Sequence was acquired by Polygon Labs in January 2026, along with Coinme, as part of Polygon's push into stablecoin payments. Sequence is now building the "Open Money Stack"—infrastructure to connect stablecoin payments with traditional finance. While Sequence remains a strong gaming-focused solution, this acquisition changes its strategic direction and may affect chain-agnostic support.
Why Developers Look for Sequence Alternatives
Since the Polygon Labs acquisition, game studios have been evaluating Sequence alternatives for several reasons:
- Polygon ecosystem prioritization: As part of Polygon Labs, Sequence may prioritize Polygon chains over others
- Stablecoin payments focus: The "Open Money Stack" initiative shifts focus toward payments infrastructure
- Vendor lock-in concerns: Proprietary stack with no self-hosting option
- Chain flexibility: Studios building on Arbitrum, Base, or other L2s may want chain-agnostic solutions
- Open-source sovereignty: Sequence's infrastructure cannot be self-hosted or audited
What to Look for in a Sequence Alternative
| Criteria | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Chain Agnosticism | Avoid being locked into one ecosystem; support for multiple L2s |
| Game Engine SDKs | Unity, Unreal, and mobile support are essential for game studios |
| Session Keys | Enable gasless, frictionless gameplay without constant signing |
| Open Source | Self-hostable infrastructure for long-term sovereignty |
| Independence | Acquired companies may shift priorities; independent vendors stay focused |
What are the Best Sequence Alternatives?
The best Sequence alternatives in 2026 are Openfort, Thirdweb, and Turnkey.
- Openfort is the top choice for game studios who need gaming-native features (session keys, gas sponsorship) with open-source infrastructure and chain-agnostic support
- Thirdweb offers an all-in-one platform with Unity SDK, contracts, and marketplaces
- Turnkey provides the fastest signing (50-100ms) for real-time competitive games
Note: Privy is now part of Stripe, Dynamic is part of Fireblocks, and Web3Auth is part of MetaMask—all with their own acquisition dynamics.
1. Openfort
Openfort (that's us 👋) is an open-source wallet infrastructure solution that provides powerful wallet capabilities for games and applications. Our platform allows developers to plug and play any signer (including OpenSigner) and contract they prefer, simplifying everything from cross-app ecosystems and AI agents to gaming and DeFi.
Why Choose Openfort Over Sequence
- If you're concerned about Polygon ecosystem lock-in, Openfort is chain-agnostic and supports all EVM chains
- If you want open-source sovereignty, OpenSigner is MIT-licensed and self-hostable
- If you need custom authentication, Openfort supports any OIDC provider—use your own player ID system
- If you want faster signing (125ms vs variable latency) for real-time gameplay
Comparison Table: Openfort vs. Sequence
| Feature | Openfort | Sequence |
|---|---|---|
| Open Source | ✅ OpenSigner (MIT) | ❌ Proprietary |
| Signing Speed | 125ms median | Variable |
| Smart Accounts | ✅ Native (4337, 7702) | ✅ Native |
| Unity SDK | ✅ | ✅ |
| Authentication | Any OIDC / Custom | Sequence Auth |
| Chain Support | All EVM chains | Polygon-focused |
| Self-Hostable | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Parent Company | Independent | Polygon Labs |
| Session Keys | ✅ | ✅ |
| Gas Sponsorship | ✅ Policy Engine | ✅ Built-in |
Scaling Considerations
- Chain flexibility: Openfort supports Arbitrum, Base, Polygon, Avalanche, and all EVM chains equally
- Pricing: Free tier with 1,000 MAUs and 500 transactions, then usage-based
- Independence: No acquisition dynamics affecting product roadmap
Why game developers choose Openfort
Studios choose Openfort for gaming-native features (session keys, gasless transactions) with open-source infrastructure, chain agnosticism, and independence from ecosystem politics.
2. Thirdweb
Thirdweb offers a comprehensive development platform including gaming SDKs, embedded wallets, and contract tools.
