A fresh crypto gold rush is sweeping across tokens tied to Web3 gaming and online casinos, as investors pile into projects using buyback and burn mechanisms to inflate value and shrink supply.

It kicked off with Catton AI (CATTON), a Solana- and BNB Chain–based gaming token that executed a 100 billion token burn on June 17, wiping 1% of its total 10 trillion supply. The move caused a spike in trading activity. The move likely triggered a broader run on similar tokens, especially Shufl (SHFL) and Solana (SOL), both of which have buy-and-burn strategies tied to gaming revenues.

Casinos Ride the Buy and Burn Wave

Shuffle Casino token SHUFL rose in value by 23% since June, Solana has increased by 16% and FunToken, which is tied to the FreeBitco.in platform, surged 41% when it burnt 0.23% of its overall supply. Only Roobet has bucked the trend with a significant overall slide, but it has its own PR issues going on at the moment.

Investors are betting on one thing: deflation equals value. Binance has been burning BNB for years. But this new wave comes with a twist: AI-powered projects and crypto casinos, a heady mix of speculation and utility. CATTON in particular is riding the AI hype wave, with its pitch built on AI-driven NPCs and dynamic Web3 gaming environments.

And with Bitcoin hovering above $105,000 and Ethereum rebounding toward $2,800, overall sentiment is bullish. These are perfect conditions for tokens promising scarcity.

Is This a New Trend, or the Latest Fad?

Still, not everyone’s sold. Critics argue that buy-and-burns are more psychological than economic. “Burns create buzz, but they don’t always boost price unless backed by demand,” said one analyst on X.

But for now, demand is here. Whether this is the start of a long-term shift or just another summer sugar high remains to be seen. Either way, Catton lit the match, and the casinos are fanning the flames.