Unikrn
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Type of site | Corporation |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2014 |
| Headquarters | , United States |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Founder(s) | Rahul Sood, Karl Flores |
| Industry | Online gambling |
| Services | Online Esports betting & gaming |
| URL | unikrn.com |
Unikrn Inc. (styled as "Unikrn") is an esports betting and entertainment media company based in Miami, Florida.
In August 2021, international betting, gaming and interactive entertainment company Entain acquired Unikrn.[1][2]
Overview
[edit]Founded in November 2014, Unikrn primarily offers real money [3] and token-based wagering on competitive video game tournaments, otherwise known as esports.[4] Unikrn creates betting markets on esports (organized video game competitions) matches akin to traditional betting.
History
[edit]The company was founded by Rahul Sood and Karl Flores in November 2014.
In 2016, Unikrn became an investor in BIG (Berlin International Gaming),[5] a professional Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team. Unikrn also has an investment in MAINGEAR,[6] a high-end PC manufacturer.
In the second quarter of 2017, Unikrn acquired LEET,[7] an esports startup based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Unikrn also owns an Indian-based esports company, DotaProHub.[8]
In November 2017, the company released UnikoinGold, an ERC-20 cryptocurrency, running on the Ethereum blockchain.[9][10][11]
In September 2020, Unikrn agreed to a settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission after raising $31 million via a digital asset called UnikoinGold in an unregistered 2019 token sale of digital.[12] Unikrn volunteered to settle without a determination of guilt by paying a $6.1 million penalty to be paid via a Fair Fund to its token holders. Unikrn also undertook to disable UnikoinGold [13] Unikrn settled despite lack of consensus within the SEC that Unikoingold constituted a security, with Commissioner Hester M. Peirce saying, "I do not concur in my colleagues’ opinion that Unikrn’s token offering constituted a securities offering[...] By failing to challenge ourselves to experiment with new approaches to regulation, we, and those whose interests we are pledged to serve, risk surrendering the fruits of innovation. I respectfully dissent from the Commission’s actions today relating to Unikrn."[14] She further clarified, "[Unikrn] is not alleged to have engaged in any fraud."
In 2021, Unikrn partnered with FYX Gaming to work jointly on development of an updated monetization structure.[15]
References
[edit]- ^ "Online gambling company Entain buys esports betting startup Unikrn as it looks to triple its business". CNBC. 12 August 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- ^ "Gambling giant Entain puts £50m bet on esports". The Times. 13 August 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- ^ "There's an easy way to bet on competitive video games". Engadget. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
- ^ "Gambling Comes to E-Sports with Unikrn". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
- ^ "eSports Betting Company Unikrn Invests In German CS:GO Team BIG". SportTechie. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
- ^ "Maingear, Unikrn Bet on PC Gaming's Future". PCMag. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
- ^ "Unikrn to acquire casino focused esports company LEET". Esports Insider. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
- ^ "Esports betting hub Unikrn buys statistics company DotaProHub | GamesBeat". venturebeat.com. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
- ^ Shieber, Jonathan. "ConsenSys Ventures has made its first four investments". TechCrunch. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
- ^ Schroeder, Stan. "Mark Cuban-backed Unikrn to launch cryptocurrency for esports betting". Mashable. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
- ^ Soper, Taylor (25 September 2017). "Mark Cuban, Ethereum co-founder among big investors in Unikrn's digital token sale". CNBC. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
- ^ "In the Matter of Unikrn, Inc". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. 15 September 2020.
- ^ "Unregistered ICO Issuer Agrees to Disable Tokens and Pay Penalty for Distribution to Harmed Investors". SEC.gov. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. 15 September 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
- ^ "Statement on SEC Settlement Charging Token Issuer with Violation of Registration Provisions of the Securities Act of 1933". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
- ^ Duran, H.B. (11 March 2021). "Unikrn forms blockchain partnership with FYX Gaming". Esports Insider.
