GameStop’s CFO is out after just about a year, and an internal memo within the company has laid out a plan towards profitability.

GameStop has fired its Chief Financial Officer, Mike Recupero, and is making staff cuts across departments as part of an aggressive turnaround plan, the video game retailer revealed Thursday.

Mike Recupero, a seasoned technology industry finance executive who spent more than 17 years at Amazon, was announced as the incoming CFO on June 9th, 2021 under Chairman Ryan Cohen’s guidance.

The sudden departure of Recupero appears less-than-amicable, as GameStop’s Form 8-K filing reveals he was terminated without cause effective immediately.

GameStop’s Form 8-K filed July 7th, 2022.

Simultaneous to Recupero’s termination, long standing Chief Accounting Officer Diana Saadeh-Jajeh has assumed the role of Chief Financial Officer.

She will have a starting annual salary of $200,000, according to the filing, and will be eligible for a “transformation bonus” in an aggregate amount of $1,965,000.

Hands off Mike

After about a year with the company, Recupero was “fired because he was not the right culture fit” and was “too hands off,” a person familiar with the matter told CNBC.

He was pushed out by GameStop Chairman Ryan Cohen, the person said.

In May, GameStop Board Member Larry Cheng stated that a down market tests whether the Chief Financial Officer is a leader. He went on to state that a culture-driving CFO can be a huge asset to companies in these down markets.

Larry Cheng on Twitter on May 11, 2022

“A down market tests whether the CFO is a leader. If the CFO is more of a back-office administrator playing a support role, companies can falter during these times. If the CFO is a culture-driving, agenda-setting leader, it can be a huge asset to companies in down markets.”

Cheng’s belief that a CFO acting more as a back-office administrator playing a support role can lead to a company faltering during a down market sounds familiar to the claims that Recupero was terminated for being “too hands off,” leading us to speculate that Cheng’s tweet was indicative of the situation at GameStop.

The Board Member also shared some evolving theory and observation related to CFOs on Twitter in January.

Larry Cheng on Twitter on January 31, 2022

“Evolving theory/observation: CFOs who know the key metrics of their business usually present to the board through organized slides. CFOs who aren’t sure about the key metrics often present to the board by navigating an extensive spreadsheet.”

The tweet from January indicates Cheng’s expectations for CFOs. The board member expects financial officers to present their key metrics in an organized manner, and that navigating extensive spreadsheets instead is a lack of understanding.

Larry Cheng’s Volition Capital is invested in a number of businesses so there is little evidence these tweets are about Recupero, but they say a lot about Cheng’s values.

Read more about Larry Cheng’s past, including his early investment in Ryan Cohen’s Chewy and mentorship to the ambitious entrepreneur here.

Organizational Updates

GameStop is also undergoing several organizational updates, including layoffs and investing in field employees, in a strive towards profitability.

The layoffs, which were announced by CEO Matt Furlong in an email memo to all employees, are on the corporate side of the company rather than at its stores, and are intended to “reduce bloat” as GameStop invests in other areas.

GameStop’s internal memo sent after market close on July 7th.

Furlong’s memo begins by highlighting the company’s evolving commerce business and new products in the company’s launching blockchain group.

The Chief Executive goes on to state that the company is now focused on achieving sustained profitability.

“After investing heavily in personnel, technology, inventory and supply chain infrastructure over the past 18 months, our focus is on achieving sustained profitability. This means eliminating excess costs and operating with an intense owner’s mentality.”

The CEO also contextualizes the cuts, and says the company has made 600 corporate hires since last year. Moving forward, the company will invest in store leaders and field employees, although specifics are yet to be announced.

The memo claims the hiring frenzy of last year and the first half of 2022 has positioned management to “right-size headcount” across several corporate departments.

To conclude, Furlong states that the changes will enable the company to operate in a profitable manner as it executes the strategy of pursuing sales growth and new product launches.

