GameStop Corp is launching a division to develop a marketplace for nonfungible tokens (NFTs) and establish cryptocurrency partnerships, a source familiar with the matter said on Thursday, boosting the video game retailer's shares 27% in extended trading
GameStop declined to comment
The Wall Street Journal first reported the news citing people familiar with the matter
The video game retailer is undergoing a revamp, with Chairman Ryan Cohen tapping executives from companies including Amazon
com Inc to turn GameStop away from brick-and-mortar and towards e-commerce
The company is asking select game developers and publishers to list NFTs on its marketplace when it launches later this year, the WSJ report said
An NFT is a digital asset that exists on a blockchain, a record of transactions kept on networked computers
The blockchain serves as a public ledger, allowing anyone to verify the NFT's authenticity and who owns it
The retailer has hired more than 20 people to run the unit which is building an online hub for buying, selling and trading NFTs of virtual videogame collectibles such as avatar outfits and weapons, according to the WSJ report
GameStop launched its NFT website last year and has been inviting creators to join the platform
The company has also been at the forefront of the "meme" stock trading frenzy last year, in which retail investors hyped stocks on news site Reddit and brokerage site Robinhood, a blow to several hedge funds that bet the stocks would tumble
| Date: | 08-Jan-2022 | Reference: | View Original Link |
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