- Fast growing crypto exchange meets esports legend on meteoric rise
- Bybit says this marks the beginning of its foray into esports
collaborations
- NAVI players to participate in Bybit's upcoming World Series of Trading
(WSOT) 2021
KYIV, UKRAINE - Media OutReach
- 18 August 2021 - Bybit,
one of the most popular exchanges for crypto lovers, has announced a multi-year
partnership with esports team NAVI ("Natus Vincere") today, scaling up synergy
between two fastest growing industries that can only go up.
The sponsorship will put the Bybit name on the map in the esports space
in a symbolic move to bring closer two creative communities that are shaping up
to redefine finance and sports. The sponsorship will not only see the Bybit
logo appear on NAVI's jerseys, but also include impact-driven collaborations on
charity initiatives, school and student projects, and anti-hate/anti-bullying
campaigns.
Bybit has in store a series of activations to help NAVI fans put their
competitive skills to the test in the 2021 rendition of Bybit's flagship World
Series of Trading (WSOT) crypto trading competition. WSOT 2021 spectators will
see familiar names from NAVI's team of top players. The crypto community has
been anticipating the event of the year with a prize pool of up to a record
$7.5 million.
Best of Both Worlds
Boasting a whopping 18.4 million fanbase and close to 600 million
cumulative video views on YouTube, NAVI reaches a unique segment of 15 million
fans per month. It was also one of the most viewed esports teams in the world
in 2020.
As NAVI's exclusive cryptocurrency platform partner, Bybit will have
greater visibility among one of the fastest growing demographics in sports and
gaming. In turn, Bybit is excited to introduce the esports community to the
endless possibilities cryptocurrency could open up for them.
The worlds of investment and professional gaming share commonalities —
esports fans and crypto lovers are digitally savvy, forward-thinking and
confident in their trades. Both industries have also demonstrated
transformative power in a short space of time.
In just three years, Bybit made itself one of the top names in crypto
trading with more than 2.5 million registered users from over 200 markets. It
ranks second in terms of daily volume of Bitcoin futures and registered more
than $1 trillion in total overall trading volume in the first quarter of the
year. Helmed by veteran forex platform and blockchain development pioneers,
Bybit stands out for its professional, intuitive and innovative online trading
and cloud mining experience for retail and institutional clients, known for providing
reliability even during periods of high volatility.
Bybit believes in equal investment opportunities for all crypto lovers.
The sponsorship will feature financial education resources for gamers looking
to diversify and invest in digital currencies.
Both emerging and fast-moving industries, crypto and esports promise to
be the game-changers charting the future of finance and sports. Projected to
become a billion-dollar industry in 2021, the esports sector is expected to
welcome around 200 million new gamers by 2024 according to analytics firm
Newzoo.
With overwhelmingly young demographics, esports is predicted to be an
"up only" industry just as cryptocurrency is finding its way into mainstream
portfolios globally. Many in the esports community will likely be keen to
embrace a digital-first, borderless and decentralized asset class and will
benefit from connecting with one of the best platforms facilitating
cryptocurrency.
Bybit's First Esports Venture
"The COVID-19 pandemic has changed many established conventions in a
number of human experiences. Both sports and finance have witnessed the
exponential pace of mainstreamization of two new entrants — esports and
cryptocurrency," said Ben Zhou, co-founder and CEO of Bybit.
"We are delighted to connect with one of the most iconic names in
esports that provided 86.1 million hours of thrilling entertainment to
audiences worldwide in 2020. As one of the fastest-growing start-ups built for
crypto lovers, we are excited to sign on with NAVI, and are looking forward to
unleashing the natural synergy between the crypto community and the athletes
and creators in esports," he said.
"We share the vision of real sportsmanship, and the drive to be the
best in the game. Whether you are in the business of innovative finance or
competitive esports, to be a good player you need to put in hard work, hone
your craft and build a strategy. That's why we are constantly on the lookout
for partners in excellence," he added.
"I believe that this was bound to happen. Cryptocurrency and esports
have much in common: They are new, fast-growing and interesting to keep watch
and learn. We shall strive to show esports fans the real value of digital-based
communication by cryptocurrency platform Bybit and our team. Also we want to
represent the esports world to cryptocurrency enthusiasts as a point of their
interest. We hope to bring new game-changing and engaging projects to make
esports a better place to play together," said Alexander Pavlenko, CMO of NAVI.
With 46 players in 12 disciplines and academy, NAVI has recorded a
total of 247 awards since 2009.
Game On: More to Come
As a global platform loved by users from different parts of the world,
Bybit has more plans for further integration with the international esports
community.
Bybit's debut into esports echoes its global, inclusive and innovative
value, representing the shared ideals of the cryptocurrency community. Bybit is
kicking off the gaming season with NAVI to set in motion a wide-range of
integrations and activities, joining global brands like Monster Energy, ASUS,
Puma and Logitech and other esports supporters.
Sharing its vision for a future in crypto with the global esports
community, Bybit will introduce NAVI players in the upcoming WSOT 2021 that has
become the premier gaming-themed event within the cryptocurrency community,
with more announcements to follow on other partnerships and sponsorships.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.