Advertisement
Advertisement

GameStop shares surge on plan to enter NFT, crypto markets

By:
Reuters
Updated: Jan 7, 2022, 10:26 UTC

(Reuters) - GameStop Corp is launching a division to develop a marketplace for nonfungible tokens (NFTs) and establish cryptocurrency partnerships, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, boosting the firm's stock over 30% in extended trade.

A GameStop Inc. store is shown in Encinitas, California

(Reuters) – 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.

(Reporting by Arunima Kumar and Chavi Mehta in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath and Arun Koyyur)

About the Author

Reuterscontributor

Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world’s largest international multimedia news provider reaching more than one billion people every day. Reuters provides trusted business, financial, national, and international news to professionals via Thomson Reuters desktops, the world's media organizations, and directly to consumers at Reuters.com and via Reuters TV. Learn more about Thomson Reuters products:

Did you find this article useful?

Advertisement