“These changes will enable us to operate in a profitable manner as we execute against our strategy of pursuing sales growth in our commerce business and launching new products that empower customers within the digital asset and web3 gaming verticals.”

word on the block

Several employees have made their layoffs known on LinkedIn, including Senior Directors and Software Engineers.

Pierre Dunkel, a former Director of Finance at GameStop, offered to help review resumes and engage in mock interviews for his coworkers.

LinkedIn posts by former GameStop employees on July 7th, 2022.

Dunkel also states that he is “not sure if anyone is left at the Seattle office at this point.”

GameStop had only recently expanded to Seattle, Washington, as part of an initiative uncovered by GMEdd.com in July 2021 that sought to reach a broader talent pool.

Rumors have surfaced that around 20% of corporate hires have been laid off, indicating that not all individuals who were brought on board during the hiring frenzy were compatible with the business; something to be expected during rapid growth.

Posts from LinkedIn on July 7th, 2021.

Posts on LinkedIn from Lesley Bender and Neda Pacifico of GameStop work to clue investors in on the departments facing downsizing.

“If you are looking to hire folks across visual merchandising, supply chain, social media, site merchandising, content, product, ecommerce, please let me know and I’d be happy to make intros.”

SVP, Ecommerce Neda Pacifico’s July 7th post also adds that individuals in analytics, data engineering, and user experience research were let go.

Hearsay also claims that no blockchain team members were included in the layoffs.

nimble operations

Through rapidly expanding GameStop’s corporate team with six hundred hires in just over a year, not everyone found compatibility with the start-up mentality that Chairman Ryan Cohen brought to the transforming business.

With GameStop committed to an NFT Marketplace launch by the end of the month, the results of the past year’s work will soon begin to unfold.


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Sources: GameStop Form 8-K, CNBC, Neda Pacifico on LinkedIn, Lesley Bender on LinkedIn, Tomasz Wolak on LinkedIn, Adrian San Pedro on LinkedIn, Sam Montoya on LinkedIn, Pierre Dunkel on LinkedIn, Larry Cheng on Twitter, Larry Cheng on Twitter

As an NFT Marketplace launch nears, GameStop has declared the company’s stock split, a move long encouraged by retail investors in the stock.

GameStop Corp.  today announced that its Board of Directors has approved and declared a four-for-one split of the company’s common stock in the form of a stock dividend.

Company stockholders of record at the close of business on July 18, 2022 will receive a dividend of three additional shares of common stock for each then-held share of common stock.

WHEN SPLIT

The stock dividend will be distributed after the close of trading on July 21, 2022. Trading will begin on a stock split-adjusted basis on July 22, 2022.

GameStop’s Investor Relations on July 6th 2022.

GameStop first announced the company’s intention to split their stock 3 months ago on March 31, 2022.

For nearly a year, retail investors have speculated if GameStop would ever engage in a stock split. Even GMEdd.com published tongue-in-cheek conspiracy when Chairman Ryan Cohen shared a photo of himself with split chopsticks under his nose.

GameStop’s declared stock split plan will be completed through a stock dividend, which awards existing shareholders with new shares. Unlike a typical stock split where already held shares are divided, in a stock dividend additional shares are allotted to existing shareholders.

GameStop currently has 76.13M shares outstanding pre-split and will have 304.52M shares outstanding post-split.


GameStop Corp. today released financial results on the company’s Investor Relations platform for the first quarter ended April 30th, 2022.

The gaming retailer in the midst of transformation will also host an investor conference call at 5:00 pm ET to review the company’s financial results. This call and any supplemental information can be accessed at GameStop’s investor relations home page.

The Company also announced it has continued hiring individuals with experience in areas such as blockchain gaming, ecommerce and technology, and operations.

The Company’s Form 10-Q and supplemental information can be found at investor.GameStop.com

First QUARTER OVERVIEW

Net sales were $1.378 billion for the quarter, compared to $1.277 billion in the prior year’s first quarter.

