Microsoft crypto plans: leaked documents reveal plans for an Xbox crypto wallet

In what’s being dubbed the “biggest leak in Xbox records,” internal files inadvertently discovered Microsoft’s designs to assimilate a cryptocurrency pockets with its acclaimed Xbox gaming console. The unintentional disclosure emerged on the Resetera gaming discussion board remaining week.

A distinctive document from The Verge said that during the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) litigation towards Microsoft – where the regulator ambitions to save you the tech large’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard – uncovered communications laid bare plans for a new disc-much less Xbox Series X, a gyro controller, and a hybrid Xbox set for a 2028 launch.

Additionally, the May 2022 Xbox roadmap disclosed intentions to embed a cryptocurrency pockets into the upcoming console version.

Phil Spencer, Xbox’s chief, addressed Microsoft personnel via an email approximately the unheard of leak, noting that the inadvertently shared plans had been part of the FTC v. Microsoft case. On the X platform (previously known as Twitter), Spencer voiced his dismay at seeing his team’s confidential work uncovered, assuring that the respectable plans could be unveiled when the time is proper.

🔍 #Microsoft is rumored to be planning to integrate a crypto wallet into the #Xbox gaming console.https://t.co/4Vvc32EuSG
— GN Crypto 🇺🇦 (@GNcrypto_news) September 26, 2023

Michael Silberberg from AltTabCapital weighed in, underscoring the deep-seated relationship between digital property and gaming. He highlighted the transformative capability of integrating crypto, emphasizing that it can “disrupt and supercharge the $76B (2023) in-recreation microtransaction marketplace.” He further posited that via welcoming crypto property into the gaming virtual market, there is capability to enhance the digital assets market by way of 2.Five billion gamers, amplifying transactions and solidifying the standing of virtual property international.

While the revelations have officially placed Microsoft’s plans under the spotlight, there has been continual hypothesis that tech titans like Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Google have been mulling over cryptocurrency support as blockchain generation garners big popularity.

Regulatory attempts, significantly the U.S.’ intervention in opposition to Facebook’s bid to launch its very own stablecoin in 2019, combined with the cryptocurrency market’s fluctuations, reputedly slowed down those plans. However, the renewed energy around Bitcoin ETFs and banking giants like JPMorgan and Citi venturing into blockchain-primarily based deposit tokens has rekindled interest inside the virtual asset realm. Thus, an official pronouncement about Xbox’s crypto pockets integration is predicted.

Further fueling the speculations is the whisper that Microsoft is within the manner of embedding a non-custodial Ethereum (ETH) pockets into its Edge browser, even though precise details continue to be sparse.

Earlier within the year, Microsoft joined forces with Ankr, a pioneering decentralized blockchain infrastructure provider. This collaboration objectives to help entities in want of blockchain data get right of entry to by offering a unique node website hosting service at the Microsoft Azure Marketplace.

In a subsequent move, Microsoft connected up with Aptos Labs in August, specializing in expediting worldwide web3 adoption. The collaboration yielded “Aptos Assistant,” an AI chatbot crafted to streamline the process for brand spanking new customers transitioning to Web3, spanning pockets creation, fiat-to-crypto conversions, and educating users about blockchain’s private blessings.