In brief
- Bitcoin gaming startup ZEBEDEE will integrate its wallet service with cryptocurrency exchange Bitstamp for easier coin transfers and payments.
- ZEBEDEE’s Infuse technology lets players wager and earn Bitcoin while playing games like PC shooter Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
Got the skills to pay the bills in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO)? You can prove it by wagering and winning Bitcoin in the popular PC shooter, thanks to an unofficial integration powered by Bitcoin startup ZEBEDEE, which unveiled the functionality in February ahead of plans to roll out servers featuring its Infuse technology for BTC rewards.
Although functional and offering a unique competitive experience for CS:GO, ZEBEDEE admits that it wasn’t particularly easy to transfer funds out of the ZEBEDEE Bitcoin Gaming Wallet, whether it was to swap for other cryptocurrencies or use the BTC winnings to make payments.
That’s where cryptocurrency exchange Bitstamp comes in. Today, the long-running exchange announced that it was partnered with ZEBEDEE to add Bitstamp integration within the wallet. According to Bitstamp Chief Technical Officer David Osojnik, users can log into the ZEBEDEE wallet using their Bitstamp account info, making it easier for players to move and convert the Bitcoin they win while playing games that feature ZEBEDEE’s Infuse technology.
"The user experience using the ZEBEDEE wallet in connection with Bitcoin-infused games is already very seamless. It works like a charm—until you want to withdraw Bitcoin out of the ZEBEDEE wallet,” Osojnik told Decrypt. “This is where Bitstamp comes in, by bridging the gap between the world of Bitcoin gaming and the global economy. Now, the experience will be seamless from the game to the ZEBEDEE wallet to the final destination.”
Bitstamp employees, including Osojnik, were among those playing in the first public demo of ZEBEDEE’s technology within CS:GO, which was held as part of a MintGox Bitcoin gaming streaming event earlier this year. MintGox streams have also featured a number of original Bitcoin-centric games, such as racer Bitcoin Rally and battle royale shooter Lightnite. ZEBEDEE’s integration uses Bitcoin’s Lightning Network for payments.
As Decrypt explored earlier this year, playing CS:GO with ZEBEDEE’s Infuse technology allows players to wager a small amount of Bitcoin and then potentially earn back more depending on their in-game score. While the amounts are small, players can “stack sats” by earning satoshis (1 satoshi = 1/100,000,000 BTC) across matches and then cash out their winnings. According to ZEBEDEE, more than 10,000 players have competed in CS:GO matches using their Bitcoin integration.
ZEBEDEE will unveil the MintGox Esports Arena at this weekend’s Bitcoin 2021 conference in Miami, where players—both in-person and online—can win Bitcoin by competing in games. Bitstamp has donated 0.5 BTC (about $18,800) towards CS:GO competitions, while market research firm L’Atelier BNP Paribas has donated another 0.5 BTC towards the L’Atelier Bitcoin Rally Championship.
CS:GO players will see Bitstamp-branded 3D coins within the game during the competition, with each collected coin earning them a small amount of Bitcoin. Additionally, players can compete in Bitcoin-infused indie games and win a share of “millions of [satoshis]” at the event.
Editor's note: This article was updated after publication to include comments from Bitstamp CTO David Osojnik.