Sales attributable to new and expanded brand relationships contributed to the Company’s growth in the quarter.

Inventory was $917.6 million at the close of the quarter, compared to $570.9 million at the close of the prior year’s first quarter, reflecting a continued focus on improving in-stock levels in merchandise to meet increased customer demand and offset supply chain headwinds.

Ended the period with cash and cash equivalents of $1.035 billion as well as no debt other than a low-interest, unsecured term loan associated with the French government’s response to COVID-19.

Took steps to support the recent launch of a digital asset wallet to allow gamers and others to store, send, receive and use cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens (“NFTs”) across decentralized apps. The wallet extension will enable transactions on GameStop’s NFT marketplace upon its intended launch in the second quarter.

Continued hiring individuals with experience in areas such as blockchain gaming, ecommerce and technology, and operations, including a new Chief Operating Officer with a background in retail and stores.

WEBCAST AND CONFERENCE CALL INFORMATION

The webcast with management is scheduled for June  1, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. ET to discuss the Company’s fourth quarter activities and financial results. This call, along with supplemental information, can also be accessed at GameStop’s Investor Relations. The phone number for the call is 877-451-6152 and the confirmation code is 13730321. This webcast will be archived for two months on GameStop’s investor relations website.

Source: GameStop Newsroom, Form 10-Q

GameStop’s crypto wallet is here, marking the company’s realization of the transition from a retailer into a technology company.

GameStop has announced the company’s much-anticipated release of the GameStop Wallet, a digital asset wallet that allows gamers and others to store, send, receive and use cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens across decentralized apps without having to leave their web browsers.

GMEdd.com’s Discord was first to notice the release of the GameStop Wallet at 7:05 PM EST on Sunday, thanks to a bot that searched the Chrome Extension Store every 5 minutes for new search results under ‘GameStop’. Readers can join the GMEdd.com chatroom to be at the forefront of crowdsourced research by visiting GMEdd.com/chatroom.

The GameStop Wallet is a self-custodial Ethereum wallet. The wallet extension, which can be downloaded from the Chrome Web Store, will also enable transactions on GameStop’s NFT marketplace, which is expected to launch in the second quarter of GameStop’s fiscal year.

The GameStop Wallet Beta allows users to trade and transfer digital assets on both Loopring Layer 2 (L2) and Ethereum Layer 1 (L1) under the same wallet address. L2 offers users transaction fees as low as 0.1% of Ethereum L1’s exorbitant gas fees.

What does the GameStop Wallet do?

The GameStop Wallet isn’t just an ordinary crypto wallet.

Harnessing the power of Loopring’s zkRollup – an Ethereum Layer 2 scaling protocol – GameStop gives users low cost and fast transactions, with Ethereum security, opportunity, and global reach. This allows users to reduce gas fees and network congestion, while always remaining in control of their funds.

Images from GameStop Wallet’s Chrome Extension Store page

GameStop states that the Wallet is “great for n00bs and power-users alike,” and that GameStop Wallet can be your homebase and portal into the world of Ethereum.

The wallet is also connectable to the wide ecosystem of Ethereum dApps, “including GameStop NFT – a marketplace to buy digital goods!”

Available now at wallet.gamestop.com, users are prompted to create a new wallet or recover an existing wallet with their 12 word seed phrase.

Screenshot of GameStop Wallet Beta’s launch screen as of May 23rd 2022.

During the four step wallet creation process that involves writing down a 12 word seed phrase and setting a password, the Wallet states that “Loopring Layer 2 is preferred for higher transaction speeds and lower fees.”

In October 2021, GMEdd.com first followed digital breadcrumbs to conclude that GameStop was partnering with crypto technology company Loopring to power a bridge of traditional e-commerce and blockchain. Days later, GMEdd.com published source code that revealed Loopring was in-fact hard at work building GameStop an NFT Marketplace of their own.

