Latest news with #RobertLeshner
Indianapolis Star
3 days ago
- Business
- Indianapolis Star
GameSquare Provides Details for July 29 Livestream To Discuss $250 Million Onchain Treasury Strategy
Conversation will feature visionary crypto leaders Ryan Zurrer of Dialectic, Robert Leshner of Superstate, and Rhydon Lee of Goff Capital FRISCO, TEXAS / ACCESS Newswire GameSquare Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:GAME) provides a link for its previously announced livestream on July 29, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. ET. The livestream will feature Justin Kenna, CEO of GameSquare, alongside its newest advisors and investors, a collective of the most forward-thinking leaders in decentralized finance:. Ryan Zurrer, Founder of Dialectic AG, Robert Leshner, CEO of Superstate, and Rhydon Lee of Goff Capital. Tomorrow's discussion comes at a pivotal moment for GameSquare, as the company accelerates its push into crypto with a series of bold, strategic moves. In just a matter of weeks, GameSquare has partnered with Dialectic, announced plans to scale its ETH treasury to $250 million, and acquired the Cowboy Ape, one of the most iconic CryptoPunks in a headline-grabbing deal that underscored the company's belief in the long-term cultural and financial value of digital assets. These decisions aren't isolated plays; they reflect GameSquare's broader commitment to bringing digital-native fluency to public markets, with an approach rooted in culture, credibility, and strategic Zurrer, Leshner and Lee will provide a transparent, front-row look at the Company's strategy, unpack the thinking behind these latest moves and explain what sets GameSquare apart from other public companies deploying ETH treasury strategies. One of the key messages that the team will relay in tomorrow's livestream is that GameSquare isn't just another ETH treasury company. Since its inception in 2020, it's created a core business that was built by connecting mainstream players to digital native audiences and educating the traditional marketplace on internet culture. A true market leading digital company, GameSquare provides services across advanced technology and data solutions, internet-first creative and production agencies, and the development and execution of authentic content and live experiences that uniquely serve internet-native audiences. The reason GameSquare has progressed their financial strategy into crypto is because it is a natural expansion of the Company's current ecosystem that is truly authentic. The livestream can be accessed at and is also available at About GameSquare Holdings, Inc. GameSquare (NASDAQ:GAME) is a cutting-edge media, entertainment, and technology company transforming how brands and publishers connect with Gen Z, Gen Alpha, and Millennial audiences. With a platform that spans award-winning creative services, advanced analytics, and FaZe Clan, one of the most iconic gaming organizations, we operate one of the largest gaming media networks in North America. Complementing our operating strategy, GameSquare operates a blockchain-native Ethereum treasury management program designed to generate onchain yield and enhance capital efficiency, reinforcing our commitment to building a dynamic, high-performing media company at the intersection of culture, technology, and next-generation financial innovation. To learn more, visit Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains 'forward-looking information' and 'forward-looking statements' (collectively, 'forward-looking statements') within the meaning of the applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as 'expects', or 'does not expect', 'is expected', 'anticipates' or 'does not anticipate', 'plans', 'budget', 'scheduled', 'forecasts', 'estimates', 'believes' or 'intends' or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results 'may' or 'could', 'would', 'might' or 'will' be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate, among other things, to: the Company's future performance, revenue, growth and profitability; and the Company's ability to execute on its current and future business plans. These forward-looking statements are provided only to provide information currently available to us and are not intended to serve as and must not be relied on by any investor as, a guarantee, assurance or definitive statement of fact or probability. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions which include, but are not limited to: the Company's ability to grow its business and being able to execute on its business plans, the success of Company's vendors and partners in their provision of services to the Company, the Company being able to recognize and capitalize on opportunities and the Company continuing to attract qualified personnel to supports its development requirements. These assumptions, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: the Company's ability to achieve its objectives, the Company successfully executing its growth strategy, the ability of the Company to obtain future financings or complete offerings on acceptable terms, failure to leverage the Company's portfolio across entertainment and media platforms, dependence on the Company's key personnel and general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties. These risk factors are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors that could affect the Company which are discussed in the Company's most recent MD&A. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. GameSquare assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law. GameSquare Corporate Contact Lou Schwartz, President Phone: (216) 464-6400 Email: ir@ GameSquare Investor Relations Andrew Berger Phone: (216) 464-6400 Email: ir@ GameSquare Media Relations Chelsey Northern / The Untold Phone: (254) 855-4028 Email: pr@ SOURCE: GameSquare Holdings, Inc. The post GameSquare Provides Details for July 29 Livestream To Discuss $250 Million Onchain Treasury Strategy appeared first on DA80 Hub.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Robert Leshner takes investors on ‘crazy ride' that ends with a new crypto treasury company and heavy losses
