Esports organization BLAST has named IC, the online trading platform formerly known as IC Markets, as the Official Online Trading Partner for its Premier and Slam event series. The multi-year agreement covers both Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2 competitions, marking one of the more notable crossovers between competitive gaming and the trading industry this year.
The partnership is set to formally kick off at the BLAST Premier Bounty event in Malta, running from July 21 to August 3, 2026, which carries a prize pool of $1.15 million.
What the deal actually looks like
The partnership includes content creation, broadcast integrations, arena activations, and an interactive feature called “BLAST Higher Lower,” a skin-value guessing game hosted on BLAST.tv.
IC’s Chief Marketing Officer Tony Philip framed the move as a natural fit, pointing to alignment around “technology, precision, and performance.” On BLAST’s side, James Brown positioned IC as “a brand that exemplifies the future of esports,” signaling that the organization sees trading platforms as a growing category for sponsorship revenue.