Now, the speculation becomes reality.

Screenshots of the wallet creation process from the GameStop Wallet Beta Google Chrome extension.

Once the wallet is set up, users are prompted to deposit funds by buying with a card or transferring funds from an existing L1 or L2 wallet.

GameStop Wallet is GameStop’s Metamask replacement, currently the most popular hot wallet. GameStop’s offering, though, is much more complete than it’s rival’s, as GameStop recognized the value in creating a blockchain ecosystem where users don’t need to rely on third-party services.

The GameStop Wallet enables anyone to easily swap fiat into crypto and then use that crypto to purchase digital assets on GameStop NFT, all in one place, making it easier for newcomers to adopt the technology.

GameStop’s wallet and Metamask’s wallet side by side.

A quick analysis of the user interface and design of the two wallets reveals why GameStop is advertising their wallet as “easy-to-use.”

While Metamask’s wallet shows all of its features on one screen, GameStop’s wallet has an intuitive navigation bar that allows each of its four main features to have their own screen. This includes viewing of NFTs, which isn’t available in Metamask.

Two of the biggest barriers of NFT mass adoption is the complicated wallet set up process and high gas fees; GameStop’s new wallet solves both of these problems with its user friendly onboarding design and native L2 integration that eliminates gas fees.

A comparison of fees on GameStop Wallet versus MetaMask.

At the time of publication, an $11 transaction executed on Layer 2 through GameStop Wallet only costs the user $0.22 in fees, while the same transaction on Layer 1 through MetaMask costs the user between $10.07 and $19.75 in gas fees.

While MetaMask’s gas fees translate to a 91% to 179% transaction fee in this instance, GameStop is charging only 2% to complete that same transaction on Layer 2, with 1% going to Loopring and 1% to GameStop.

The development

Cyberhorsey, GameStop’s lead engineer for the GameStop Wallet, states that the app has been his baby and he’s so glad everyone loves the beautiful UX that simplifies “complicated L2 shit,” into several easy-to-follow buttons.

Tweet from Cyberhorsey on May 23rd, 2022.

GameStop had teased their Google Chrome wallet and their yet to be released iOS wallet on May 5th, when the wallet’s landing page first went live.

Prior to the wallet extension’s launch, GameStop tweeted from their new Twitter account GameStopNFT to educate their audience on the purpose of wallets, stating that “wallets are where your crypto journey begins.”

GameStop NFT’s tweet from May 22, 2022.

On Monday morning, the official GameStop Twitter account promoted the new wallet alongside GameStop’s new Twitter handle, and the announcement was met with positive responses from the GameStop community.

In preparation of the wallet’s launch, GameStop had released a new blockchain support site that contains educational articles about web3 and a contact form to open an official support ticket for questions about the new wallet.

Screenshot from support.blockchain.gamestop.com

The site answers questions such as, “What is a browser extension wallet,” and “How do I activate Layer 2?” written by GameStop Blockchain Community Manager Ryan Kagy.

GameStop also notifies users to beware of impostor profiles and websites setup to mimic GameStop Support. GameStop will only ever offer support via their Zendesk Help Center and will NEVER ask users for their Secret Phrase.

I’m new here. What is Layer 2?

If you’re wondering what all the talk about L1 and L2 is about, here’s a simple metaphor that avoids technical terms such as “zero knowledge roll ups.”

Imagine that layer 1 blockchains, such as Ethereum, are digital cities. Imagine that blockchain transactions are persons sitting in cars trying to go somewhere in the Ethereum city. Cars reaching their destination represent verified transactions.

If there’s lots of cars, congestion and traffic starts building up, so the city starts increasing gas prices to discourage people from driving. During high congestion, buying a $50 Ethereum NFT on layer 1 might cost you an additional $200 in gas fees.

