Computer system and method for more efficiently storing, issuing, and transacting tokenized blockchain game assets managed by a smart contract

Abstract

A computer system and method is disclosed including a vault application to facilitate the transacting of game assets represented by tokens managed by a smart contract via a hybrid approach that permits certain transactions of game assets to be conducted using an in-game centralized database approach (which does not necessarily include a decentralized network) and other transactions to be managed on a decentralized network, via a blockchain or other distributed ledger technology (DLT) network.

1 . A computerized system for providing a vault application for interfacing between: i) a centralized application, which has established communication with the vault application, the centralized application comprising an user inventory of digital assets; and ii) a decentralized network, the system comprising:
 a memory for storing computer executable modules; and at least one processor configured to execute the computer executable modules; the computer executable modules comprising:   the vault application configured to: i) communicate with the centralized application to update a user inventory to include a digital asset; and ii) manage a token representing ownership of the digital asset during the time the digital asset is in the user's inventory.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to, in response to receipt of a user request to acquire a digital asset the ownership of which is represented by a token to be minted, defer minting of the token and communicate to the centralized application authorization for the user's inventory of digital assets to be updated to include the digital asset. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to, in response to a user request to transfer the digital asset out of the application to a specified crypto wallet, mint the token representing ownership of the digital asset and initiate transfer of the token to the specified wallet. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , comprising a facilitator configured to communicate with a vault smart contract, the vault smart contract being configured to mint the token and initiate transfer of the minted token to a specified designated wallet. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the facilitator is further configured to, in response to the transfer of the minted token completing successfully, message the centralized application to update the user's inventory to remove the digital asset. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , comprising a facilitator configured to communicate with the centralized application to authorize movement of the digital asset into the user's inventory, without minting the token prior to the communication authorizing the movement. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , comprising a facilitator configured to: i) receive from the centralized application a mint request message for the facilitator to mint a token for a digital asset; and ii) in response to receipt of the mint request message, generate a mint message for communication to the vault application along with a token ID. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , comprising a graphical user interface configured to provide: i) a first user interface display portion to enable a user to select icons of digital assets to acquire via the interface; ii) a second user interface display portion to enable a user to select digital assets to be moved between a user's vault and a specified crypto wallet; and a third user interface display portion to enable a user to select digital assets to be moved between a user's vault and an application. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , comprising a user vault and a graphical user interface configured to provide a first display portion for displaying wallets associated with the user and which have been linked to the user's vault. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , the graphical user interface configured to: i) display an option for the user to select one of the wallets; and ii) in response to user selection of a wallet, display the digital assets associated with the selected wallet. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , the graphical user interface configured to display an option for the user to select one of the wallets and, in response to selection of a wallet, display the digital assets associated with the selected wallet and provide a display option for a user to select one or more digital assets to be transferred from the wallet. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , the graphical user interface configured to display an option for the user to select digital assets to be deposited into the centralized application or withdrawn from the centralized application, including a display option to select an icon of a wallet to/from which the digital assets are to be transferred. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9 , the graphical user interface configured to display: i) an icon representing a wallet associated with the user and which has been linked to the user's vault; ii) a display option for the user to select the icon; and iii) a display option for the user to select one or more tokenized digital assets to be transacted to/from the wallet. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the centralized application is configured to manage transactions relating to a user's inventory of digital assets for use with the centralized application, the decentralized network is configured to manage transactions relating to crypto tokens which represent ownership of digital assets and the vault application is configured to provide an interface between the centralized application and the decentralized network to enable tokenized digital assets to be transferred into and out of the centralized application without the centralized application needing to be configured to handle token transactions. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , comprising a facilitator configured to handle communications between the facilitator and the decentralized network and the between the facilitator and the centralized application. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , comprising a vault smart contract configured to store a token associated with a digital asset in the user inventory of digital assets in the centralized application. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the facilitator is configured to communicate with the centralized application to authorize the digital asset to be recorded in the user's inventory of digital assets, without the token being transferred to the centralized application. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the facilitator is configured to, in response to receipt of a message from the centralized application that the user has selected to withdraw the digital asset from the centralized application, send a message to the centralized application to determine if the user's inventory reflects that the user remains in possession of the digital asset prior to the transaction, and, being further configured to, in response to receiving a message from centralized application that the centralized application has locked the digital asset to prevent the user from transacting the digital asset within the centralized application, communicate with a vault smart contract to transfer the token corresponding to the digital asset to a designated wallet. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , the facilitator being configured to, upon completion of the transfer of the token corresponding to the digital asset to a designated wallet, message the centralized application to update the user's account to reflect that the user no longer possesses the digital asset. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the vault application is configured to store a token representing a digital asset and communicate a message to the centralized application to authorize use of the digital asset while the token is stored under control of the vault application.