Coinbase Joins Pokémon TCG Hype With Its Own Digital Pack-Opening Service

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Key takeaways

Coinbase announced a digital card pack-opening platform backed by physical cards.
Users will be able to either vault their pulled cards digitally or have them shipped.
The service arrives amid a massive resurgence in Pokémon trading card popularity.

Coinbase is joining the Pokémon TCG craze with its own digital pack-opening platform.

Coinbase, a US-based cryptocurrency exchange platform, is moving in on the TCG market with a particular focus on Pokémon. At least, that’s what it seems like, based on a tweet it published on September 28.

“Your binder is about to get a major upgrade,” the post reads. “Rip packs on your phone. Every pull backed by a real, physical card. Vault it or ship it. Soon on Coinbase.”

Coinbase hints at features

While the post’s text doesn’t mention Pokémon by name, the accompanying image attached to it shows mockups of five Pokémon TCG card packs that are labeled ‘Pokémon’ with the numbers 1-5.

The platform also responded to a few comments that mentioned the popular monster-catching franchise; one user wrote, “Pokémon packs on the chain, trading cards just hit peak convenience,” to which it replied, “You get it.”

“STFU, Coinbase is going to partner with and onboard everything on earth,” another wrote, to which Coinbase responded, “Well, we are the Everything Exchange.”

Unanswered questions remain

Based on this post, it looks like Coinbase users will soon be able to open digital card packs, with the option to place those cards in a digital ‘vault’ or receive their physical equivalent by mail.

However, another reply from Coinbase suggests there’ll be some additional features at play; one user wrote, “The vaulting aspect is the real game changer here,” to which it replied, “And there’s more…”

For now, details remain sparse. We don’t know how Coinbase’s status as a crypto platform will impact its attempt at a pack-opening service, nor how it intends to grade said cards or provide proof of ownership. Will these pulls come from pre-opened packs? Who’s to say.

Precedents in the market

It’s also worth noting that such a service, sans cryptocurrency, already exists; as pointed out by Dexerto, Gamestop’s Power Packs program also features a digital option, allowing customers to open mystery packs online and receive those cards’ physical counterparts.

Gamestop assures its buyers that every digital pack contains a “real, authenticated item” that they can either hold in their digital PSA vault, have shipped to them, or take advantage of its instant buyback program and use those funds to purchase another card pack. It remains to be seen if Coinbase will provide similar guarantees.

Coinbase’s proposed pack-opening platform comes on the heels of Pokémon’s 30th Anniversary celebration, which has shone a spotlight on the ever-growing hype around the card collecting scene, as well as the scalpers who have caused chaos during its special merchandise and card launches.

For instance, the special 30th Anniversary card pack drops at retailers like Target and other shops prompted long lines outside stores as mobs of fans showed up for the chance at snagging some packs for themselves, with some even ‘reserving’ spots in line by setting out chairs with no one sitting in them.

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