Why Choose Thirdweb Over Sequence
- If you want an all-in-one platform (wallets, contracts, indexing, payments)
- If you need broader scope beyond gaming-specific features
- If you prefer a generous free tier
Comparison Table: Thirdweb vs. Sequence
| Feature | Thirdweb | Sequence |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Full Stack Platform | Gaming-Focused |
| Game SDKs | Unity, Unreal | Unity, Unreal |
| Smart Accounts | ✅ Native | ✅ Native |
| Marketplace Tools | ✅ | ✅ |
| Contract Deployment | ✅ Extensive | ❌ |
| Independence | ✅ Independent | ❌ Polygon Labs |
| 700+ Chains | ✅ | Polygon-focused |
Why developers choose Thirdweb
Studios choose Thirdweb for the "one-stop-shop" approach—contracts, wallets, and infrastructure in one platform.
3. Turnkey
Turnkey provides the fastest signing infrastructure (50-100ms) using TEEs, built by the Coinbase Custody team.
Why Choose Turnkey Over Sequence
- If you need the fastest possible signing for competitive real-time games
- If you want to build your own game wallet UX from scratch
- If you're building automated systems (bots, AI agents)
Comparison Table: Turnkey vs. Sequence
| Feature | Turnkey | Sequence |
|---|---|---|
| Level | Infrastructure API | Full Stack |
| Signing Speed | 50-100ms | Variable |
| Game SDKs | ❌ Build your own | ✅ Unity, Unreal |
| Flexibility | ✅ Maximum | ⚠️ Constrained |
| Pricing | Per-signature | Custom |
| AI Agent Support | ✅ Policy-controlled | ⚠️ Limited |
Why developers choose Turnkey
Studios building competitive games or needing maximum performance choose Turnkey for its unmatched signing speed.
4. Privy (Now Part of Stripe)
Privy was acquired by Stripe in June 2025. Privy focuses on high-conversion onboarding for consumer apps.
Considerations for Gaming
- Strength: Best-in-class onboarding conversion
- Limitation: Not gaming-specific; no Unity/Unreal SDKs
- New feature: Stablecoin payments via Stripe's Bridge
- Risk: Stripe ecosystem lock-in
Why developers choose Privy
Browser-based games prioritizing onboarding conversion over deep game engine integration.
5. Dynamic (Now Part of Fireblocks)
Dynamic was acquired by Fireblocks in 2025. Dynamic provides polished wallet connection UI widgets.
Considerations for Gaming
- Strength: Beautiful UI widgets
- Limitation: Not gaming-specific; slow signing (2850ms)
- Risk: Enterprise pivot under Fireblocks
Why developers choose Dynamic
Web-based games that prioritize UI polish over performance.
6. Web3Auth (Now Part of MetaMask)
Web3Auth was acquired by MetaMask/Consensys. Web3Auth provides MPC-based social login.
Considerations for Gaming
- Strength: Lowest cost social login ($69/month)
- Limitation: Slow MPC signing (~500ms+); no game SDKs
- Risk: MetaMask ecosystem lock-in
Why developers choose Web3Auth
Budget-conscious projects needing basic social login without gaming-specific features.
7. Building In-House
Building your own game wallet infrastructure is the ultimate alternative.
Pros
- Total control over UX and features
- No vendor dependencies
- Custom optimizations for your game
Cons
- 3-6 months of development
- Ongoing security maintenance
- Distraction from core game development
For most studios, the build vs buy equation favors using infrastructure like Openfort.
Recommendation by Use Case
| Use Case | Recommended Alternative |
|---|---|
| Multi-chain game, open-source needed | Openfort |
| Real-time competitive game (50ms signing) | Turnkey |
| All-in-one platform (contracts + wallets) | Thirdweb |
| Browser game, conversion focus | Privy |
| Polygon ecosystem focus | Stay with Sequence |
| Lowest budget | Web3Auth |
Conclusion
Sequence remains a strong choice for gaming if you're committed to the Polygon ecosystem and want integrated marketplace tools.
However, if you need chain-agnostic support, open-source sovereignty, faster signing, or want to avoid ecosystem lock-in, Openfort provides gaming-native infrastructure that grows with your studio.
Get started with Openfort — 1,000 MAUs free, Unity SDK included. See also: Web3Auth alternatives, Privy alternatives, Turnkey alternatives.