Gaming | Coinbase is investing in the esports industry

The German esports organization Berlin International Gaming or BIG announced that they have entered into a partnership with Coinbase, an international cryptocurrency exchange.

This has been a banner year for Coinbase, and it has also marked their entry into the world of esports. They have sponsored some major teams and tournaments.

Coinbase and esports

Their most recent partnership, as previously mentioned, was with BIG. They announced that they will be working together to create new digital activations as well as become a sponsor of the organizations Counter Strike: Global Offensive roster. While BIG is based in Germany, it is an international organization, but the deal was made with the German portion only.

Another major partnership for Coinbase was with one of the biggest esports tournament organizers in the world, ESL. Coinbase has become the official crypto exchange partner for major ESL events for the rest of 2021 and the entirety of 2022. Like BIG, ESL will work with Coinbase to produce new activations across their social media, digital media, and other content streams. As for ESL, their focus will be on ESL’s Pro Tour circuits for Counter Strike: Global Offensive, StarCraft II, and Warcraft III.

Coinbase also partnered with another esports giant earlier in the year. In what was their first major foray into esports, Coinbase signed an agreement with the team Evil Geniuses. According to the press release at that time, the two organizations would “work together to demystify cryptocurrency and educate esports fans about the benefits of decentralized finance.”

Comments from the organizations

CEO of Berlin International Gaming, Daniel Finkler, spoke about their partnership with Coinbase:

“Today we can welcome Coinbase, one of the world’s leading crypto exchange platforms, as a partner.

“The world of cryptocurrencies is an enormously exciting space, and it’s my ambition to make more people aware of this rapidly growing ecosystem with all its benefits and risks through our partnership. We are very excited to start our partnership officially today.”

Eli McCarrel, Director of Global Brand Partnerships at ESL Gaming also commented on their integration with Coinbase:

“This is a partnership between two like-minded companies at the forefront of technology and innovation. We look forward to bringing Coinbase into the ESL family and integrating them into future ESL initiatives. This is an industry-shifting partnership, and we couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead.”

Nicole LaPointe Jameson, CEO of Evil Geniuses also spoke in a press release:

“These collaborations allow us to invest back in our community in a meaningful way. By welcoming Coinbase into the EG family, we’re giving our fans access to the largest cryptocurrency exchange in North America, and the informative and educational tool they’ll need to stay competitive in the ever-evolving global marketplace.”

The future of Coinbase in esports

More and more crypto companies are getting interested in the world of esports as a market of folks that are on the forefront of technology. I bet that we haven’t heard the last of Coinbase in esports and I think that there will be plenty of other crypto companies entering the industry very soon.