How to Build a Move-to-Earn Crypto App Like STEPN

Blockchain technology and smart contracts are transforming the gaming and fitness industries by enabling Move-to-Earn platforms that pay users for exercising. STEPN, one of the most well-known M2E apps, offers monetary incentives and encourages a better lifestyle through tokenized incentives, NFT sneakers, and blockchain technology. If you are looking for a Move-to-Earn Crypto App like STEPN, you’ll find a range of options providing similar benefits.

Anyone who wants to create a Move-to-Earn blockchain platform has a special chance to capitalize on the growing demand for gamified fitness and blockchain-based incentives. Tokenized ecosystems, GPS tracking, and smart contracts can all be integrated by developers to give users a lucrative and pleasurable experience.

In this blog, we’ll guide you through every stage of developing an M2E app like STEPN, from selecting the ideal technology stack to designing a user-friendly UI. Additionally, we will discuss strategies for a successful market launch and look at important components that raise user engagement.

Key Market Takeaways of the Move-to-Earn Fitness App Market

The Move-to-Earn (M2E) fitness apps market is valued at $669.9 million in 2024 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 17.7% from 2025 to 2030, according to the report from The Grand View Research. This shows the expanding adoption of blockchain gamification for fitness, where individuals can be incentivized to exercise.

M2E platforms are revolutionizing the new fitness economy using blockchain, NFTs, and tokenized rewards to enable active living and unlock new economic opportunities for users and developers alike.

As Web3, AI-backed fitness tracking, and wearable technology continue to get better, improve, and progress, move-to-earn already has a fruitful moment for imagination and investment. Developers, entrepreneurs, and investors alike should jump now and reap benefits in what continues to transform the market and become an agent for shaping gamified health.

What is STEPN?

STEPN is a Move-to-Earn (M2E) crypto app that rewards users with cryptocurrency for walking, jogging, or running. Leveraging blockchain, NFTs, and gamification creates an incentive-driven fitness ecosystem. To participate and earn rewards, users must own NFT sneakers, with earnings distributed in the form of GST (Green Satoshi Token) or GMT (Green Metaverse Token).

STEPN’s Funding Rounds

STEPN has raised capital through a mix of venture investments and an Initial Coin Offering (ICO):

• Seed Round: Secured $5 million from leading investors, including Sequoia Capital, Folius Ventures, and Solana Capital.
• Initial Coin Offering: Raised $4.2 million through the sale of GMT on Binance Launchpad.

How Does STEPN Work?

STEPN uses a move-to-earn model, rewarding users with cryptocurrency for engaging in physical activity.

• Buy NFT Sneakers: To start earning, users must purchase NFT sneakers from the STEPN marketplace. These sneakers come in various types, each with unique attributes that influence earning potential, energy consumption, and efficiency. Higher-quality sneakers provide greater rewards but come at a higher cost.
• Start Moving:  After equipping NFT sneakers, users activate GPS tracking and start moving outdoors by walking, jogging, or running. STEPN’s system verifies movement using GPS and advanced anti-cheat mechanisms to prevent fraud and ensure fair reward distribution.
• Earn Rewards:  As users move, they earn GST (Green Satoshi Token) based on various factors, including movement speed, sneaker efficiency, and available energy. Sneakers have a limited energy supply that replenishes over time, capping daily earnings to maintain a sustainable economy.
• Upgrade & Trade: Users can enhance their NFT sneakers by leveling them up, repairing wear and tear, or minting new sneakers by combining existing ones. Upgraded sneakers increase earning potential. Sneakers can also be sold or traded in the marketplace for profit.
• Convert & Withdraw: GST (Green Satoshi Token) and GMT (Green Metaverse Token) rewards can be exchanged for other cryptocurrencies or cashed out, allowing users to monetize their movement. Tokens can also be reinvested into the ecosystem to upgrade sneakers and boost earning potential.

Business & Revenue Model of STEPN

STEPN combines innovative blockchain technology with fitness incentives to create a sustainable ecosystem where users earn rewards for staying active.

Revenue Streams

STEPN generates revenue primarily through in-app transactions and fees rather than direct service sales:

• Marketplace Transaction Fees: The platform charges a 2% fee on all trades within its in-app marketplace, where users buy and sell NFT sneakers.
• Shoe-Minting Fees: Users who breed two NFT sneakers to create a new pair pay a 6% fee, split between GST (Green Satoshi Token) and GMT (Green Metaverse Token).
• Rental Fees (STEPN GO): With the Haus system in STEPN GO, the platform collects an 8% tax on rental earnings from NFT sneakers.
• GMT Buyback & Burn Program: STEPN allocates 5% of platform profits to buy back and burn GMT, stabilizing its value and strengthening user confidence.
• Potential Future Revenue: STEPN is exploring additional revenue streams, including physical merchandise sales, brand collaborations, and the development of GMT Pay for real-world transactions.

