Chou Further Strengthens Candy’s Blockchain and Gaming Experience as it Continues to Build the Future of Fan Engagement
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Candy Digital, the next generation sports and entertainment digital collectible company, announced today that Kevin Chou, Founder and Managing Partner of SuperLayer, has been appointed to its Board of Directors. Chou’s appointment comes on the heels of rapid growth for Candy which saw the expansion into multiple new categories including motorsports, basketball, football, and sports entertainment since its inaugural partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB) was announced in June 2021.
As a visionary entrepreneur, Kevin has played an influential role in accelerating the adoption of blockchain technology, with a focus on delivering easy-to-use crypto products and creating a venture studio in his current role, while developing a Creator Economy crypto protocol as CEO of Rally. Chou has been instrumental in the growth of the gaming industry as the founding CEO of Forte, Gen.G and Kabam previously to build more collaborative and inclusive communities.
“Candy has an exceptional leadership team and I’m thrilled about the opportunity to help them scale the business and brand globally,” said Chou. “Candy has positioned itself as a pioneer in the sports digital collectibles landscape and I look forward to supporting its expansion into art, music, gaming and entertainment.”
For his achievements, Chou has been recognized in Fortune’s 40 Under 40, CNN’s Smartest People in Tech, and Business Insider’s Silicon Valley Top 100 lists.
“Kevin is an entrepreneurial leader with an ambitious vision for the opportunities across the digital and crypto ecosystems,” said Scott Lawin, CEO of Candy Digital. “His experience in blockchain and gaming will prove invaluable as we evolve Candy as a company, and we’re excited to bolster our leadership team with someone of his experience and reputation.”
A builder of disruptive companies, Chou founded Rally as a blockchain project for creators and their fan communities to thrive together, and it reached a market cap of over $3 billion in 2021. Prior to Rally, Kevin founded Forte to create a blockchain game development platform, with the company reaching a multi-billion dollar private valuation last year.
Prior to Forte, Kevin was the founding CEO of Gen.G Esports, a global esports team that has won two world championships in League of Legends and PUBG, and has competitive teams in Overwatch, Valorant, and more. Previously, Chou started Kabam, a developer of mobile games, which generated over $400 million in annual revenue, employed 1,200 people, and served more than 500 million players.
Chou graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the UC Berkeley Walter A. Haas School of Business, and currently serves on the university’s Board of Trustees.
About Candy Digital
Candy Digital is a next generation technology company that designs and develops officially licensed, premium digital collectibles that connect people to their passions.
Candy Digital is an official NFT partner of Major League Baseball, the Race Team Alliance, and the WWE. Candy operates Major League Baseball’s official NFT ecosystem where fans and collectors are able to purchase, trade, and share officially licensed NFTs to deepen their love of the sport. The company also created Sweet Futures, the first-ever college athlete NFT collectible series that has featured some of the top football and basketball players in the country.
Candy Digital was formed by three executive partners: Michael Rubin, CEO, Fanatics; Mike Novogratz, founder and CEO, Galaxy Digital; and Gary Vaynerchuk, Serial Entrepreneur and Investor, who, together with its team of world-class digital artists, designers, and technologists are developing a broad range of digital collectibles, beginning with sports and expanding into art, entertainment, music, and more.
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Will Cutrone
wcutrone@candy.com