Cryptocurrency
Poker Star Mike McDonald Goes All in at Bybit-Powered WSOT
Poker players who cross over to cryptocurrency trading are seeing astounding success out of the gate — for example, a trading team comprised of poker players and captained by poker star Mike McDonald placed in the top three in the recently concluded World Series of Trading (WSOT). A total overlay prize pool of $1.27 million in cryptocurrency was paid out to the winners of the inaugural edition of the global crypto trading competition powered by Bybit, in which 135 teams and 12,368 participants joined from around the world.
Poker star McDonald commented, “A lot of poker players are good at making financial decisions while limiting the role that emotion plays — that would be one of the skills that transfers particularly well to trading. There will be times when crypto prices will hit the roof or post massive dips. Do you follow the herd or stick to your own strategy? Just like in poker, the choice is yours. Jump tables or stick to yours and play the game skillfully.”
Poker is a game that tends to reward strategic thinking, mental endurance and emotional resilience — traits that happen to work equally well for crypto trading. Practiced with discipline, these traits can very well generate desirable results in both fields. Here are some of the common traits of winning poker players and profitable crypto traders:
- Make +EV Decisions: Trading strategy deals with risk/reward ratio, similar to how poker players make expected value calculations for each hand when they consider whether to bet, check, call, raise or fold.
- Don’t Go on Tilt: The calm and imperturbable demeanor synonymous with poker players tends to help them during volatility, when they are able to think and trade without giving in to impulses.
- Hand Selection: In poker, just like in crypto trading, you can’t play your cards randomly. You have to understand the situation, process the chances of winning, and decide whether you want to fold or play further. Read the charts like you would interpret the body language of your opponent, and plan your next steps based on what is favorable to you.
- Bankroll Management: Even the best poker player or crypto trader can go through a lean spell. Knowing how to manage the money in your account is essential, to ensure that you always have funds available to trade effectively.
Bybit CEO Ben Zhou noted, “If you’re a beginner in crypto trading, the gurus will advise you to research thoroughly about the types of crypto assets, not putting all your eggs in one basket, and trading per your risk appetite and bankroll management needs. It’s similar to how a beginner in poker would typically study the game: up skill, start with low-level stakes and take calculated risks while devising strategies that suit them best. Similarly, we have been putting a lot of our energy into educational content where we show our clients how to properly manage risks and perform technical analysis.”
The WSOT is a major global trading competition powered by Bybit, one of the fastest growing cryptocurrency derivatives exchanges, with more than a million registered users. The global event is open to traders worldwide where Bybit’s platform is available. The ranking system of WSOT is based on the profit/loss ratio, regardless of trading volume, thus paving a level playing field for all participants. The next edition of WSOT is expected in 2021.
About Mike McDonald:
Mike McDonald (born Sep 11, 1989) is a star poker player. McDonald is the youngest person to win an event on the European Poker Tour (EPT) and the youngest person to win an event on the Epic Poker League (EPL).
Mike is now involved with Betshares/PokerShares, facilitating novelty bets on many niche products including WSOT. He has been involved in Bitcoin since 2014.
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Compliance Updates
Crypto.com Receives Limited Financial Institutions Licence in Europe
Crypto.com has announced another regulatory milestone: its EU MiCA regulated entity has received a Limited Financial Institutions licence from the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA). The approval allows the company to continue delivering its full suite of stablecoin services – qualifying as payment services – across the European Union, without disruption.
This additional licence is for the provision of services exclusively in relation to electronic money tokens (EMTs). The licence was acquired to navigate a complex regulatory landscape resulting in overlapping crypto asset services (MiCA) and payment services (PSD2). By securing the Limited Financial Institution Licence, Crypto.com has addressed both regulatory regimes ensuring full compliance across every aspect of its stablecoin operations.
Crypto.com’s Malta entity received MiCA approval in January 2025, allowing the company to passport services across the European Economic Area (EEA). Notably, Crypto.com already holds a full Electronic Money Institution (EMI) licence in Europe, making it one of the most comprehensively authorised platforms operating in the region.
“We are one of the most regulated crypto platforms in the world and receiving this licence proves, yet again, that we are committed to working with authorities to ensure the strongest compliance standards. Our stablecoin business and services remain a pivotal part of our European product offering so it was vital we secured this limited licence to continue providing seamless access to our institutional and retail customers,” said Eric Anziani, President and Chief Operating Officer at Crypto.com.
The limited Financial Institutions licence adds to Crypto.com’s expanding list of licences and registrations globally including, but not limited to, a UK Electronic Money Institution licence (FCA), a Major Payment Institution licence in Singapore (MAS), a Virtual Assets Service Provider licence in Dubai (VARA), U.S. Money Transmitter Licences, U.S. Designated Contracts Market (DCM) & Derivatives Clearing Organization (DCO) licences and recently conditional approval from the U.S. OCC for a National Trust Bank Charter.
The post Crypto.com Receives Limited Financial Institutions Licence in Europe appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Crypto
UK To Explore Crypto Gambling Framework
Legal crypto gambling could be coming to the UK after the country’s regulator announced on Thursday (Feb 26) that it will begin working on new rules to support the sector.
Gambling Commission executive director Tim Miller revealed in a speech this week that regulatory officials have concluded allowing licensing operators to transact in crypto is likely a wise move.
Responding to growing demand for gambling with cryptocurrencies, and undeniable evidence that consumers are turning to the black market in search of crypto-friendly operators, Miller said the process was already underway.
Characterising the project as “tentative” and promising no timelines or outcomes, Miller nevertheless said he had instructed the commission’s Industry Forum to begin work on detailing how crypto gambling could be regulated in the UK.
