⌐◪-◪ → This is allegedly one of the largest sponsorship deals in the history of Counter-Strike and esports more broadly.

FaZe is one of the best esports teams in the world and generates massive viewership from gamers, who, in my opinion, are the most poised demographic in the world to adopt crypto.

With that said, a lot of gamers still hate crypto — my theory is that they’re salty they missed out on generational profits — which means this deal might pour gasoline on the proverbial “crypto vs. gamers” fire.

More importantly, however, Counter-Strike has the most robust economy in the world for in-game items, but it still deals with classic web2 problems. The perfect opportunity for blockchain-powered solutions.

What do you think — will this partnership catalyze crypto’s takeover of mainstream gaming, or is it just another flash in the pan?

Let me know in Specs Chat!

⌐◪-◪ → FTX took full advantage of the exit liquidity opportunity created by the approval of spot BTC ETFs, selling $1B worth of GBTC since the ETF conversion earlier this month, bringing FTX’s GBTC ownership to zero.

For context, investors have sold more than $2B worth of Grayscale Bitcoin Trust since the conversion — likely due to GBTC’s high fees — which means FTX accounts for approximately 50% of total outflows.

This just goes to show that when something “goes public,” it's more often than not a massive liquidation opportunity for institutions/incumbents to dump on retail investors.

We really need to democratize access to pre-public investment opportunities. This “accredited investor” stuff is bullshit.

⌐◪-◪ → This is a major nod of approval from the traditional art world, legitimizing the lasting impact of blockchain on art and tech culture.

This might not seem like a big deal, but like gamers — much of the traditional art world has been standoffish with NFTs, saying it’s not “real” or “good” art — a classic story of the old vs. new guard.

As for the exhibit, the artist being featured is @agoriamusic, a talented electronic music and generative art artist. His work will be showcased next to masterpieces from Monet, Manet, van Gogh, and more.

Big congratulations to Agoria and the team at Musée d’Orsay for making this happen, and just in time for NFT Paris too!