W Group Launches WhiteBIT Team, Expanding Its Presence in Esports
Global fintech ecosystem W Group has announced the launch of its own esports team, WhiteBIT Team (WBT), marking a new stage in its involvement in competitive gaming.
The launch of WBT is a logical continuation of the work of white.market – one of the leading P2P marketplaces for trading CS2 and CS skins within the W Group fintech ecosystem. The platform has been working with gaming and esports audiences for many years and has collaborated with key industry players, including FACEIT, NAVI, and Maincast.
The expertise that white.market has built within the Counter-Strike ecosystem became the foundation for the launch of WhiteBIT Team. For W Group, this is the next step: moving from creating products for the gaming community to developing its own esports direction.
“white.market has long been part of the Counter-Strike ecosystem. We have been following how the audience is evolving, how the industry is changing, and how much potential esports has. That is why the launch of WhiteBIT Team is a natural and logical step for W Group. We aim to build a strong esports infrastructure with a talent development system and new opportunities for the community,” said Volodymyr Nosov, Founder and President of W Group and WhiteBIT.
Presentation of WhiteBIT Team
Even before its official launch, WhiteBIT Team had already delivered strong competitive results. WBT won the second stage of the 2026 Ukrainian Esports Championship, organized by the Ukrainian Esports Federation (UESF), earning its first title even before the official launch of the esports team. It also finished 3rd – 4th at the E-Sports Entertainment Association (ESEA) League Season 57 Europe Finals and qualified for the European Pro League Series 8, demonstrating its ability to compete on both national and international stages.
The inaugural WhiteBIT Team consists of:
- Kyryl “marat2k” Samsoniuk – In-Game Leader (IGL)
- Andrii “tired73” Hlushko – AWPer
- Mykhailo “svemyy” Sverchkov – Lurker
- Daniil “fl1per” Salamakha – Anchor
- Darii “NxStep” Stepovyi – Star Player
- Oleksandr “Psycho” Zlobin – Coach
- Mikhaylo “Kane” Blagin – Coach
The team is led by an experienced coaching staff headed by Mykhailo “kane” Blahin, a Ukrainian coach known for his work with Gambit Esports and Natus Vincere, as well as for winning PGL Major Kraków 2017.
WhiteBIT Team is being developed within the W Group ecosystem, which already has extensive experience in sports partnerships and engaging sports audiences. One of the ecosystem’s key companies is WhiteBIT, the largest European crypto exchange by traffic, which partners with globally recognized clubs such as FC Barcelona and Juventus FC. Through these collaborations, W Group has developed a deep understanding of how to build and engage communities, support talent-driven projects, and create initiatives that bring together ambition, discipline, and team culture.
WhiteBIT Team’s Sporting Ambitions
Following its successful competitive debut, WhiteBIT Team plans to gradually establish itself on the international stage. The organization’s long-term ambition is to qualify for a Counter-Strike Major and become one of the world’s leading professional teams.
WBT will develop through investments in coaching staff, infrastructure, analytics, player development, and work with the fan community.
“We want to build a modern esports club with a strong sporting foundation and a close connection with fans. It is important for us that the team is not only about results, but also about the community around it. That is why we plan to develop new formats of interaction with the audience – through content, digital products, and experiences that bring fans closer to the team,” said Oleksandr Shapoval, CEO of WhiteBIT Team and white.market.
W Group’s Role in the WhiteBIT Team’s Development
The launch of WhiteBIT Team is part of W Group’s broader strategy to develop business at the intersection of technology, sports, digital products, and entertainment.
W Group already has experience working with large sports audiences through partnerships with FC Barcelona, Juventus, the Ukraine National Football Team, as well as tennis player Elina Svitolina, who is a global ambassador of WhiteBIT. Years of experience in traditional sports provide W Group with a unique foundation for creating engaged communities around sport and building a sustainable esports organization with long-term sporting ambitions.
For W Group, esports has become the next logical direction in the evolution of its ecosystem, driven by white.market’s strong position within the Counter-Strike ecosystem and its deep connection to the CS2 community.