When Robert Leshner announced on Monday he had bought a controlling stake in a tiny liquor advertising company, nobody knew what he was up to. The decentralised finance guru, who has 129,000 followers on X, said he planned to replace the firm's board and help it 'explore new strategies.' But doing so turned out to be easier said than done. What followed was a four-day foray into the wild world of corporate takeovers that saw a 266% stock surge, an even more violent crash, and the decimation of thousands of dollars of investor capital. On Thursday, Leshner returned to social media for a post-mortem. He said his plan all along had been to buy the company and put it on track to build a crypto treasury, an increasingly popular scheme pioneered by Michael Saylor's Bitcoin treasury company Strategy, and aped by dozens more firms in recent months. 'I was partially successful,' Leshner said. Leshner did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A majority stake The episode began on July 14 when Leshner posted a Securities and Exchange Commission filing on X. It disclosed that he had bought 56.9% of the stock of LQR House, a Florida company with a $2.8 million market capitalisation that sells wine and other alcoholic drinks through a website. 'I have not done extensive diligence; there are signs the company is up to no good,' Leshner said on X. 'I will sort them out, but please be extremely careful with any low market cap companies. I may lose all my investment and you might too.' The warning was a sign of things to come. The way Leshner went about acquiring his majority stake in LQR House was unusual, said Matt Levine, an opinion columnist at Bloomberg News, who weighed in on the situation on Wednesday. Activist investors tend to engage with company management after buying a stake in the open market. Yet it appears Leshner plunged ahead with his plan without talking to LQR House's executive team or board. So he had no idea how they might react to his aggressive stock buying move. Still, Leshner's followers on X saw the situation as an opportunity. Leshner is a veritable hero in DeFi circles. He created Compound, an early DeFi lending protocol that at one point held more than $20 billion in user deposits. And crypto treasury companies are all the rage and have in recent months produced handsome returns for those who bet on them early. Despite Leshner's warnings, his followers piled into LQR House's stock, which trades under the ticker YHC. Within two days, its shares soared 266%. Burnt investors Even so, the firm's management didn't like what was going on. They seized the opportunity to issue more shares and profit from the situation. It wasn't just a small number of new shares, either. The firm filed to issue $46 million worth — over nine times the market capitalisation of the company at the time. The offering diluted Leshner's stake and simultaneously the firm's stock plunged 46% as shares flooded the market. 'The numbers reported in brokerage apps became increasingly out of date as these shares entered the market and diluted shareholders, to the point where my stake no longer has meaningful control,' Leshner said in the aftermath. 'Not productive' Flooding the market with new shares is typically regarded as poor corporate governance and bad for investors. Leshner rather diplomatically characterised LQR House's decision as 'not productive.' LQR House's CEO is Sean Dollinger, a self-styled serial entrepreneur who has been involved in the initial purchase offerings of numerous firms. In an October 2024 civil suit, Dollinger and his companies, including LQR house, were accused of racketeering by investors, who demanded almost $2 million in restitution. Dollinger and his co-defendants' request to dismiss the suit was denied on June 30. To add to the madness, an activist investor unconnected to Leshner, Kingbird Ventures, sued LQR House on July 15, citing a breach of fiduciary duties. Kingbird's suit seeks to take control of the firm and freeze assets held by Dollinger. As more and more new shares of LQR House hit the market, the stock fell further. By Friday morning, shares had tumbled another 18%, below the level where they were trading when Leshner announced his controlling stake. 'Silver lining' Yet in a sudden turn of events, Leshner's dream of turning LQR House into a crypto treasury firm suddenly started to materialise. In a Thursday press release, the firm announced it planned to pursue a crypto treasury strategy, similar to what Leshner had envisioned. The company said it has already approved allocating part of its treasury to Bitcoin and is exploring potential mining infrastructure investments through partnerships with Bitmain and Polaris Capital. 'This forward-looking shift has been spurred by Leshner, a significant voice in decentralised finance and the open market buyer of a stake in LQR House,' the release said. 'Leshner no longer intends on pursuing a controlling interest in the Company.' As for the investors who followed Leshner on his corporate takeover journey, they're probably out of luck. Yet the Compound founder said there was a silver lining to the saga. 'LQR has $20 million more capital to follow through on its plans and actually create a crypto treasury,' Leshner said, adding that he plans to recommend crypto community members to help LQR House develop its treasury strategy. 'Thank you for being a part of this unique and crazy ride with me,' he said. Tim Craig is DL News' Edinburgh-based DeFi Correspondent. Reach out with tips at tim@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ether Treasury Company GameSquare Buys CryptoPunk NFT for $5.15M
