Playtika, an Israeli digital entertainment company producing mobile casino games, has reinforced its team by appointing Jacob Mendel as the vice president of blockchain technology.
Mendel Brings Two Decades of Experience to the Company
Blockchain technology is one of the hot topics in the gambling industry. When it comes to innovation, the possibilities of the tech seem limitless. Countless gambling industry specialists have spoken about different ways in which blockchain can be used to benefit the sector. Playtika’s vision, in particular, is to expand within the gaming finance and Web 3.0 blockchain technology verticals.
Mendel is a blockchain veteran and has substantial knowledge of the technology. He has previously served as the managing director of the Blockchain Research Institute at Tel Aviv University for three years before joining J.P. Morgan as an executive director of blockchain – a position he held for three years. With more than half a decade of experience in the blockchain sector, Mendel will be a great addition to Playtika’s team.
He has also worked in other tech positions mainly within the area of cybersecurity. This includes a two-year stint as a general manager for cybersecurity at Intel and senior director for cybersecurity for the chief technology officer’s office at Broadcom. He is the co-founder of SCsquare, having served as its CEO for 12 years.
Web 3.0 Is Crucial to Playtika’s Plans for the Future
Eric Rapps, the chief strategy officer of Playtika, welcomed Mendel on board. He lauded Mendel’s expertise, calling him one of the world’s leading experts in blockchain technology and cybersecurity. Rapps is glad to have such an experienced veteran by his side as he emphasized the importance of Web 3.0 to Playtika’s plans.
“Web 3.0 represents a disruptive new wave of commerce, product, and community engagement, and we believe best-in-class expertise in blockchain technology will be a key determinant of the ultimate winners in this new frontier.”
Playtika chief strategy officer Eric Rapps
Rapps said that he is looking forward to continuing Playtika’s reign as a technology leader and doubling down on its blockchain efforts. The company plans to begin this with GameFi – a natural extension of its mobile gaming business.
Mendel is glad to be able to offer his expertise to Playtika. As someone who has worked within the realm of blockchain and cybersecurity, he is glad to join the company’s experienced team and work to help Playtika excel in its craft. Mendel said:
“Playtika has a proven, unique expertise in creating sophisticated technology in its products and day-to-day operations. I am excited to join this team and expand Playtika’s reach into Web3.0 and GameFi.”
Playtika VP of blockchain Jacob Mendel
In August 2021, Playtika announced its intentions to scale up its business through M&A activity. Soon after, the company acquired Reworks in a rather unorthodox deal.