Blockchain
Decentraland makes strategic investment in Decentral Games
Companies will deliver Play-to-earn Metaverse Poker, giving huge boost and driving interest and confidence in the disruptive gaming industry
Decentraland, the pioneering blockchain-based virtual world, has made a strategic investment in Decentral Games, a metaverse-native GameFi DAO, in a move that further shows increasing interest and confidence in the disruptive gaming platform.
The investment from Decentraland (MANA) in Decentral Games’ (DG) native governance token $DG, an asset that allocates governance votes within the Decentral Games DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) and its nearly $12 million in treasury holdings today, is aimed at helping the platform deliver free Play-to-Earn Metaverse Poker.
“The Decentraland Foundation is thrilled to support Decentral Games in its new play-to-earn gaming in the metaverse,” said Agustin Ferreira, Foundation Lead at Decentraland Foundation. “The free play-to-earn architecture has undergone phenomenal growth of late, and we believe it will enable the Decentraland platform and the community to continue on the journey of decentralized expansion.”
Mr. Ferreira added that “as a gaming pioneer in the metaverse, we believe Decentral Games is the ideal party to spearhead the next generation of play-to-earn.”
The investment deal also represents a massive endorsement of Decentral Games’ groundbreaking play-to-earn gaming architecture model that distributes tokenized financial rewards for everyday gamers’ participation on the platform.
“This significant deal will enable Decentral Games to debut play-to-earn dynamics applied to a favorite household game, poker,” said Decentral Games Founder Miles Anthony.
“Decentral Games is proud to have a trusted investment partner in Decentraland as we roll out metaverse play-to-earn ICE Poker.”
Mr. Anthony added that “Decentraland has been a pioneer in building the first iteration of an open, decentralized metaverse, so it’s a no-brainer to launch our Play-to-Earn ICE Poker there.”
Decentral Games’ innovative and on-point spirit in pushing play-to-earn gaming forward has generated recent investment from full-stack Ethereum scaling solution, Polygon, among other respected institutional entities.
In June, DG closed a $5-million funding round co-led by Collab+Currency and BACKED VC. Since then, Decentral Games has continued to execute, bringing play-to-earn to fruition, and announced the new GameFi product, ICE Poker, the play-to-earn and NFT game in September.
Decentral Games has also previously worked with Decentraland. The gaming metaverse blockchain project developed several signature games for Decentraland on a white label basis before eventually establishing itself as an enterprise DAO.
After years of proving the use case for metaverse games within Decentraland’s immersive virtual reality environments, Decentral Games is presently thrilled to take its tenured relationship with Decentraland to the next level.
$DG is the versatile, standalone token powering Decentral Games, providing players with a medium of exchange for gaming and governance and liquidity incentives unique to the platform. The model organically incentivizes long-term user growth and customer loyalty through the distribution of daily rewards, empowering Decentral Games customers with the ability to earn a new stream of income on the platform.
As Venture Beat has illustrated, play-to-earn gaming in the Philippines has yielded the potential for residents to earn three times the regional minimum wage. And market indications have clearly shown that play-to-earn is ready for meteoric adoption given its income potential.
Currently, Decentral Games runs multiple metaverse-based play-to-earn and NFT games, including co-branding and business-to-business (B2B) deals with the world’s most iconic brands, including gaming giant Atari, Amnesia Ibiza (the temple of electronic music), and Bored Apes Yacht Club (the iconic NFT series).
Powered by WPeMatico
Blockchain
RPM APPOINTS WEB3 EXPERT STEVE WHYMAN TO LEAD ON BLOCKCHAIN STRATEGY
RPM, the specialist in retail and online betting and gaming, has announced that it has bolstered its digital markets capabilities with the appointment of Steve Whyman as Director of Web3 & Crypto.
Whyman joins RPM with a mandate to shape the credible adoption of blockchain technology within the global gaming industry, and will assist partners with a unique, high-level consultancy service that helps deliver faster routes to market using decentralised offerings and tokens.
This appointment internalises Steve Whyman’s institutional pedigree, having spent 25 years in senior trading and leadership roles with industry giants including Amundi, Aviva, and BlackRock, while he most recently served as Head of Debt Capital Markets at Fidelity International where he oversaw the $90bn fixed income primary markets portfolio and led the tokenisation of the firm’s money market fund.
