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

Coinbase, a US-based cryptocurrency exchange platform, is joining the Pokémon TCG craze with its own digital pack-opening service. In a tweet on September 28, Coinbase teased, "Your binder is about to get a major upgrade. Rip packs on your phone. Every pull backed by a real, physical card. Vault it or ship it. Soon on Coinbase."

While the tweet doesn't explicitly mention Pokémon, an accompanying image showed mockups of five Pokémon TCG card packs labeled 'Pokémon' with numbers 1-5. Upon learning about the post, Coinbase responded, "You get it." "STFU, Coinbase is going to partner with and onboard everything on earth," another user remarked, to which Coinbase replied, "Well, we are the Everything Exchange."

Coinbase's digital pack-opening platform will allow users to open packs, place cards in a digital 'vault,' or receive physical cards via mail. However, details regarding how the service will be implemented, such as card grading and proof of ownership, remain unclear. The move comes as Pokémon celebrates its 30th anniversary, sparking increased interest in the card-collecting community and causing chaos over special merchandise and card launches.

Competitors like Gamestop already offer digital pack-opening services, promising real, authenticated cards to customers.