In a conversation with Blockchain Advisor, Viktor Wanli, the Founder and CEO at Kinguin, speaks about his company’s ambitions about making the gaming industry better
Do give us an overview of Kinguin as a company.
Kinguin is a marketplace for digital games, items and related services, generating USD 100m in turnover for 2016. In an effort to go beyond other marketplaces, and advancing the industry at large through innovation, Kinguin is reformatting its platform to a completely decentralized model, built entirely on blockchain technology and powered by smart contracts.
This will be a more efficient, autonomous and transparent marketplace with built-in fraud prevention, to the benefit of all gamers. Since its launch in early 2013, our company has quickly become one of the largest alternative marketplaces to Steam, Origin and Battle.net, with over six million customers.
Recently, we announced that Kinguin.net plans to expand its existing marketplace solutions. The project includes trading capabilities for game and in-game items by building and integrating a trade platform using the latest technologies: Ethereum Blockchain network, smart contracts and decentralized apps. This will enhance the ability for gamers to buy, sell and trade games, including in-game items, safely.
Kinguin reinvests resources to support gaming and the esport industry. These matters lay at the very core of Kinguin.net’s concerns. We are extremely passionate about games, which is why we are also actively operating on the eSports market, working with the most successful players and biggest teams.
In 2016 we have started close cooperation with ESL (Electronic Sport League), an esports company which organizes worldwide competitions. Kinguin became one of the biggest supporters of Intel Extreme Masters Season 11. Programs like Team Kinguin and the ESL partnership are very important for us, as we want to see the market develop in every possible way.