In brief
- ZEBEDEE, a Bitcoin gaming app, has integrated the services of crypto payments firm MoonPay.
- U.S. users can buy Bitcoin within the app via MoonPay, with more countries to come, and will eventually be able to sell Bitcoin for fiat currency too.
ZEBEDEE, a Bitcoin-centric gaming startup, announced today that it has integrated the services of crypto payments firm MoonPay to simplify the process of playing games built around Bitcoin’s Lightning Network.
As a result of the alliance, ZEBEDEE’s Bitcoin gaming wallet—available via mobile apps and desktop browser extensions—will let U.S. users purchase Bitcoin through MoonPay using a credit or debit card.
In the future, the partners plan to add more countries into the mix, as well as let users sell Bitcoin through MoonPay in exchange for fiat currency. That will make it easier for gamers who earn Bitcoin playing games to convert it into U.S. dollars or other supported currencies.
Simon Cowell, CEO of ZEBEDEE, said in a statement that the integration provides “a seamless experience for people to start using Bitcoin, without it feeling like a burden, which is often the experience of using finance apps or exchanges for people who are not as tech-savvy.”
In addition to its wallet app, ZEBEDEE provides developer tools for game creators to implement Bitcoin functionality via the Lightning Network. For example, game creators can add the ability to wager small amounts of Bitcoin on online matches, or they can earn Bitcoin for match wins. The Lightning Network is a scaling solution that enables fast, low-cost transactions on Bitcoin.
Early last year, ZEBEDEE launched specialized servers for the popular online shooter Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, which allowed players to wager small amounts of Bitcoin in matches. Other games that support ZEBEDEE’s tech for Bitcoin payments include racing game ZEBEDEE Kart and mobile action game SaruTobi.
Last September, ZEBEDEE raised $11.5 million in funding—led by VC firm Lakestar—to further its Bitcoin gaming ambitions. MoonPay, which enables crypto payments and also runs a “concierge” service that purchases high-value NFTs for celebrities, raised $555 million last November in a celeb-packed round that valued the firm at $3.4 billion.