US professional poker player Mauro Velasquez, who has amassed career earnings in excess of a quarter million dollars, is also an entrepreneur with a unique idea of combining the virtual currency Bitcoin with a scavenger hunt for prizes concept.
And like all good entrepreneurs, he’s prepared to put his money on the line to translate his ambitions into a profitable online enterprise that he has branded Coinding, according to a Coindesk report.
In the game, players hunt for and collect Bitcoins by successfully completing challenges in diverse locations hidden away by the designers of the Coinding website. The game effectively uses mobile phone technology to aid players to find Bitcoins across an international spread of Bitcoin-using nations depicted on a Coinmap.
In true social gaming style, Coinding will hand out fractions of Bitcoins to help players get a foothold in the volatile Bitcoin economic phenomenon without having to buy into the currency and put their traditional cash at risk.
The promotional opportunities for Bitcoin-oriented companies are considerable, Velasquez says.
Coinding employs eight people at present, and Velasquez is aiming for a Q1-2014 launch on both Android and iOS mobile platforms.