Then, imagine an Ethereum layer 2 scaling solution, such as Loopring, building an elevated bullet train above the city. This elevated bullet train represents layer 2 scaling solutions which are built atop layer 1 blockchains. Individuals who were previously stuck in traffic on layer 1 can now choose to ride the bullet train that can fit thousands of people instead.

Loopring is the bullet train above the blockchain city

Since the train is fast and experiences no traffic, they all reach their destinations faster. Plus, multiple people can fit inside the bullet train, so everyone shares the costs of the ride resulting in each individual paying significantly less in fees.

There’s also the added benefit that the more people who use layer 2 scaling solutions, the less congested layer 1 becomes as well.

What now?

GameStop investors should consider downloading the chrome extension and trying it themselves. As the platform is still in beta, users are encouraged to only put in funds they are comfortable with, and consider using a ledger.

With only 69 days left for GameStop keep their promise of launching their highly anticipated NFT Marketplace by the end of Q2 on July 31, investors shouldn’t have to wait long to see the result of a year of building the most innovative offering the company has ever released.

joecomotion wrote this piece for GMEdd.com. Toast edited and contributed.


GameStop has filed their Preliminary Schedule 14A ahead of the 2022 Annual Shareholder Meeting where investors are anticipating to vote on a stock split.

The video game retailer in the midst of a technology-centric transformation has evolved since last year, when a Schedule 14A was released under former CEO George Sherman’s regime.

GameStop’s filed Schedule 14A today reveals the company’s preliminary proxy statement providing notification matters to be brought to a vote for the 2022 Annual Shareholder Meeting.

The letter from Furlong

Per tradition, the filing starts with a letter from the CEO, now recently instated Matt Furlong from Amazon.

Matt Furlong’s Letter to Stockholders

“We believe the investments made in recent quarters represent the foundation of value creation that will become evident quarters and years down the road. In 2022, we will continue to make pragmatic investments to modernize our infrastructure, expand our addressable market and grow our customer base. Leadership will not compromise when it comes to being maniacally focused on the long-term.” — Matt Furlong

Furlong’s letter expresses GameStop is “manically focused on the long-term,” and that GameStop’s new management team consists of hundreds of individuals with technology backgrounds.

As per Cohen’s guidance in the November 2020 Letter to the board, Furlong states GameStop has refocused around a singular mission to delight customers. 

The Agenda

While the date of the meeting remains unannounced, Shareholders can anticipate to be asked of several items on the agenda, including:

1. Elect six directors, each to serve as a member of the Board of Directors until the next annual meeting of stockholders and until such director’s successor is elected and qualified;

2. Adopt and approve the GameStop Corp. 2022 Incentive Plan;

3. Provide an advisory, non-binding vote on the compensation of our named executive officers;

4. Ratify the Audit Committee’s appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending January 28, 2023;

5. Approve an amendment to the Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to increase the number of authorized shares of the Class A Common Stock (the “common stock”) to 1,000,000,000; 

6. Transact such other business, if any, as may properly come before the annual meeting and at any postponement or adjournment of the annual meeting.

Only stockholders of record as of the close of business on April 8, 2022 are entitled to vote at the annual meeting and any postponement or adjournment thereof. 

The meeting

Unlike last year where hundreds of retail investors trekked to the Dallas-Fort Worth Area to attend GameStop’s 2021 annual meeting, the upcoming meeting will be held virtually this June. 

GameStop also invites stockholders and other interested parties to communicate directly and confidentially with the full Board, the Chair of the Board or the non-management directors as a group by writing to GameStop Corp., 625 Westport Parkway, Grapevine, Texas 76051, Attn: Secretary.  GameStop states that the secretary will forward such communications to the intended recipient and will retain copies for corporate records.

Breaking tradition, 30 minutes prior to, and during the Annual Meeting, investors will be able to submit questions by accessing the meeting site and following the directions.

