The man who oversaw YouTube Gaming’s huge streamer deals is leaving for crypto
Ryan Wyatt, YouTube’s head of gaming who oversaw some of its big deals to bring Twitch streamers to YouTube, is leaving to join the crypto company Polygon Technology, where he will be leading its Polygon Studios organization.
Polygon is a “protocol and a framework for building and connecting Ethereum-compatible blockchain networks,” according to its website. Said another way, it can help people build decentralized apps that aren’t as tied to one blockchain’s fees, hurdles, or performance. In one description Polygon compares itself as the “broadband” to Ethereum’s internet, with faster transaction speeds and fees that are “10000x cheaper.”
Wyatt will be focused on leading Polygon’s non-tech-related efforts, he said to The Verge in a Twitter DM, and in an announcement shared on Twitter, he elaborated:
“In my role at Polygon Studios, I will be focused on growing the developer ecosystem through investment, marketing, and developer support and bridging the gap between Web2 and Web3,” Wyatt said. “I’ll be leading the Polygon Studios organization across Gaming, Entertainment, Fashion, News, Sports, and more. I’m excited to work with developers and builders across the Polygon ecosystem and I’ll be sharing more about my journey over the coming months.”
(Just to be clear: Polygon Tech is different than The Verge’s fellow Vox Media website Polygon.)
Polygon Studios still looks to be in early days — its sparse website has a short description, a list of partners (including Atari), and an email signup form — so it appears as if Wyatt will be tasked with building it out. Blockchain-based media and content has been under the spotlight thanks in part to the growing pervasiveness of NFTs, and with Wyatt’s hiring, Polygon is likely
Read more on theverge.com
