Atari Enters Crypto Fray with Token for Gamers

Older individuals might nostalgically remember Atari, whose claim to fame were classic video game hits such as Pac Man and Space Invaders. In a surprise move, the company now aims to claw its way back into relevance by launching a cryptocurrency dubbed Atari Token.

After its glory days in the 1980s, Atari has lingered on as little more than a symbol of the past in the eyes of the general public. The company was eventually bought by Infogrames and went bankrupt around 2013.

“Blockchain technology is poised to take a very important place in our environment and to transform, if not revolutionize, the current economic ecosystem, especially in the areas of the video game industry and online transactions. Our aim is to take strategic positions with a limited cash risk, in order to best create value with the assets and the Atari brand,”saidAtari CEO Frederic Chesnais.

In 2017, the French-based company announced the forthcoming launch of the Ataribox - a new console that it hopes will revive the interest of its nostalgic customer base.

The Atari Token release is part of a partnership the company has struck with the developer of a blockchain-powered entertainment platform. Atari is likely to use this token to advance the expansion of its alliance with gambling company PariPlay by allowing players to use digital currencies.