Financial Performance

STEPN has experienced significant volatility, with rapid early success followed by notable declines:

• Peak Growth: STEPN generated $26 million in Q1 and $122.5 million in Q2 from platform fees, achieving a $1 billion valuation.
• User Activity & Trading Volume: Monthly active users peaked at over 700,000 in May 2022. Still in 2025, GMT trading volume remains active, indicating continued interest from investors.
• STEPN GO Expansion: The introduction of Go Gaming Token (GGT) in STEPN GO suggests the potential for renewed earnings. As of November 2024, the platform boasts over 5.7 million registered users.

Best Time To Invest in the M2E Industry 

The move-to-earn (M2E) industry is rapidly expanding, bringing together blockchain, gamification, and fitness rewards to form a new digital economy. Apps like STEPN have proved the potential of Web3-powered fitness apps that reward users with cryptocurrency for their activity. With the growing demand for decentralized and incentive-based fitness solutions, now is a great time to invest in this thriving market.

For instance, another M2E workout app, Sweatcoin, brought in from four rounds totaling $20.2 million in investments. It closed 2023 revenues at $20 million with a mind-boggling 140 million signed-up members, displaying strong financial vitality and widespread popularity adoption.

Similarly, Genopets, a Solana-based move-to-earn NFT game, offers exercise and pet evolution. The player gets rewarded through exercising and upgrading their Genopet NFT, which they can utilize for combat and other uses in the game. The project raised seed funding worth $8.3 million and was the highest-revenue M2E game of 2023, wherein players earned approximately $0.26 a day after excluding in-game costs.

These instances are in reference to the increasing viability of M2E platforms as good investments. With the growing adoption of Web3, AI-based fitness tracking, and tokenized rewards, move-to-earn applications are poised to be a significant player in the blockchain economy. Investors, developers, and entrepreneurs, now are the time to catch this wave and shape the future of gamified fitness.

Development Steps of a Move-to-Earn Crypto App  

Building a Move-to-Earn crypto app like STEPN requires a structured approach, focusing on blockchain integration, smart contracts, and user experience. Below is a detailed explanation of each development step, including the necessary tech stacks: 

1. Define the Concept and Consult  

Start by outlining the app’s core functions, including step tracking, rewards, and user engagement. Decide on the reward types and their distribution. Choose a blockchain platform based on scalability, costs, and speed. Plan the tokenomics by designing the reward distribution and selecting a native token or existing cryptocurrencies. Consult with a reputed company like Idea Usher, which can provide you with expert and understandable insights to ensure your platform is designed with the right features and technology. Utilize frameworks and platforms like Solana or Ethereum for this phase. 

2. Design the Architecture  

Once the concept is finalized, the next step is to design the system architecture, creating a blueprint for app integration with the blockchain, user data handling, and reward processing. The backend, using frameworks like Node.js or Django, should manage data storage, step tracking, and rewards. The front end, developed with React or Angular, must focus on a seamless user experience with intuitive dashboards and wallet management. Tools like Lucidchart or Draw.io can help you visualize the architecture.  

3. Develop Smart Contracts  

Smart contracts are essential for a Move-to-Earn app, managing functions like reward distribution, user verification, and transaction processing. Written in languages such as Solidity or Rust, they must be tested and deployed on the chosen blockchain using tools like Truffle, Hardhat, or Remix IDE. It’s important to secure, audit, and optimize these contracts for gas efficiency, incorporating features like staking, token minting, and burning to enhance functionality. 

4. Integrate Blockchain and Wallet  

To enable users to store, send, and receive rewards, the app must integrate with cryptocurrency wallets like MetaMask, Phantom, or Trust Wallet. This involves using APIs or SDKs such as WalletConnect or Web3.js to enable seamless wallet connectivity. Additionally, blockchain transactions for rewards, NFT purchases, and in-app activities need to be implemented to ensure smooth interactions between the app and the blockchain.  

5. Build the Step-Tracking Mechanism  

Accurate step tracking is a core feature of any Move-to-Earn app. This can be achieved using GPS or smartphone sensors, along with third-party fitness APIs like Google Fit or Apple Health, for reliable data collection. Ensuring data privacy and security during transmission is also critical to protect user information. Data encryption tools and libraries for GPS tracking are essential for this phase.  

6. Develop the Backend and Frontend 

The backend, built using frameworks like Node.js and Express, handles user data, activity logs, and reward calculations, requiring a robust and scalable infrastructure. The front end, developed with frameworks like React Native or Flutter, focuses on delivering a user-friendly experience with features like activity dashboards, leaderboards, and NFT marketplaces. Seamless communication between the frontend, backend, and blockchain is essential for smooth app functionality.