With the added, potent combination of Web3 experience as founder and CEO at Fulminata Solutions, a digital capital markets boutique working with Layer-1 blockchains and prominent stablecoins, Whyman is well-positioned to translate digital finance innovations into practical gaming applications for RPM partners.
During his time at Fulminata Solutions, Whyman has established himself as a thought leader in the Web3 space with specific expertise in the Solana ecosystem. He currently serves as a Strategic Advisor to KEEL.FI, the largest allocator on Solana, and his new role will see this knowhow utilised to provide the gaming sector with a more seamless path to new business models, improved transparency, and new sustainable growth opportunities.
Richard Thorp, Founder at RPM, said: “Appointing Steve is a landmark moment for us as we take a major step forward in delivering on Web3’s promise. His background is exceptional. Blending the rigour of institutional finance and a first-rate, hands-on understanding of decentralised markets, we’re hugely confident that our partners will be able to reap the benefits of his expertise in bridging to new product and market opportunities in the space.”
Steve Whyman, RPM’s new Director of Web3 and Crypto, added: “I’m thrilled to join RPM at a pivotal time as the gaming industry moves beyond speculative Web3 trends towards implementing genuine utility. My focus will be on delivering major new value opportunities to clients in digital finance through consulting on various product improvements, such as instant settlement opportunities, smoother payment rails or executing on innovative, tokenised growth models.
“By fostering partnerships between RPM, our clients, and the leading, high-performance Layer-1 blockchains, we have a massive opportunity to build igaming-led systems that improve transparency, operational efficiency, and, critically, improve the bottom line, and working alongside Rich and the team, we’re in a strong position to genuinely lead Web3 gaming innovation from the front.”
The post RPM APPOINTS WEB3 EXPERT STEVE WHYMAN TO LEAD ON BLOCKCHAIN STRATEGY appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Blockchain
GR8 Tech Launches Crypto Turnkey: High-Value iGaming Platform for Global Expansion
GR8 Tech has officially unveiled its Crypto Turnkey solution, a comprehensive platform designed to give iGaming operators a modern, multi-wallet infrastructure for global expansion. By integrating native multi-currency support from day one, the solution eliminates the need for third-party crypto vendors and complex technical integrations.
According to Denys Parkhomenko, CPO at GR8 Tech, the shift toward crypto is no longer optional for operators looking to dominate.
“Industry data shows crypto players deposit 35-50% more and bet with 40-60% higher frequency than traditional players,” says Parkhomenko. “The operators winning their markets are the ones acting on that data now, not waiting. We built Crypto Turnkey to make that move simple.”
Eliminating Payment Provider Bottlenecks
One of the most significant hurdles for modern iGaming businesses is the dependency on traditional payment providers. Regulatory hurdles or provider outages can delay launches or halt active businesses.
Crypto Turnkey removes these bottlenecks, allowing for:
-
Faster Market Entry: Go live quickly without waiting for lengthy traditional payment approvals.
-
Operational Stability: Payment uptime is controlled by the operator, ensuring a 24/7 uninterrupted revenue flow.
-
Full Compliance: The platform supports over 15 popular cryptocurrencies (including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDT) while maintaining strict KYC and responsible gambling standards through existing GR8 Tech modules.
Designed for the VIP Experience
High-stakes players are the lifeblood of the industry. In 2025, VIP players accounted for 47% of total turnover across GR8 Tech’s verticals. These users increasingly demand the privacy, speed, and high transaction limits that only blockchain can provide.
The Crypto Turnkey multi-wallet system provides the flexibility these premium segments expect:
-
Single Account, Multiple Currencies: Players can hold and switch between currencies instantly.
-
No Conversion Friction: Deposit and withdraw in crypto without losing value to unnecessary exchange fees.
-
Real-time Calculations: For games requiring fiat denominations, the system automatically handles balance segregation and exchange rate calculations.
Lower Fees and Zero Chargeback Risks
The economic advantages of the Crypto Turnkey solution are clear. While traditional fiat transactions typically cost between 2.5% and 5%, GR8 Tech’s solution slashes these costs to approximately 0.5%.
