Blockchain.Poker Closed Dec. 12, 2022: Time to find a new poker home

Crypto-focused online poker site Blockchain.poker is the latest of the existing online poker sites to close its doors. All play stopped on Monday, Dec. 12, 2022. According to Blockchain Poker, “Withdrawals will remain open for an extended duration.”

More Info About the Closure

Players who visit the blockchain.poker domain now see a notice similar to the following:

Message Shown to Visitors to the Blockchain.Poker Site

Everyone is encouraged to claim their rakeback and affiliate points that are due to them. You can do so by clicking the “x” to dismiss the closure notice. Then from the top-right menu, select “Rewards” or “Affiliates” as appropriate and follow the instructions. Remember to do this for each currency for which you have a balance at Blockchain Poker.

Little Notice Given

Users were first told that the site was shutting down via a Reddit post from user u/BlockchainPoker who is the developer for the project. He wrote on Dec. 8:

Play Ending on December 12

When we came up with the concept for Blockchain Poker, we hoped that it would have an impact on the adoption of Bitcoin as it's used in the world.

Now, it's more clear than ever that crypto is here to stay and we feel we have accomplished our goal.

It's with this in mind that we're announcing that all play will end on December 12, 2022. We ask that you withdraw your balances as soon as you can. This includes claiming any rakeback and affiliate points you have earned.

We deeply appreciate the support we received over the course of the project's life. It's been quite the journey.

If you need assistance withdrawing your balances, please use the feedback form in the upper right.

This explanation unfortunately doesn't really make much sense. The poster implies that the purpose of the site was to drive the adoption of Bitcoin in the world.

He goes on to state “we feel we have accomplished our goal.” However, blockchain.poker was never more than a niche site that was dwarfed by several other crypto cardrooms not to mention large Bitcoin-focused businesses. It's hard to see how this poker site made anything more than a marginal contribution to Bitcoin adoption.

It's also not clear why only four days' warning was given to customers that play was ceasing. Most online poker rooms that shut down in a planned manner given players weeks or months to prepare.

The OP is specifically concerned with Bitcoin, but what about the three other crypto coins that Blockchain.Poker accepted: Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Bitcoin Satoshi Vision (BSV), and eCash (XEC)? They're much less popular than Bitcoin, which was after all the original crypto-currency, and /u/BlockchainPoker has nothing to say about seeking to grow acceptance of these smaller coins.

Developer Disappears

All in all, the information given tends to raise more questions than it answers. Unfortunately for those seeking answers, the lead developer appears to have disappeared from social media.

u/BlockchainPoker has not made any other posts since the closure announcement on Reddit, and it seems that this user has deleted all other Reddit posts that he made in the past. The Blockchain Poker Twitter account (@BlockchainPoker) meanwhile contains a pinned tweet linking to the Dec. 8 post on Reddit.

More Information About BlockchainPoker

Blockchain.Poker began in late 2016 as a crypto poker site that opened directly in users' browsers with no download required. Initially transacting only in Bitcoin, it eventually added Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin Satoshi Vision, and eCash to its portfolio. New users could claim a small number of chips for all of the crypto coins supported, and they could receive more if they ran out, making this a fine site for running up a bankroll from nothing.

Blockchain.poker hosted cash games and tournaments in NL Hold'em format. Each table or game was denominated in one of the supported crypto coins. It was not possible to buy into a particular game with any crypto-currency besides the one it was denominated in. Similarly, deposits and withdrawals could be made in any of the separate cryptos and users held balances in all of the coins simultaneously.

Blockchain Poker Ring Game Table

One of the most noteworthy features of blockchain.poker was the ability for ordinary users to create their own cash games and tournaments. Blind levels, action timers, buyins, graphics and more were greatly customizable, and games could be password protected.

Although it was never among the most well-known online poker sites, even within the niche of crypto-based cardrooms, Blockchain.poker did amass a small but loyal following. Fans appreciated the free chips, low rake (except for the lowest nano-stakes), and high rakeback. For the last year of its existence, Blockchain Poker saw modest but consistent traffic of around 20 – 30 simultaneously active ring game players.

Need Help Finding a New Poker Site?

If you are a former BlockchainPoker player who's looking for a new place to play, then we're here to help. Our guide to online poker for Americans contains a list of the most reputable and popular internet poker site for U.S. customers. It's perfectly safe, from a legal perspective, for you to play at the sites we recommend. For more info on this topic, head over to this page about the legal aspects of online poker in the USA.