GameStop to Remove Crypto Wallets Citing 'Regulatory Uncertainty'
The company will remove its iOS and Chrome wallet extensions on Nov. 1.
Aug 1, 2023 at 7:09 p.m. UTC
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Leading video game retailer GameStop (GME) said it will remove its support for crypto wallets citing regulatory uncertainty in the United States, just one year after rolling out the service.
"Due to the regulatory uncertainty of the crypto space, GameStop has decided to remove its iOS and Chrome Extension wallets from the market on November 1, 2023," according to its website. Customers will have access until October 1.
The wallets, which were rolled out just about a year ago, allow users to manage crypto and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) throughout decentralized apps and enable transactions of GameStop's NFT marketplace.. In December, the company conducted layoffs which included multiple software engineers working on its crypto wallet.
The move comes after regulators and lawmakers in the U.S. have doubled down on its efforts to crack down on crypto-related companies in recent months, including Coinbase and Binance, which both were sued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The regulatory crackdown also saw the popular trading platform Robinhood (HOOD) delisting all the tokens that were named as securities in recent (SEC) lawsuits.
As a result of intensifying regulations in the U.S., multiple companies have moved overseas to focus on their business there until there’s more regulatory clarity in the region.
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Helene is a New York-based reporter covering Wall Street, the rise of the spot bitcoin ETFs and crypto exchanges. She is also the co-host of CoinDesk's Markets Daily show. Helene is a graduate of New York University's business and economic reporting program and has appeared on CBS News, YahooFinance and Nasdaq TradeTalks. She holds BTC and ETH.