Reaching new heights: Crypto meets Drone Racing, Q&A w/ Konstantin Horejsi, Chief Product Officer at Blocktrade

Can you briefly introduce Blocktrade and its core services?

Blocktrade is the first gamified crypto exchange. We offer access to more than 30 tokens and core crypto features like saving plans, crypto trading and crypto training, but in a gamified way, with level-ups, bonuses, avatars, monthly challenges and leaderboards. While being accessible and engaging, we follow the highest security standards. We are regulated in Estonia, Italy and Slovenia and over-collateralize our customers’ funds, so they know their crypto is protected, safe, and secure.

How did the partnership between Blocktrade and the Drone Champions League come about? What prompted this collaboration?

We knew the DCL team from our time in investment banking and aerospace engineering but never had the chance to collaborate. Now, with both our user groups being intertwined, it was only logical to partner. Blocktrade provides easy, quick and secure international crypto transfers, and DCL provides fast-pacing gaming action. A match made in heaven, in the drone world, quite literally.

What values and objectives do Blocktrade and the Drone Champions League share that make this partnership effective?

We both have an extreme need for speed and efficiency. Like in a drone race, there is no pause button in crypto either. We also share a vision for internationalization, innovation and the removal of borders, for payments and for sports.

The Drone Champions League is set to take place on the 23rd of June in Dubai. How is Blocktrade contributing to this event?

We will officially announce our partnership there and will celebrate it with a special sign-on bonus (https://trade.blocktrade.com/join/DCL_Dubai) and some fun events and promotions. This is a long-term partnership, so we will continue to collaborate throughout the upcoming races. Drone racing fans will be presented with special opportunities to discover the world of crypto trading, tournament winners may receive prizes in Blocktrade’s BTEX token, and our own community of crypto traders will get exposure to the exciting Drone Champions League – a win-win for all!

Can you elaborate on how blockchain technology, a key feature of Blocktrade’s operations, is influencing the operations and the future of Drone Racing?

Fast and secure international payments are key in a global racing series. We have also been contacted by some of the pilots to discuss how we could provide them with financial services and long-term investment options. As more and more people, in this case both pilots and fans, want to take control of their finances and enter the world of crypto, we can support them through our educational programme and user-first approach.

How does Blocktrade plan to leverage this event to reach new audiences or potential clients?

I think there is a huge overlap between drone racing fans and crypto enthusiasts. The more we dive into the partnership, the more we realize this. It’s important for emerging industries to partner and support one another in an aim to grow and expand our individual reach, collectively. In our case, eSports is expected to reach a viewer’s audience of 318.1M viewers in 2025 and drone racing is gaining huge popularity within this. For us, we want the benefits of crypto and instant, cheap payments to reach the masses, and strategic partnerships like this are helping us get there.

Are there any specific initiatives or activities that Blocktrade is leading at the Drone Champions League event?

Yes, as we mentioned, we are announcing our partnership with DCL at the “DCL – Thrills for Desert Chills” race exhibition where we will be having a series of dedicated events, activities, and promotions, including a sign-on bonus. This exhibition race will see eight top-notch teams gather at the prestigious Dubai Esports &Games Festival 2023, showcasing their skills in navigating agile drones through a challenging desert course.

Drone racing is a rather innovative and futuristic sport. How does this align with Blocktrade’s vision and mission?

We had options to partner with more established car racing leagues, but there is something intriguing about drone racing and we felt it aligned closer to our values. In comparison to car racing leagues, you don’t need money to break into the sport, it’s accessible and as a result, it is full of new talent. It is a racing sport for the masses, with all the thrills of legacy sports leagues. At Blocktrade, we are committed to making crypto available to the masses and with our gamified approach, we can also offer some of the thrills.

What can spectators of the Drone Champions League anticipate from Blocktrade during the event?

As we just started our cooperation, you will not see us fully in the course yet, but you will see us supporting a team there. For the fans of the Drone Champions League, we also want to continue our emphasis on crypto education – so we will aim to create fun challenges which combine gaming and our advanced Blocktrade Academy, which teaches users how to safely engage with the crypto market.

Looking beyond the Drone Champions League, what future projects or partnerships can we expect to see from Blocktrade?

We partnered up with boutgamers.gg and greentube.com to further enter the gaming arena. Boutgamers will emphasize our community approach, and you can expect to see a Blocktrade tournament there soon. We also partnered up with Greentube and are excited about their ongoing Ski Challenge. This way we can have year-round engagements.

Finally, do you believe collaborations like the one between Blocktrade and Drone Champions League are essential for the evolution of technology and sports? If so, why?

Beyond the exposure to new audiences, there is no more challenging environment to test any product than a racing series. If our blockchain technology can keep up with the speed DCL requires, we have battle-tested under the harshest conditions.