Bittrex CEO to Advise Cuban-Backed Crypto Gaming Platform

Bittrex CEO Bill Shihara will help guide the crypto eSports betting platform as it works to improve the security and adoption of its crypto token.

AccessTimeIconJun 28, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. UTC
Updated Aug 18, 2021 at 9:22 p.m. UTC

Presented By Icon

Election 2024 coverage presented by

Stand with crypto

The chief executive of one of America's largest cryptocurrency exchanges is joining the Mark Cuban-funded eSports betting platform Unikrn.

The platform announced Thursday that Bittrex co-founder Bill Shihara will sit on its advisory board in a move aimed to improve the accessibility and security of its UnikoinGold token

  • Bitcoin Mining in the U.S. Will Become 'a Lot More Decentralized': Core Scientific CEO
    13:18
    Bitcoin Mining in the U.S. Will Become 'a Lot More Decentralized': Core Scientific CEO
  • Binance to Discontinue Its Nigerian Naira Services After Government Scrutiny
    05:10
    Binance to Discontinue Its Nigerian Naira Services After Government Scrutiny
  • The first video of the year 2024
    04:07
    The first video of the year 2024
  • The last regression video of the year 3.67.0
    40:07
    The last regression video of the year 3.67.0
  • Unikrn co-founder Rahul Sood told CoinDesk that Shihara will also guide the company more generally as it seeks to expand its UnikoinGold network. In order to accomplish that, however, the company needs to encourage adoption.

    He explained:

    "Unikrn is working aggressively to make UnikoinGold much easier for customers to access and use – because quite frankly it's still too hard – as we are looking to the future of security tokens; all of which Bill can help us with in a number of ways."

    Shihara echoed the sentiment, telling CoinDesk that Unikrn is "in it for the long-haul," and recognizes that "evolving and improving their offering will also help support the long-term outlook for the overall token ecosystem."

    "The gaming industry is extremely popular around the world, and it's exciting to see blockchain projects with inventive use cases targeting popular industries," he said. "This is the type of innovation that can really help drive interest and blockchain adoption globally."

    Perhaps more significant, however, is the fact that Unikrn is already operating under existing federal regulations within the U.S., Shihara said.

    Sood noted that the firm is already in compliance with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Moreover, a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that sports betting within individual states is legal means the company may soon expand its reach.

    "Unikrn has been expecting a change in the U.S. for years, and we have a substantial U.S. presence," he said, adding that the company has a team based out of Las Vegas.

    "That gives us a significant advantage when it comes to expanding our sportsbook into individual states as laws change," he added. "By August you'll see Unikrn launch across multiple global markets with various types of esports betting using both fiat and cryptocurrency."

    Digital gambling image via Shutterstock

    Disclosure

    Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information have been updated.

    CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk has adopted a set of principles aimed at ensuring the integrity, editorial independence and freedom from bias of its publications. CoinDesk is part of the Bullish group, which owns and invests in digital asset businesses and digital assets. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive Bullish group equity-based compensation. Bullish was incubated by technology investor Block.one.


    Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.