Leading CS:GO skin trading sites CS.MONEY, CS.TRADE and Waxpeer, among others, have teamed up to establish the non-profit Skin Traders Alliance (STA).
The Alliance will focus on making the market “safe and secure for every user,” according to a release.
CS:GO trading scams have been rampant since Valve Corporation, the game’s publisher, introduced weapon skins in the Arms Deal Update in 2013. Not only were players scamming other players, but phishing sites also appeared frequently.
The Skin Traders Alliance aims to create a safe and transparent space for sustainable market development, mainly through unstated cooperative and collaborative actions. It will develop security protocols, establish a comprehensive dialogue among trading sites, and strengthen connections within the market industry, according to the release.
Committed to its goal of maximum transparency, the Alliance will also publish market reports and focus on providing users with an overall positive experience with its services.
Signifying its global approach, the Alliance also lists NeshaStore and Lis-skins, Brazilian and Russian skin trading platforms respectively, among its founder members.
For the time being, the Skin Traders Alliance only includes well-known platforms as its founding members list, but expressed its goal of one day covering all skin trading platforms and bringing along the rest of the market.
Pavel Dunaev, CEO & founder of CS.MONEY, told Esports Insider: “Skins and skins trading, alongside esports, have become an essential part of the CS:GO ecosystem that has formed around the game over the years. With the STA, we will be able to help that part to grow and mature for the mutual benefit of the whole CS:GO community.”
Since its launch in 2015, CS.Money, one STA’s founding members, has been involved with the CS:GO scene beyond the skin market, particularly within esports. The company has previously teamed up with Pinnacle for its Pinnacle Cup series and is a long-term partner of BLAST Premier.
