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Businessinsider.com (http://www.businessinsider.com/gaming-group-nexon-seeking-to-buy-cryptocurrency-exchange-bitstamp-2018-4?IR=T)

Nexon, one of the largest and most prominent Korean gaming corporates, could be finalizing a deal to acquire the Bitstamp exchange, according to sources from Business Insider. It is not clear what Nexon plans to do with the exchange, but there is a suggestion that they may be looking to incorporate cryptocurrency into their gaming environment— possibly for the use of micro-transactions. The price for such an acquisition is reportedly around $350 million.

Nexon is known for several high-profile video games including Counter-Strike, FIFA Online 3, Eve Online, and MapleStory. These games all have (or had) huge online followings with some also seeing gameplay in the field of eSports. A decision to buy Bitstamp could mean that Nexon is looking to broaden their horizons and integrate cryptocurrencies into their games by allowing payment gateways for several coins and tokens. Bitstamp’s exchange would certainly offer them the ability to provide crypto-based services to their users.

Created in 2011 in Slovenia, Bitstamp was once the most important exchange in the crypto community, since it was one of the oldest, and it was one of the first trading gateways in the industry. At the moment it is ranked 10th for 24-hour volume ($506,460,21).

If news of this deal is official, then it marks a significant moment for cryptocurrency. Gaming and crypto are two industries that have been working together for the majority of 2017. Blockchain games such as CryptoKitties and EtherCraft were instrumental in bringing crypto to the masses, and tokens like Enjin have focused on evolving the world of games for a while now. Beyond that, people have long suggested that many coins and tokens are perfect for handling micro-transactions in games as they are fast, lightweight, and cheap.

If Nexon were to embrace cryptocurrency fully, it could change the East Asian gaming scene for years to come as it provides professional gamers and e-sports players the opportunity to handle cryptocurrency while they play. It also opens the world of cryptocurrency to other gamers around the world who may be unfamiliar with the concept.