The company will hold a Q&A session during the annual meeting, during which the company intends to answer questions that are pertinent to the items being brought before the stockholder vote at the annual meeting, as time permits and in accordance with the Rules of Conduct for the annual meeting.

Why split the stock?

Despite other items on the agenda, investors are primarily interested in the stock split, how it will pan out, and what the purpose is.

GameStop states that the primary purpose of increasing the number of authorized shares of common stock is to offer investors more flexibility in how they manage their ownership.

“The trading price of our common stock has risen significantly over the past couple of years. Our investors have expressed a high level of interest in our common stock. Feedback from our investors indicates that a higher stock price can limit those who desire to invest in our common stock. We anticipate that an increase in the number of outstanding shares resulting from a potential Stock Split will reset the market price of our common stock in a range that would give our investors more flexibility in how they manage their ownership of our common stock and make our common stock more accessible for anyone who wants to invest in our Company.”

GameStop’s Schedule 14-A Proposal 5

Along with the split, GameStop is interested in the authorization to issue additional shares for future acquisitions, capital-raising, or financing transactions. GameStop states they do not currently have any other plans, agreements, commitments or understandings with respect to the issuance of the additional shares, nor do they currently have any plans, arrangements, commitments or understandings with respect to the issuance of any shares of preferred stock.

FOR MORE, READ GAMESTOP’S April 11, 2022 14-a FILING.

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Source: GameStop Schedule 14-A


Editorial Note: On April 21st, 2022, GameStop announced the annual meeting will be held at 10:00 AM CT on June 2nd, 2022.

GameStop has risen 15% after-hours upon an official announcement of their intentions to request a stock split.

Revealed via Form 8-K Filing, GameStop is planning on asking for shareholder approval at the upcoming 2022 Annual Meeting on an increase in the number of authorized shares of Class A common stock from 300,000,000 to 1,000,000,000.

If granted, GameStop will file an amendment to the Company’s Charter Amendment in order to implement a stock split of the Company’s Class A common stock in the form of a stock dividend and provide flexibility for future corporate needs.

So what?

For nearly a year, retail investors have speculated if GameStop would ever engage in a stock split. Even GMEdd.com published tongue-in-cheek conspiracy when Chairman Ryan Cohen shared a photo of himself with split chopsticks under his nose.

Right now, GameStop has 76.3M outstanding shares, with existing authorization up to 300,000,000 shares. The company is asking for approval to raise that authorized cap to 1,000,000,000, indicating an intention that they are likely seeking between a 4:1 to 13:1 split.

GameStop’s Form 8-k Filing from March 31st

GameStop’s proposed stock split plan would be completed through a stock dividend, which awards existing shareholders with new shares.

Unlike a typical stock split where already held shares are divided, in a stock dividend additional shares are allotted to existing shareholders.

anything else?

GameStop also intends to request stockholder approval at the Annual Meeting for a new incentive plan to support future compensatory equity issuances. 

If the 2022 Equity Plan is approved by stockholders, it will replace the current GameStop Corp. 2019 Incentive Plan, and 8,000,000 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock, plus any shares subject to the 2019 Plan that expire, are forfeited, cancelled, terminated or settled in cash after the 2022 Plan is effective, will be available for issuance under the 2022 Plan. 

GameStop’s Board of Directors has approved both stockholder proposals, but the stock dividend will be contingent on final Board approval.

FOR MORE, READ GAMESTOP’S March 31, 2022 8-K FILING.

The new GameStop NFT Beta landing page now states the marketplace is almost here, and invites users to beta test now.

Video game retailer GameStop has spent the last year undergoing a tech-centric transformation, with a premium NFT marketplace being at the core of this transition. This newfound interest for the brick-and-mortar was initially revealed through job postings alluding to blockchain developments at the company dating back to April of 2021.

GMEdd.com first unearthed the existence of GameStop’s Official NFT project one month later, in May 2021, upon discovering a website that didn’t detail much besides a potential slogan for the project, and ever since then investors have speculated what GameStop NFT entails.

