📝#103: FIFA's Big Bet on Web3

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📚 Our Top Reads This Week

Coinbase View on Future of Crypto [Podcast]. Fintech Blueprint. Link
The AI maturity matrix. BCG. Link
Everything that happened in AI agents last week. Link
Strategy in an Era of Abundant Expertise. HBR. Link
This is ChatGPT’s First Official Victim. Are You Next? Ignacio de Gregorio. Link

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FIFA’s Licensed Web3 Game⚽️

FIFA and Mythical Games (the studio behind NFL Rivals) have collaborated to launch a mobile video game, FIFA Rivals.

It will be released in Summer 2025 on iOS and Android.

Artwork from FIFA Rivals. Image: Mythical Games

Game Details:

Free-to-play, mobile arcade-style soccer game.
Players can build/manage soccer clubs and compete in real-time matches.
Built on the Mythos blockchain (using Polkadot technology).
Features collectible and tradable NFT soccer player cards.

Why it’s important: After parting ways with EA Sports, FIFA is embracing Web3 and mobile gaming to reach a tech-savvy audience. FIFA Rivals stands out with its mobile accessibility and NFT-based player cards, positioning it to carve a unique niche amid competition from EA Sports FC Mobile and Konami’s eFootball.

By the data: NFL Rivals (by Mythical Games) has already attracted millions of football fans with 6M+ downloads and $9.2M of digital collectible sales.

Stepping back: In 2022, FIFA collaborated with four blockchain startups to release games and collectibles for the FIFA World Cup Qatar.

It also launched the FIFA Collect NFT platform on Algorand and Polygon blockchains. More data

The big picture: FIFA’s pivot to Web3 and NFTs is a bold step to reshape its gaming strategy after parting with EA Sports. FIFA Rivals doesn’t just enter the mobile soccer space—it positions FIFA as a leader in Web3 gaming, offering players the chance to collect, trade, and compete with NFT-based player cards.

Be smart: FIFA is cutting out intermediaries and connecting directly with fans for a more engaging, future-ready experience.

AI in Action at Estée Lauder🤖

The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC), home to brands like Clinique, La Mer, and Bobbi Brown, collaborates with Microsoft for Generative AI, using ChatGPT Enterprise. [Press Release]

Why it matters: It has combined 75 years of consumer data with AI to accelerate product development and foster a hyper-personalized market.

Estée Lauder applies AI, AR for cosmetics accessibility | CIO

Why it matters: The $571B global beauty industry is rapidly shifting toward personalization. ELC shows how AI can take over repetitive tasks, and turn consumer insights into faster and smarter decisions.

How ELC Uses AI:

240+ custom GPTs help employees analyze data faster and more effectively.
Copywriting GPT creates detailed, on-brand marketing content in minutes—reducing response times by 90%.
ELC’s GPT Lab prototypes AI tools through rapid sprints, prioritizing use cases that deliver high value with minimal effort.

The big picture: With brands like ELC utilizing ChatGPT Enterprise, OpenAI can lead its way towards profitability.

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🚨 Other Highlights You Can’t Miss

Metamask integrates Venmo. Link
Musk’s xAI will launch a game studio. Link
PayPal introduced a new service, Xoom, a cross-border payment platform. Link
Printemps becomes the first European department store to accept cryptocurrency payments. Link
Suntory Group launches tokenized premium Malt’s Beer on Avalanche. Link

🚨 Top Under-The-Radar Macro Signals:

Bets on Bitcoin:
- MicroStrategy boosts its Bitcoin holdings by 55,500 BTC for $5.4B, bringing its total to 386,700 BTC valued at nearly $38B.
- Amazon is reportedly planning a $250M Bitcoin purchase by the end of 2024.
- Metaplant is raising ¥9.5B (~$62M) to buy Bitcoin.
- China-based SOS Ltd plans to buy $50M worth of Bitcoin.
- Rumble is allocating up to $20M in Bitcoin to hedge inflation and strengthen its position in the crypto-driven cloud and video space.
Regulation:
- The Trump administration aims to expand the CFTC’s role in regulating digital assets, including Bitcoin and Ethereum,
- Hong Kong plans to exempt hedge funds, private equity, and billionaire family offices from crypto tax.
- Russia approves a crypto tax bill with a 15% income tax, VAT exemption, and mining data reporting—awaiting Putin’s sign-off.
On the enterprise side: JPMorgan and Mastercard have teamed up to integrate Mastercard’s Multi-Token Network with JPMorgan’s Kinexys Digital Payments, using blockchain to enable real-time cross-border B2B transactions—reducing settlement delays and time zone friction for 24/7 supply chains.