Dominic Lumabi sits on the computer in his Manila bedroom pitting his puffer fish-like cartoon NFT characters against others. But this is not just a game -- he is earning cryptocurrency to support his family during the pandemic. The source of his income is Axie Infinity, a blockchain-based play-to-earn game that exploded in popularity in developing nations such as the Philippines as Covid-19 destroyed jobs and forced many to stay home. Its fans, financial backers and creators -- Vietnam-based Sky Mavis -- say it is a revolutionary step towards the future of the internet. Detractors warn the game is a "house of cards", some likening it to a fraud scheme driven by hype and speculation. IMAGES