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Semper Fortis Esports enters Axie Infinity and Hearthstone with Dual Capacity Player

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Semper Fortis will become one of the first professional esports companies to enter the play-to-earn market via its very own division of the SMPR team                                                                              

Semper Fortis Esports PLC, the esports company focused on establishing esports teams, forming brand and technology partnerships, and providing business to business advisory services, is pleased to announce its entry into the blockchain based, Non-fungible Token (NFT) video game, Axie Infinity and collectible card game, Hearthstone.                                                                             

The company’s esports team, SMPR has made an official signing of Aleksei Bakumenko (‘Iner’) to compete in both Axie Infinity and Hearthstone for the upcoming season. The player has signed a three-month contract with an option to renew for an additional six months thereafter. They will receive an annual salary and performance-based incentives.                                                                           

The new hire is the first competitive esports players competing in the play-to-earn division of Semper Fortis Esports, where players will be incentivised to compete on behalf of the company for cryptocurrency-based returns in the form of NFTs.                                                                           

Axie Infinity is a trading and battling game that allows players to collect, breed, raise, battle and trade creatures known as “axies” (characters based on axolotl), which are digitized as NFTs. The game uses a “play-to-earn” model (also called “pay-to-play-to-earn” model) where participants can earn a token which is traded on Binance as an Ethereum-based cryptocurrency. Players can also exchange in-game assets as NFTs. Axie Infinity allows users to cash-out these tokens for monetary gains every 14 days.                                                                              

In October 2021, Vietnamese studio Sky Mavis the developer of Axie infinity raised $150 million Series B at a $3 billion Valuation with highly renowned investors involved including Andreessen Horowitz and Mark Cuban. As of October 2021, the game nears 2 million Daily Active Users and has generated close to $2.3 billion in total sales volume since it was launched in 2018.                                                                              

With this appointment, the company will be one of the first professional esports companies to enter the play-to-earn market via its very own division of the SMPR team. The company will look to expand on this division through development and recruitment to earn NFT based rewards through games as a revenue model going forward. Axie tokens are currently trading at circa $120, a staggering 1,200x their initial offer price from 2020.                                     

In addition to Axie Infinity, the newly recruited Aleksei Bakumenko (‘Iner’) is a current ranked Hearthstone player and will also look to compete in the popular free-to-play online digital collectible card game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment. The game is played as an esport, with high-level tournaments such as Blizzard’s official World Championship featuring a prize pool of up to $1 million.                                                                           

Iner’ is currently ranked in ninth place in the Hearthstone EMEA and comes with a digital footprint of almost 75,000 followers across social media channels comprising of 1,475 followers on Twitter, 68,200 followers on Twitch and 4,770 subscribers on YouTube.                                                                            

Iner’s addition takes the total number of active players on the SMPR roster across to nine and opens the brand up to two new competitive esports and audience types across a digital presence. The player comes with a distinguished digital footprint and a significant following from his competitive region of Russia, a market which the Company sees as a large opportunity to capture in the esports space.                                                                                                   

Kevin Soltani, CEO of Semper Fortis Esports, commented: “Our team is extremely proud to share the additions of Axie Infinity and Hearthstone to our esports games participation and to further strengthen our player roster. Semper Fortis is determined to revolutionise the play to earn space, in merging it with competitive esports play. Our latest signing will pioneer our strategy to build out the SMPR play-to-earn division, opening doors for a new pool of players entering the esports space and diversifying the company’s revenue model. Gaming and blockchain are two of the fastest growing industries and with our team being highly experienced in both, we are geared for an exciting season ahead.”                                                                        

Nolan Bushnell, a Non-Executive Director of Semper Fortis Esports, commented: “The play-to- earn movement is currently in rapid growth and we are very excited to see its evolving nature in the world of competitive esports.”

                                                                               

 

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RPM APPOINTS WEB3 EXPERT STEVE WHYMAN TO LEAD ON BLOCKCHAIN STRATEGY

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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.

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GR8 Tech Launches Crypto Turnkey: High-Value iGaming Platform for Global Expansion

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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.

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Tequity and MINT Partner to Launch Bespoke, Branded “Originals” for Crypto-First Gaming

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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.

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