join our Hash Rush mining pool later this year. Should you choose to mine with us, you will receive in-game bonuses and Rush Coins on top of your normal payout in ETH.

Second, we have launched the Hash Rush PR Campaign, which I'll post about later today. Participate in this campaign using Facebook, Twitter or the blog of your choice. Active participation will be rewarded with real Rush Coins, so make sure to take a look!

Third, this August and September we are organizing our Initial Coin Offering (ICO) and pre-ICO. This means you can purchase the first (ERC-20 compliant) Rush Coins.

You will be able to purchase RC with Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH) or Ethereum Classic (ETC). The initial conversion rate is 1000 RC for every 1 ETH, and the advantages of purchasing Rush Coins during the (pre-)ICO are:

• Beta access to the Hash Rush game
• Choose your own faction without waiting in queue
• Get special in-game titles, badges and tradable cards
• Receive a Rush Coin conversion rate bonus of up to 25%

Note that the Pre-ICO will run from 16 August 12.01 pm (CET) to 1 September, with a minimum entry threshold of 50 ETH. The ICO will run from 13 September 12.01 pm (CET) until 13 October, with a minimum entry threshold of 0.1 ETH.

Where do we go from here?

In under a few minutes, we have given you a glimpse into Hash Rush, a project that combines an RTS game with a cryptocurrency mining platform.

Our team believes in this project, but whether this project succeeds does not just depend on us. But supposing for a minute that the Hash Rush ICO goes well, where do we go from here?

Our white paper describes our roadmap more accurately, but broadly speaking, we are looking to:

• Create the HR mining pool and let other cryptocurrency miners join
• Finish the Hermeian solar system and develop randomly-generated planets
• Triple our hash power
• Add gods that introduce natural disasters to the game
• Develop a mobile version of the game for Android and iOS

Simply put, our goal is to create a great RTS game and make cryptocurrency mining more fun.

Did we pique your interest or do you want to participate in our project? Please take a look at our white paper, our Twitter or go to our website.

And let me know what you think!