Betting platform SharpLink Gaming has launched an Ethereum-based corporate treasury strategy and nominated Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin as chairman of its board of directors, the company announced May 27.

According to the announcement, SharpLink Gaming, a publicly traded company on Nasdaq, entered into a securities purchase agreement for a private investment in public equity worth $425 million. Ethereum infrastructure firm Consensys was among the investors.

“On close, Consensys looks forward to partnering with SharpLink to explore and develop an Ethereum Treasury Strategy and to work with them in their core business as a strategic advisor,” Consensys founder and CEO Lubin said.

SharpLink Gaming’s stock is up approximately 400% at the time of writing, changing hands at nearly $33.50. Trading today started at over $30 after closing under $7 the day before.

SharpLink Gaming stock price chart. Source: Google Finance

A Consensys representative told Cointelegraph that the company will not comment further until the deal is closed. Still, they confirmed Consensys’ investment in SharpLink Gaming.

Related: Bitcoin treasury companies will hold ‘way more’ than Bitcoiners expect: Exec

Major investors took part in the deal

Alongside Consensys, the investors include venture capital firms ParaFi Capital, Electric Capital, Pantera Capital, Arrington Capital, Galaxy Digital, Ondo, White Star Capital, GSR, Hivemind Capital, Hypersphere and Primitive Ventures. SharpLink CEO Rob Phythian and the firm’s CEO Robert DeLucia also participated.

The deal is expected to close “on or about May 29” if the customary closing conditions are satisfied. SharpLink Gaming intends to use the newly raised funds to jumpstart its Ether (ETH) treasury and for other general corporate purposes:

“ETH will serve as the Company’s primary treasury reserve asset.”

Related: Trump Media Group denies it’s raising $3B for crypto buys: Report

The rise of corporate crypto treasuries

Corporate crypto treasuries are on the rise, but most of them are focused on Bitcoin (BTC). One exception was Meitu, the developer of popular Photoshop-like apps, but the company liquidated its 940 Bitcoin and 31,000 Ether at the end of last year.

Other notable examples include the Canadian subsidiary of Big Four auditor KPMG adding Ether to its treasury alongside Bitcoin in February 2022. Also, Hong Kong-based gaming firm Boyaa Interactive International held ETH, but at the end of 2024, it replaced Ether with Bitcoin.

Social media giant Reddit also acquired both Bitcoin and Ethereum, but the company was reported to have offloaded most of its holdings in late 2024. Publicly traded company BTCS also announced a $57.8 million financing agreement to purchase Ether earlier this month.

Magazine: Bitcoin bears eye $69K, CZ denies WLF ‘fixer’ rumors: Hodler’s Digest, May 18 – 24

South Korean authorities have arrested one of three Russian nationals accused of an attempted robbery during a fake crypto deal in Seoul. The suspects allegedly lured Korean investors to a hotel, where they tried to steal 1 billion won (approximately $730,000) in cash.

The Gangseo Police Precinct in Seoul detained a man in his 20s in Busan on May 27, according to a report by local news outlet JoongAng Daily. The suspect faces charges of assault and attempted robbery. The other two suspects reportedly fled South Korea shortly after the incident.

According to investigators, the robbery attempt occurred on May 21 at a hotel in Seoul’s Gangseo District. The suspects posed as participants in a peer-to-peer crypto transaction and invited 10 Korean men to the hotel.

Two were called to the room while the others waited in the lobby. Inside the room, the suspects — wearing protective vests — ambushed the victims with a replica handgun and a telescopic baton, tying their hands with cable ties.

Related: Another suspect to surrender in NYC crypto torture case: Reports

Police seize weapons, launch global manhunt

Per the report, one of the victims managed to escape and raise the alarm, prompting the suspects to flee without the cash. Police responded to an emergency call and found one man bleeding in the lobby.

Officers discovered a cache of equipment in the suspects’ hotel room, including a replica firearm, batons, vests and a money counter. Police suspect the robbery had been carefully planned.

A request to prevent the suspects from leaving the country was filed the next morning, but two had already departed. “We have requested assistance from Interpol to track down the suspects who fled overseas,” a police official reportedly said.

Authorities are now questioning the detained suspect and preparing to seek a pretrial detention warrant.

Related: Crypto investor loses $2.6M in stablecoins in double phishing scam

Rise in crypto crime incidents

The incident comes amid a recent uptick in crypto-related violent crimes, including kidnapping and ransom cases.

A Manhattan crypto investor faces serious charges after allegedly kidnapping and torturing an Italian man in a bid to extract access to digital assets.

Source: Mario Nawfal

On May 13, the family of Pierre Noizat, the co-founder and CEO of French crypto exchange Paymium, was targeted in an attempted kidnapping.

In response, executives and investors in the crypto industry are increasingly seeking personal security services. On May 18, private firm Infinite Risks International reported a rise in requests for bodyguards and protection contracts from high-profile figures in the crypto space.

Magazine: TradFi is building Ethereum L2s to tokenize trillions in RWAs: Inside story

South Korean authorities have arrested one of three Russian nationals accused of an attempted robbery during a fake crypto deal in Seoul. The suspects allegedly lured Korean investors to a hotel, where they tried to steal 1 billion won (approximately $730,000) in cash.

The Gangseo Police Precinct in Seoul detained a man in his 20s in Busan on May 27, according to a report by local news outlet JoongAng Daily. The suspect faces charges of assault and attempted robbery. The other two suspects reportedly fled South Korea shortly after the incident.

According to investigators, the robbery attempt occurred on May 21 at a hotel in Seoul’s Gangseo District. The suspects posed as participants in a peer-to-peer crypto transaction and invited 10 Korean men to the hotel.

Two were called to the room while the others waited in the lobby. Inside the room, the suspects — wearing protective vests — ambushed the victims with a replica handgun and a telescopic baton, tying their hands with cable ties.

Related: Another suspect to surrender in NYC crypto torture case: Reports

Police seize weapons, launch global manhunt

Per the report, one of the victims managed to escape and raise the alarm, prompting the suspects to flee without the cash. Police responded to an emergency call and found one man bleeding in the lobby.

Officers discovered a cache of equipment in the suspects’ hotel room, including a replica firearm, batons, vests and a money counter. Police suspect the robbery had been carefully planned.

A request to prevent the suspects from leaving the country was filed the next morning, but two had already departed. “We have requested assistance from Interpol to track down the suspects who fled overseas,” a police official reportedly said.

Authorities are now questioning the detained suspect and preparing to seek a pretrial detention warrant.

Related: Crypto investor loses $2.6M in stablecoins in double phishing scam

Rise in crypto crime incidents

The incident comes amid a recent uptick in crypto-related violent crimes, including kidnapping and ransom cases.

A Manhattan crypto investor faces serious charges after allegedly kidnapping and torturing an Italian man in a bid to extract access to digital assets.

Source: Mario Nawfal

On May 13, the family of Pierre Noizat, the co-founder and CEO of French crypto exchange Paymium, was targeted in an attempted kidnapping.

In response, executives and investors in the crypto industry are increasingly seeking personal security services. On May 18, private firm Infinite Risks International reported a rise in requests for bodyguards and protection contracts from high-profile figures in the crypto space.

Magazine: TradFi is building Ethereum L2s to tokenize trillions in RWAs: Inside story