ZYTARA ENTERS NFT MARKET FOR GAMING, SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Gamer-focused fintech company Zytara has expanded its reach in the crypto industry by entering the NFT market. 

The company, whose mission is to provide Gen Z and Millennial esports fans and gaming enthusiasts with financial services to meet their needs, recently unveiled the Zytara dollar (ZUSD), launched in partnership with Prime Trust.  ZUSD is programmable money for the gaming industry and beyond, which is redeemable on a 1:1 basis for US dollars.

Originally launched on the Ethereum network, Zytara is now also introducing ZUSD onto the DigitalBits blockchain. The company is now also intending to further leverage this blockchain network with this latest expansion into NFTs. 

Blockchain gas/transaction fees and transaction processing speeds (TPS) if not optimized, have the ability to add friction and disrupt the opportunity for NFTs to drive fan engagement. Founded by Al Burgio in 2017, the DigitalBits blockchain network supports low-cost transactions and high throughput, allowing for the seamless transfer of digital assets.

NFTs have been present in the crypto community for years but hit the mainstream in recent weeks fueled by a series of NFTs drops from an array of celebrities and other artists. In the games industry, NFTs are also gaining momentum and, as the industry increases in mainstream popularity, the appetite for this specific crypto asset is expected to grow.

“The leading digital financial institutions of tomorrow will not only hold cash and traditional investments, they’ll custody digital assets, including cryptocurrencies and NFTs,” said Al Burgio, founder & CEO of Zytara. “Our latest expansion enables Zytara to also support strategic partners including esports teams, gamers, musical artists, actors, and other brands with the creation, sales and marketing of NFTs.”  

Zytara has also announced the appointment of Tracy Leparulo as Head of Marketing, bringing with her years of marketing experience in the fintech industry, including with cryptocurrencies and NFT platforms. Since 2013, Tracy Leparulo has been at the forefront of building communities for leading blockchain projects, including Ethereum, Bitcoin, and Polymath.

Tracy has been contributing to the growth of the NFT ecosystem since its inception. In 2017, she organized Ethereum’s largest Hackathon ETH Waterloo, where Cryptokitties launched while also witnessing their NFTs crash the Ethereum Network. In 2014, Tracy organized Canada’s first Bitcoin Expo which included the world’s first Bitcoin Art Exhibit. Since then she has hosted dozens of artists to showcase and auction their artwork both physically and digitally as NFTs.  

“I’ve experienced first-hand the importance of ensuring NFTs are built on the best infrastructure, to make them accessible to everyone without large transaction fees or harming the network.” stated Tracy. “At Zytara we work with brands to select a combination of blockchains, marketplaces, and technology solutions for their NFTs.”

Tracy is also no stranger to NFTs in Gaming and esports. Her experience ranges from NFT in-game skins, NFT gaming tournaments, NFT metaverses like Decentraland, and implementing creative NFT marketing campaigns for giveaways, tickets, and access passes.

Tracy states “NFTs were born out of the gaming industry, and we’ve only scratched the surface of their impact.  This is what I’m most excited about at Zytara, to bring the future of digital banking to gamers. We are building a banking platform and payments network that supports all digital assets including cash, crypto, NFTs, and branded stablecoins including ZUSD.”

In the coming weeks, Zytara will announce several new partnerships, all of which have been strategically chosen with their target market in mind.  

AYO.NEWS says:

Compared to cryptocurrencies, NFTs tend to be more relatable to people, so they have the potential to be the glue which finally connects the mainstream ‘real world’ to the rapidly growing blockchain-based, decentralised metaverse. Few companies are helping connect real-world services and needs to the power of decentralised tech like Zytara, so it’s fantastic to see them jump into the NFT market. 

Earlier this year, Zytara teamed up with North American esports organisation Dignitas, launching Digntas-branded Zytara debit cards and app skins, and collaborating on content to increase awareness of financial solutions for gamers.