By October 27th, 2021, GMEdd.com published source code that revealed Loopring, an Ethereum Layer 2 Protocol, had been hard at work building GameStop an NFT Marketplace of their own.

Loopring’s GitHub Code from October 2021.

Prior to this, digital breadcrumbs had led us to that same point, detailing how Loopring’s technology could power a bridge of traditional e-commerce and blockchain and engineer the revolution of gaming.

With Immutable, another Ethereum Layer 2 NFT Marketplace provider, announced as a preferred partner in January 2022, GameStop investors were uncertain what role Loopring still held in this deal.

Now, GameStop has launched a new beta page for the incoming NFT Marketplace. Alongside this, an announcement by Loopring answers some questions, as well as allows users to connect their wallets and beta test features for a launch that is coming soon.

Loopring Does the Honors

In a Medium.com post on March 23, 2022, at 4:29 AM EST, the Loopring Protocol announced that the future of NFTs are here and they’re powered by Ethereum’s second layer.

Loopring states that they are thrilled to announce that the long-awaited GameStop NFT Marketplace (beta) is now LIVE, with the full NFT Marketplace coming shortly, built atop none other than Loopring L2.

Loopring Protocol’s Medium Post on March 23rd, 2022.

“GameStop, in partnership with Loopring, has the opportunity to cement itself at the forefront of this new NFT + gaming paradigm and become THE destination for new global digital economies.”

To accomplish this, the new GameStop NFT Marketplace is reportedly built atop the second layer of Ethereum, specifically Loopring L2, to ensure that users receive the strongest digital property rights, anchored by a secure, decentralized, and a credibly neutral environment, like Ethereum. 

Loopring L2 inherits Ethereum’s self-custodial security while abstracting away costly gas-fees, leaving no one priced out.

Loopring also acknowledges that GameStop choosing to build on L2 first, bypassing L1 altogether, marks a huge step forward for the future of NFTs and an important moment for Ethereum scaling.

“Loopring has built the rails for creators to deliver high performance applications that rival the speeds and scalability of Web2, while also empowering users to receive provable ownership and control over their assets in Web3. These massive speed improvements and lower costs open up the design space to create all sorts of new use-cases for NFTs + gaming that were unimaginable prior.”

To wrap up the announcement, Loopring invites fans to get early beta access at beta.nft.gamestop.com, to set up usernames + profiles, make deposits, and be prepared for the full launch of the official marketplace coming soon.

Daniel Wang’s tweet on March 23rd at 4:57 AM EST.

The founder of Loopring, Daniel Wang, also took the opportunity to thank GameStop for the opportunity to work on multiple blockchain products. He states that this is certainly not the end of the partnership, and Loopring will continue to help GME polish their user experience.

A first look

GameStop, rockets, and the moon are three things very well-known to retail investors and GME aficionados alike. The GameStop NFT Beta landing page begins by marking three key elements that have become staples in the minds of traders across meme stocks and crypto for years. 

Upon first glance, the user is hinted towards a “Connect” button highlighting the opportunity to link a cryptocurrency wallet, which is fairly typical of existing NFT platforms such as OpenSea and Coinbase.

Following a wallet connection (we opted for MetaMask), users are invited to customize their profiles and make deposits.

GameStop NFT’s profile page.

The profile customization page allows users to set a username, choose an NFT profile picture, write a short bio, and attach an email address along with Twitter and Reddit usernames.

Users can also navigate to their owned, liked, and hidden NFT collections.

When depositing funds, the options are to buy ETH with a card, deposit ETH from your wallet, or ask a friend to transfer to your account.

The process of starting a deposit on the GameStop NFT Beta

Notably, deposits from Ethereum L1 are converted into Loopring L2 by default.

“Once on Layer 2, there are no more gas fees to transact!”

