For anyone who read last week’s Top 10 CalvinAyre.com interviews of 2017, you already know five of the ten interviews on the list were Bitcoin or Blockchain related. Out of the top 10 most viewed Becky’s Affiliated columns of 2017, turns out six were Bitcoin or Blockchain related and the number one column of the year was my interview with Calvin Ayre on Bitcoin, all supporting just how disruptive the Bitcoin network will be for the online gambling industry.
The remaining four on the Becky’s Affiliated top 10 list are not surprising either, everything from an affiliate taking Affiliate Edge to court, my British Citizenship story, an interview with the world-famous Ronnie O’Sullivan and an interview with Paris Smith of Pinnacle, one of the most influential leaders in the sports betting industry.
I hope you enjoy this little trip down memory lane and bring on another year of Bitcoin and influencer-filled “Becky’s Affiliated”.
10. An affiliate industry first- an affiliate takes an affiliate program to court
The Affiliate Edge ownership dramas that kicked off in 2016 and spilled over into 2017 were not a secret for anyone in the online gambling affiliate industry. After one of the Affiliate Edge owners was pushed out of the business by his brothers, affiliates who had been working with the program for years suddenly found themselves blindsided by predatory Ts&Cs. Dave Sawyer of Online Casino Reviewer was not going to take this treatment lying down and decided to take the affiliate program’s parent company to court, a first for the iGaming affiliate industry.
9. How Blockchain and Bitcoin Cash are set up to disrupt venture capital
The crossover between the online gambling industry and Bitcoin/Blockchain goes beyond practical uses…plenty of professionals who spent years in gaming are now making a move to Bitcoin and Blockchain related projects, such as Vincenc Marti. Marti joined SPiCE Venture Capital, a VC firm issuing digital security tokens to its investors using Blockchain technology, hence my interview with SPiCE Co-Founder Carlos Domingo. Domingo talked on how SPiCE is using the Blockchain to power its platform, why Bitcoin Cash is a popular currency for investors and how Blockchain will revolutionize our world.
8. How the gambling industry can use Ethereum Blockchain with Marco Cuesta
Its important for the online gambling industry to recognize the Bitcoin network and other networks are not just currencies, for example, “FirstBlood” offers a decentralized reward system for eSports players built on the Ethereum Blockchain. FirstBlood CEO Marco Cuesta, a “Bitcoiner” who once understanding the Ethereum Blockchain decided to build a platform on top of it, has never looked back. Cuesta pointed out how everyone can see the transactions that are happening on this system and there is no need for any third parties such as payment platforms, banks or other verification systems.
7. How Bitcoin is set to transform the online poker world and beyond
Another area of crossover between the gambling and Bitcoin world is within the poker industry. There are a number of Blockchain enthusiasts who also play poker for a living, some trading crypto, some playing poker in Bitcoin, some who can recognize how Blockchain tech will ensure fairness of their game and some who simply love the technology. Daniel, a professional poker player, believes Blockchain is going to disrupt the way everything works in this world, including poker. He cited events such as “Black Friday”, something that would have never happened if players were playing in Bitcoin.
6. How Blockchain can revolutionize the online gambling industry with DAO.casino
Also built on the Ethereum Blockchain, DAO.casino offers “provably fair” games for players while completely removing the need for third parties such as regulators and RNG testing services. DAO.casino CEO Ilya Tarutov highlights the simplicity of DAO’s gambling-specific protocol and the ability to interact in a “trustless” environment. When it comes to the size and scale of the potential Blockchain has to disrupt our world, Tarutov compares it to how the Internet changed the ways we communicate.
5. CalvinAyre.com’s role in my journey to British Citizenship
This edition of Becky’s Affiliated is near and dear to my heart, likely the only piece I’ve written of this nature and I’m so pleased our readers enjoyed my story. My journey to citizenship in the UK is a story full of positive thinking, hard work, outstanding role models, friends, family and of course, luck. If it wasn’t for CalvinAyre.com, I wouldn’t be holding two passports like I am today and for this blessing I’m forever thankful.
4. Catching up with Ronnie O’Sullivan, the world’s best snooker player
Its not often when we get a chance to spend time with someone who is the best in the world at something and Ronnie O’Sullivan, the world’s best snooker player, also happens to be a completely down-to-earth guy who is a pleasure to chat with. When watching this interview, his friendly nature is contagious while he talks about his partnership with BetCris, the growing popularity of snooker in China, his experiences traveling around the USA, how he mentally prepares for a big match and how he’s learned to manage his emotions.
3. A beginner’s step-by-step guide on how to buy Bitcoin Cash
If you take one look at Facebook or Twitter, it appears as if the entire planet is obsessing about Bitcoin (BTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), altcoins, investing, trading, buying, selling, exchanges, pricing, etc, etc, etc. While investing in the crypto-currency market is not for the faint-hearted, buying BCH (for example) and sitting on it for five years could prove to be a smart investment. The challenge is figuring out how to buy something like BCH because its not a straight forward process. With this in mind, publishing a beginner’s guide seemed like a good idea and according to our numbers, our readers thought it was too.
2. The secrets to Pinnacle’s success with Paris Smith
Paris Smith is one of my favorite leaders in the online gambling space, with a warm personality, ability to speak well in public and rightfully-earned respect from all corners of the industry. Smith always credits her team for the success of Pinnacle and is so proud of the company’s industry-leading eSports and legacy sportsbetting offering that punters have been enjoying for years. In this interview, Smith also covers her decision to stay away from any sponsorships and some of the hurdles Pinnacle has faced with regulation.
1. Calvin Ayre on the brilliance of Bitcoin, London’s role and an appeal for Antigua
Filming this interview with Calvin Ayre meant so much to me, especially because he is the one who predicted my skillset would be perfect for an on-camera interviewer, way before I ever actually went ahead and tried it. Clearly this prediction was spot-on, same as his spot-on prediction of Bitcoin Cash’s growing popularity and price, a topic he covers in this interview. Ayre also explains how the convergence of online gambling and Bitcoin is in London, the global leader in both these spaces right now.