Digital media company GameSquare (GAME) said it bought Cowboy Ape #5577 of the CryptoPunk non-fungible token (NFT) collection from Robert Leshner for $5.15 million. The Frisco, Texas-based company, which described the purchase a strategic investment, also said it added just over $10 million worth of ether (ETH) to its treasury. Leshner, the founder of Compound Labs, an open-source protocol for algorithmic money markets on Ethereum, received the company's preferred stock in payment CryptoPunks are one of the earliest and among the most influential NFT projects. Created in 2017, they inspired much of the modern crypto art movement and set a precedent for digital ownership on the blockchain. "GameSquare plans to leverage CryptoPunks for marketing activations, community building, and potential licensing opportunities," the company said in a Thursday announcement. The firm's purchase of 2,742.75 ETH takes its total holdings to 12,913.49 ETH, valued at around $48.5 million. A number of companies have unveiled ether treasury strategies in recent months as a means of generating passive yield through ETH staking. Foremost among them is SharpLink Gaming(SBET), now the largest corporate ether holder, with over 360,000 ETH. Firms in the media, entertainment and gaming sectors like SharpLink and GameSquare may see an ether treasury strategy as a means of advancing their Web3 aspirations through investing in the Ethereum ecosystem and thereby gaining exposure to NFTs, decentralized finance (DeFi) and more. GAME shares spiked to $1.44, an intraday gain of nearly 8%, following the announcement, before pulling back. At the time of writing, it was trading 4.8% higher at $1.33. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Insider
24-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
GameSquare Acquires Iconic Cowboy Ape CryptoPunk from DeFi Pioneer Robert Leshner
Robert Leshner makes a strategic investment in GameSquare by selling CryptoPunk #5577 for $5.15 million of the Company's preferred stock GameSquare's initial NFT investment anchors yield strategy targeting 6-10% annualized stablecoin return Increases Ethereum treasury holdings to approximately $52 million, with recent $10 million purchase GameSquare Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: GAME) (the 'Company' or 'GameSquare'), a next-generation media, entertainment, and technology company, today announced that its Board of Directors has approved the strategic purchase of a rare and highly sought-after "Cowboy Ape" CryptoPunk NFT from Robert Leshner, founder of the DeFi protocol Compound and CEO of Superstate. Under the terms of the purchase agreement, GameSquare issued Robert Leshner $5.15 million of preferred stock that is convertible into approximately 3.4 million shares of GameSquare's common stock at $1.50 per share. The purchase marks GameSquare's first direct NFT investment and is a major milestone in its blockchain-native brand and treasury strategy that is targeting 6-10% annualized stablecoin returns. 'I am thrilled to announce our first 'grail' NFT investment as part of the differentiated treasury management strategy GameSquare is pursuing,' said Justin Kenna, CEO of GameSquare. 'In addition, we are excited to welcome Robert Leshner, one of crypto's most respected investors and a pioneer of decentralized finance as a shareholder. This relationship demonstrates the unique, forward-thinking strategy we have developed to expand into the fastest growing edges of onchain finance.' As GameSquare continues to expand its onchain finance strategy, the Company is also working with Superstate to explore opportunities to tokenize its shares on leading blockchains, using Superstate's recently announced Opening Bell platform. Robert Leshner stated, 'I'm excited to work with GameSquare as a shareholder, and support Justin and the team as they innovate on the digital-native treasury strategy, in traditional markets and onchain.' CryptoPunk Added to GameSquare Treasury Valued for its rarity and historical significance as one of only 24 Ape CryptoPunks in existence, the Cowboy Ape is widely regarded as the most desirable CryptoPunks of the 10,000-piece collection and NFTs in general. The acquisition adds a culturally iconic asset to the Company's onchain portfolio and positions GameSquare at the forefront of blockchain-native brand storytelling and community engagement. 'Acquiring CryptoPunks showcases our belief in the long-term value of digital identity, decentralized ownership, and cultural capital onchain. CryptoPunks are digital artifacts that helped define an era. Adding the Cowboy Ape to our treasury is both a strategic investment and a statement of intent,' Kenna concluded. NFT Yielding Strategy Under GameSquare's NFT yield program, the Company is deploying capital to leverage digital assets within the Ethereum ecosystem targeting an expected annualized return of 6%-10%. To support this strategy, GameSquare plans to leverage CryptoPunks for marketing activations, community building, and potential licensing opportunities, while continuing to expand its Web3 strategy with high-value, high-impact digital assets. It also plays a central role in GameSquare's proprietary NFT yield strategy, designed to generate sustainable onchain returns while enhancing brand equity. Advisor Ryan Zurrer's 1OF1 AG is managing GameSquare's NFT yield strategy and will custody the asset for yield generation purposes. ETH Holdings Update GameSquare also announced a recent $10 million ETH purchase, acquiring approximately 2,742.75 ETH at a weighted average price of approximately $3,646 per ETH. To date, GameSquare has purchased $45 million of ETH under its $250 million authorization. The Company currently has approximately 12,913.49 ETH as of July 24, 2025. These updates are part of the Company's crypto treasury management