When users visit their account history, they will likely see a screen that shows “Nothing here yet,” we can assume this will display transaction history in the future.

GameStop NFT Beta’s Account History page

With over 1 million NFTs minted on Loopring L2 since early 2022, the page invites users to check the Loopring Layer 2 Explorer, further indicating the involvement of Loopring in this NFT Marketplace. 

Besides this, no other notable features are currently visible in the beta.

While the marketplace itself remains hidden, digital sleuths can tweak the code a bit to start showing listings, revealing what the final product may look like.

GameStop NFT’s hidden Explore page on March 23rd.

Some NFTs by Miguelgarest are displayed, an NFT artist who has been quietly working on new projects, alongside the GameStop NFT Arcade Machine, all of which are listed as not for sale.

some things aren’t so immutable

With nods to Loopring all over the GameStop NFT Beta, investors are left in the dark on Immutable’s role, as many thought the Australia-based Ethereum Layer 2 NFT Marketplace would be taking over the project entirely.

On the issue, Byron Wiebe, Loopring’s Head of Community, has again shared his personal thoughts on Loopring’s Official Discord server.

Byron Wiebe on Discord on March 23rd at 6:02 AM EST.

Byron states that Loopring has been working with GameStop for almost a year now to build and integrate this marketplace, fully built on Loopring L2.

“No IMX.”

Byron goes as far as to share that he believes Immutable (IMX) has been a little disingenuous with their marketing.

Byron Wiebe on Discord on March 23rd at 6:11 AM EST.

The Loopring Head of Community believes that Immutable’s marketing materials were “pretty shitty” and not true at all.

“Their marketing materials where they tried to position this upcoming announcement of ours to just be an “alpha” was pretty shitty on their part to be honest.”

According to Byron, as far as he is aware, there has been zero “technical work” done with IMX to this point, and it has just all been marketing, with GameStop doing “something” with them after the Loopring L2-based marketplace is fully live.

Byron Wiebe on Discord on March 23rd at 6:37 AM EST.

Byron also states that while he does not want to speak on behalf of GameStop, the marketplace was “genuinely supposed to be Q4, but had some unfortunate delays at the last minute.”

Over on the Immutable Discord, investors in the Ethereum Layer2 with 88% of it’s supply uncirculated are demanding the truth. 

Nigel Lee, Immutable’s Strategy and Operations Lead, is trying to fan the flames, stating that Immutable has never denied that Loopring was involved.

Nigel Lee on Discord on March 23rd at 6:20 AM EST.

Nigel even asks the naysayers, “Where’s the value talking about competitors?” in regards to questioning over Loopring’s clear involvement in GameStop NFT. 

Immutable’s Strategy and Operations Lead claims that IMX brings a network of games and partners they are working with to the table, and that the team has never denied Loopring’s involvement.

In a Discord Stage hosted at 7:45 AM EST, Robbie Ferguson, the Co-Founder and President of Immutable, was quick to insist that GameStop approved all of their marketing materials and nothing nefarious was at play.

GMEdd.com did not have any overpriced consultants available to ask whether this was the right strategy for Immutable.

What now?

GameStop’s retail investors will almost certainly spend the remainder of the week scouring through the GameStop NFT Beta, searching for clues as to what the marketplace will be like.

Some are even speculating that the website’s code may have accidentally revealed the launch date for GameStop NFT as “Astronaut day,” a national holiday on May 5th.

Code revealed on the GameStop NFT Beta on March 23rd, 2021.

Although this date does fall within with the recently announced launch before the close of Q2 2022, veteran GameStop investors are experienced enough to know to not rely on dates hidden within code.

While GameStop’s NFT Beta only allows users to create accounts, deposit funds, and claim usernames at the moment, we urge those curious to check the platform out themselves, as GameStop gears up to soon deliver power to the players.


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Source: Loopring on MediumGameStop NFT Beta, Loopring on Discord, Immutable on Discord