The Forum is composed of industry figures from the online and retail sectors, including representatives from Flutter and Rank Group.
Addressing the Betting and Gaming Council AGM on Thursday, Miller said: “There will be significant challenges and risks to overcome in considering this topic but I am keen that we approach this in the spirit of exploring the art of the possible, rather than starting from a position of finding all the reasons not to innovate.”
Recent work undertaken by the Gambling Commission to try and understand why gamblers choose to leave the regulated market and gamble offshore has identified a desire to bet with crypto as the second-largest motivator.
One UK legal expert told EEGaming that the project was “long overdue”.
“A credible, regulated pathway would be a more effective consumer protection tool than de-facto prohibition if it reduces displacement offshore, which invariably it would,” said Chris Elliot, a partner at Wiggin law firm in London.
Elliot noted that the commission does not appear to be proposing specific “crypto licences”, but is instead “exploring a framework under which UK-licensed operators could accept crypto as a consumer payment option”.
Regulators in partnership
The Commission’s renewed willingness to consider allowing crypto gambling is also being driven by more secure legislative foundations that are set to come into effect in the UK.
Miller pointed to the “Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2025”, which was presented by the government in December.
The new statutory instrument would regulate more uses of crypto-assets by establishing a series of regulatory frameworks.
This comes as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is itself consulting on new rules for crypto in the UK.
This work will form the bedrock of any efforts by the Gambling Commission to loosen crypto gambling rules, Miller said.
It may also provide some clues as to the timeline of any crypto-liberalisation by the commission, Elliot noted.
“If the FCA authorisation regime is phased in over a longer period, mainstream adoption in UK gambling could be correspondingly slow,” he warned.
“That said, existing AML registration requirements for crypto-asset service providers already provide some baseline assurance, which could support earlier experimentation if the commission is serious about tackling black-market growth.”
Fraud on the brain
Regulatory sources who spoke to EEGaming pointed to the role the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) may be playing in accelerating crypto regulation.
The international money laundering watchdog — which has had notable interventions in the gambling market over recent years through its temporary greylisting of Malta and Gibraltar — has told national governments they should be regulating crypto providers, not trying to prohibit their use in the legal economy.
The UK is scheduled to undergo an assessment by the FATF in 2027.
That provides an extra impetus for the UK to have its crypto regulations in order, but allowing digital assets to flow into the economy more readily, especially via gambling, brings added risks.
“Like any new payment method, it will introduce new fraud/AML typologies,” explained Elliot. “But ‘new’ doesn’t automatically mean ‘higher’. In some respects, crypto can support a more robust control environment than fiat payments, particularly where cash is involved,” he noted.
“Operators wishing to drive this agenda will need to be able demonstrate, with evidence, why these risks can be managed through the controls put in place,” he said.
Crypto revolution?
Although the UK Gambling Commission is only at the beginning of this process, Miller’s announcement is sure to have an impact internationally, particularly at some of the European regulators with which it shares close ties.
EEGaming asked the Netherlands Gambling Authority, which signed a new memorandum of understanding with the commission in November, whether it would now be considering a crypto-revolution of its own.
“Although the KSA thinks allowing crypto payments might help battle illegal offering, there are too many complications right now to just go along with it,” a spokesperson said.
“We are looking into this for the future.”
The post UK To Explore Crypto Gambling Framework appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
$SCOR
BetOnline.ag Integrates $SCOR, the Premier Crypto Token of the Pro Sports Industry, Ahead of Super Bowl
BetOnline.ag, a preeminent global online sportsbook, casino and poker platform, announced a strategic partnership with Sweet to integrate $SCOR as a newly supported cryptocurrency.
$SCOR, the native token powering verified fan identity and rewards across major professional sports, is now available for deposits and withdrawals within the BetOnline cashier, just in time for Super Bowl Sunday on February 8.
This integration establishes a direct utility lane for the $SCOR, allowing fans to use tokens — earned through engagement in officially licensed sports games or purchased on exchanges — for real-world gameplay on a leading gaming platform.
For BetOnline, the partnership represents a strategic entry point into the burgeoning world of on-chain sports fandom, connecting the platform with high-value, verified fan liquidity.
“We are constantly evolving to meet our players where they are, and that now includes the intersection of sports fandom, gaming and blockchain. $SCOR isn’t just another cryptocurrency…it’s the premier token of the sports industry. This partnership allows us to directly engage with a new generation of sports fans who value real-world gameplay, verifiable achievements and interoperable rewards,” said Eddie Robbins III, CEO of BetOnline.ag.
$SCOR functions as the on-chain layer for fan identity, verifiable engagement and portable rewards across Sweet’s network of major professional sports IP partners that boast officially licensed sports-themed web3 PvP and mini games.
By accepting $SCOR, BetOnline gains a direct connection to verified fan activity from SCOR’s ecosystem of major professional sports IP partners, introducing a high-value audience of competitive sports fans and crypto-savvy players.
To celebrate the launch, BetOnline will offer exclusive deposit perks for $SCOR users, including free-play credits and casino spins for qualifying deposits. Future community activations are planned, featuring token-gated private poker and casino tournaments for verified $SCOR holders, with prizes awarded in both $SCOR and cash.
“We built $SCOR to bridge the passion of sports fandom with tangible utility and value. BetOnline’s integration is a landmark moment, turning fan-earned $SCOR into a key for premium gaming experiences. This partnership validates our vision of a reward-first portable fan identity,” Sweet EVP of Global Partnerships Betsy Proctor said.
The post BetOnline.ag Integrates $SCOR, the Premier Crypto Token of the Pro Sports Industry, Ahead of Super Bowl appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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