7. Test and Optimize  

Thorough testing is crucial to ensure the app functions as intended. This includes testing smart contracts, wallet integration, and step-tracking functionality using tools like Mocha and Chai. Security audits, conducted with tools like CertiK or MythX should also be performed to identify and fix vulnerabilities. Finally, the app should be optimized for performance, scalability, and user experience using tools like Lighthouse to ensure it can handle high user loads and deliver a smooth experience.  

8. Launch and Maintain

After testing, the app can be deployed to Google Play and the Apple App Store via tools like Fastlane or Jenkins, ensuring compliance with guidelines. Post-launch, monitor for bugs and user feedback using tools like Sentry or New Relic. Regular updates with new features and security patches are crucial to keep the app engaging. CI/CD pipelines streamline deployment and updates.  

Move-to-Earn Crypto App Development Cost

The cost of developing an M2E crypto app depends on the complexity of features, blockchain integration, and security measures. Below is a cost breakdown based on key development steps.

Total Estimated Cost: $10,000 – $100,000

This breakdown provides an estimate of the minimum and maximum investment needed for a full-fledged M2E crypto app. The final cost depends on development scope, customization, and integrations.

Factors Affecting the Development Cost of Move-to-Earn Crypto App

Developing a Move-to-Earn crypto app like STEPN involves unique costs. Adding extra features not available in STEPN will further increase the expenses.

• Features and Complexity: The more advanced the app, the higher the cost. Basic activity tracking and reward distribution are relatively inexpensive, while features like social integration, real-time analytics, and gamification elements require additional resources and development time.
• Platform Selection: Building for multiple platforms (iOS, Android, Web) adds to the budget. Cross-platform solutions like React Native can reduce costs, whereas developing separate native apps for each platform requires more resources.
• Blockchain Integration: The choice of blockchain and the complexity of integrating cryptocurrency wallets, smart contracts, and transaction mechanisms directly influence costs. Ethereum, Solana, and Binance Smart Chain each have different development and operational expenses.
• Security and Compliance: Crypto apps handle financial transactions and sensitive user data, requiring strong security measures. Encryption, fraud prevention, and regulatory compliance are essential. Implementing these protections increases development costs.

Conclusion

Developing Move-to-Earn cryptocurrency software like STEPN merges blockchain technology with fitness. Users earn tokenized rewards for physical activity through smart contracts, creating a fun and rewarding experience.

This article outlines the key steps for developing an M2E app, from choosing the right tech stack to integrating features for seamless user engagement and financial success. With Web3 and gamified fitness advancements, there’s room for creativity and customization.

Want to Build a Move-to-Earn Crypto App with IdeaUsher!

Our Blockchain developers have 500,000 hours of extensive experience in blockchain technology. IdeaUsher specializes in developing Move-to-Earn apps that seamlessly integrate Blockchain rewards, gaming, and fitness.

With developers having Ex-MAANG or Ex-FAANG experience, we will deliver the perfect product for your needs. Our solutions include tokenized incentives, smart contracts, NFT-based assets, and real-time activity tracking, providing security, transparency, and scalability.   Whether your objective is to create an engaging M2E platform or explore new revenue streams, we provide end-to-end development services that are tailored to your vision.

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FAQs

Q.1. What are the essential features of a Move-to-Earn app?

A Move-to-Earn app must have certain essential components in order to function properly. Activity monitoring uses GPS and motion sensors to track movements precisely. Blockchain integration ensures secure, transparent transactions through the use of smart contracts. Many M2E apps include an NFT marketplace for buying, selling, or trading digital assets, such as virtual sneakers. Social features and user accounts boost interest through leaderboards, challenges, and community interactions.

Q.2. How do Move-to-Earn apps ensure data accuracy and prevent cheating?

M2E apps use anti-cheat strategies to maintain fair play and data integrity. Wearables and smartphones with advanced sensors detect real movements and prevent fraud. Algorithms analyze user behavior to identify cheating patterns, such as GPS spoofing or step counter manipulation. Regular audits and updates improve the system, ensuring rewards go only to legitimate users who meet activity standards.

Q.3. What are the monetization strategies for a Move-to-Earn app?

Move-to-Earn apps generate revenue through in-app purchases of premium features and NFT products. They also earn from transaction fees on marketplace exchanges. Advertising and brand partnerships boost income as companies promote fitness-related products. Some platforms use staking strategies, allowing users to lock tokens for future dividends, enhancing the app’s economy.

Q.4. What challenges might arise during the development of an M2E app?

Developing an M2E app is challenging. Skilled developers must handle blockchain integration and real-time tracking. Users’ lack of knowledge about cryptocurrencies or blockchain apps can slow adoption. Regional differences in digital currency and data privacy laws make regulatory compliance essential. Strong security measures, educational resources, and user-friendly design are key to overcoming these challenges and ensuring long-term success.