Furthermore, because blockchain transactions are irreversible, operators can say goodbye to chargeback fraud and the administrative nightmare of dispute management. Settlement times are also reduced from the standard 3-5 business days to just 10-30 minutes.
The Platform for Champions
When combined with the broader GR8 Tech ecosystem—including AI-driven personalization, advanced CRM tools, and geo-specific “Champion setups”—the Crypto Turnkey solution becomes a powerful engine for maximizing player lifetime value.
The solution is now available globally. New operators can deploy it as a complete turnkey package, while existing GR8 Tech clients can activate crypto capabilities without any additional technical integration.
Meet GR8 Tech at ICE 2026
Are you ready to unlock the potential of the “Platform for Champions” in crypto mode?
Book a meeting with the GR8 Tech team at ICE 2026 to discuss how we can accelerate your success in person at Booth 1C50 in Barcelona.
The post GR8 Tech Launches Crypto Turnkey: High-Value iGaming Platform for Global Expansion appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Blockchain
Tequity and MINT Partner to Launch Bespoke, Branded “Originals” for Crypto-First Gaming
Tequity, the premium technology partner for custom iGaming solutions, has announced a landmark partnership with MINT, the upcoming AI-driven, crypto-first operator platform. Under the agreement, Tequity will supply its suite of Originals—fast, provably fair house games—which will be fully customized to reflect the MINT brand identity.
The collaboration centers on the “Originals” category, which has evolved from a niche preference to a foundational product for modern crypto-first brands. These games are designed for high-frequency play, making them a significant driver of player engagement and volume.
A New Standard in Fully Brandable House Games
Tequity’s Originals allow operators to launch 16 diverse house games—including popular formats like Crash, Mines, and Plinko—built on a technical stack optimized for speed and stability.
Through this partnership, MINT will move beyond off-the-shelf content, utilizing Tequity’s modular RGS and partner-ready tooling to create a “native” feel. Key features of the rollout include:
-
Complete Brand Control: Full customization of the UX/UI to match MINT’s aesthetic.
-
Provably Fair Infrastructure: Transparent, blockchain-verified mechanics that align with MINT’s Web3 roadmap.
-
Streamer-Friendly Design: Fast-paced gameplay loops optimized for the burgeoning live-streaming community.
Strategic Vision: Launching the Next Generation of Web3 Gaming
The partnership comes as MINT prepares for its official February launch, positioning itself as a platform that prioritizes product quality over speculative hype. By integrating Tequity’s performance-driven infrastructure, MINT can deliver a premium, localized content suite from day one.
“MINT gets full branding control to make the games feel truly their own, while we provide the underlying performance and reliability,” said Dominic Sawyer, VP Growth at Tequity. “They are building a new kind of operator platform that combines a strong iGaming core with a Web3 roadmap, and we’re excited to be their technical foundation.”
Zak Manhire, CEO of MINT, added: “For us, Originals aren’t just another game category, they’re a foundation. Tequity gives us a very strong technical base, and we’ll push it hard—iterating quickly and building new games together as one. We treat our partners as collaborators, not service providers.”
The post Tequity and MINT Partner to Launch Bespoke, Branded “Originals” for Crypto-First Gaming appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
-
Games Global6 days agoGames Global and Stormcraft Studios extend the supernatural franchise with Immortal Romance: Sarah’s Secret Power Combo
-
Latest News6 days ago
N1 Partners Hosts the N1 Puzzle Promo Grand Final and Reveals the Helicopter Winner at iGB Affiliate 2026 in Barcelona
-
Amusnet6 days agoWeek 4/2026 slot games releases
-
Asia7 days agoWorld Esports Summit Celebrates Its 10th Edition in Busan
-
affiliate marketing6 days agoN1 Partners Hosts the N1 Puzzle Promo Grand Final and Reveals the Helicopter Winner at iGB Affiliate 2026 in Barcelona
-
Compliance Updates7 days agoDutch Regulator Outlines 5 Key Supervisory Priorities for 2026 Agenda
-
BetPlay3 days agoBlask Awards 2025: Betano, Caliente, BetPlay, Betsson and others define Latin America’s iGaming landscape
-
AI gaming platforms6 days agoBetConstruct AI Sets the Tone for 2026 iGaming with Harmony Choice Event in Barcelona