strategy with a current authorization of $250 million. The Company has formed a strategic partnership with leaders in the crypto space, including Ryan Zurrer of Dialectic and Rhydon Lee of Goff Capital, to manage and optimize its treasury management program. GameSquare's custom ETH-focused yield generation strategy is built on top of Dialectic's proprietary platform Medici, which applies machine learning models, automated optimization, and multi-layered risk controls to generate best-in-class risk-adjusted returns. Targeted onchain yields of 8-14% significantly exceed the current ETH staking benchmarks of 3-4%. Dialectic's program includes multi-layered risk management protocols that are widely recognized as the best risk-adjusted yields in DeFi. Once fully implemented, GameSquare expects to allocate capital generated from this strategy to support additional ETH asset purchases or reinvest in the Company's growth initiatives. About GameSquare Holdings, Inc. GameSquare (NASDAQ: GAME) is a cutting-edge media, entertainment, and technology company transforming how brands and publishers connect with Gen Z, Gen Alpha, and Millennial audiences. With a platform that spans award-winning creative services, advanced analytics, and FaZe Clan, one of the most iconic gaming organizations, they operate one of the largest gaming media networks in North America. Complementing their operating strategy, GameSquare operates a blockchain-native Ethereum treasury management program designed to generate onchain yield and enhance capital efficiency, reinforcing their commitment to building a dynamic, high-performing media company at the intersection of culture, technology, and next-generation financial innovation. To learn more, users can visit Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate, among other things, to: the Company's future performance, revenue, growth and profitability; and the Company's ability to execute on its current and future business plans. These forward-looking statements are provided only to provide information currently available to us and are not intended to serve as and must not be relied on by any investor as, a guarantee, assurance or definitive statement of fact or probability. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions which include, but are not limited to: the Company's ability to grow its business and being able to execute on its business plans, the success of Company's vendors and partners in their provision of services to the Company, the Company being able to recognize and capitalize on opportunities and the Company continuing to attract qualified personnel to supports its development requirements. These assumptions, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: the Company's ability to achieve its objectives, the Company successfully executing its growth strategy, the ability of the Company to obtain future financings or complete offerings on acceptable terms, failure to leverage the Company's portfolio across entertainment and media platforms, dependence on the Company's key personnel and general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties. These risk factors are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors that could affect the Company which are discussed in the Company's most recent MD&A. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. GameSquare assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law. Phone: (216) 464-6400 Email: ir@ GameSquare Investor Relations Andrew Berger Phone: (216) 464-6400 Email: ir@ GameSquare Media Relations Chelsey Northern / The Untold Phone: (254) 855-4028 Email: pr@ Contact President Lou Schwartz GAMESQUARE
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Superstate CEO Robert Leshner Buys Majority Stake in 'Shady' Liquor Vendor With BTC Strategy
Robert Leshner, CEO and co-founder of tokenization firm Superstate, said he bought a majority stake in publicly listed e-commerce liquor retailer LQR House (YHC), planning to overhaul the embattled company. Leshner purchased a 56.9% controlling stake in the firm for $2.03 million, according to a document filed to the SEC. The move sent shares of LQR up as much as 45% during Monday trading. LQR House runs an online seller of a range of premium liquor products. In November, the firm embraced bitcoin BTC as a treasury asset, approving an up-to $1 million BTC allocation and enabling crypto payments on its platform. In a post on X, Leshner said he hasn't conducted "extensive diligence" on the company, which he described as having a "somewhat shady history." The firm's share price plummeted over 90% since March. Still, his intent is clear: Clean house and overhaul the business. According to the SEC filing, Leshner plans to remove all current directors and install a new board to pursue "strategic alternatives" and "explore the potential for strategic transactions." "There are signs the company is up to no good," Leshner said in his post. "I will sort them out, but please be extremely careful with any low market cap companies. "I may lose all my investment and you might too," he added. It was not immediately clear whether Leshner has any plans for digital assets in his turnaround plans. However, the acquisition fits into a growing trend of prominent figures in crypto circles taking the helm of publicly traded firms. Joseph Lubin, Ethereum ETH co-founder and CEO of development firm Consensys, became chairman of Sharplink Gaming (SBET) when that company pivoted to an ETH treasury strategy. Thomas Lee, head of research at Fundstrat and well-known Wall Street commentator, joined BitMine Immersion Technology (BMNR) as chairman to spearhead the firm's crypto treasury plans. Leshner was a founder of early decentralized finance (DeFi) lending protocol Compound COMP before focusing on asset tokenization with Superstate. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
