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Drone Racing League to Develop Crypto-Based Video Game

  • The Drone Racing League is set to launch a crypto-centric play-to-earn video game.
  • The league is working with Playground Labs to develop the title.
Drone-Racing-League-Algorand
DRL/Design: Alex Brooks

The Drone Racing League is set to launch a crypto-centric play-to-earn video game with Playground Labs, a New York-based blockchain, metaverse, and web3 game developer.

The two companies will work together to build a virtual version of the DRL on Algorand, a cryptocurrency platform. In September, the DRL agreed to a five-year, $100 million deal with Algorand, adding to a growing list of crypto companies embracing sports.

Development of the gaming title will be backed by Hivemind Capital Partners, a $1.5 billion crypto investment fund, which was launched in November by former Citi executive Matt Zhang.

  • DRL, which features drone pilots racing through courses to compete for prize money, is valued at $200 million, according to Pitchbook.
  • The league reaches roughly 75 million fans globally and continues to expand during its sixth season, which started on Sept. 29 and is scheduled to conclude on Feb. 20.
  • It secured a partnership in October with Genius Sports to bring drone racing to licensed sportsbooks.

Growing In Popularity

The global drone market is expected to reach $92 billion by 2030, an annual growth rate of 25%, according to ABI Research.

The New York-based tech intelligence firm projects that roughly $63 billion of that revenue will be earned commercially, excluding military, police, and public surveillance use.

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