NIP Group Inc. (NASDAQ: NIPG), best known for its global esports and digital entertainment business, has appointed Carl Agren to its board of directors and as chief operating officer (COO) of its Digital Computing Division, the arm spearheading the company’s new Bitcoin mining operations.
Agren will be based in Abu Dhabi, leading the division’s newly established headquarters formed through NIPG’s strategic partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office.
This new development signals NIP Group’s accelerating pivot into large-scale digital infrastructure and high-performance computing, a sector the company believes will underpin the future of gaming, AI, and digital assets.
The appointment follows NIPG’s acquisition of a major Bitcoin mining operation in July, which is now being integrated into the company’s newly established Abu Dhabi headquarters. Agren will oversee the rollout of the mining business while building capabilities in adjacent fields such as AI workloads and next-generation computing infrastructure.
“Carl’s appointment marks an important step in building our digital computing capabilities,” said Hicham Chahine, Co-CEO of NIP Group. “His experience in crypto mining, AI, and mission-critical infrastructure, combined with strong government partnerships, places us at the intersection of esports, gaming, AI, and crypto.”
Agren brings a decade of leadership in blockchain and AI infrastructure. Most recently, he served as CEO of Phoenix Technology, where he led the firm’s $370 million IPO in 2023 and managed over 400 MW of crypto mining capacity across multiple continents. He also co-founded G42 Cloud (now Core42), the Middle East’s largest AI and cloud computing provider, developing 100 MW of data center capacity.
“I am honored to join NIPG and lead its Digital Computing Division from Abu Dhabi,” Agren said. “The Emirates is rapidly emerging as a global hub for digital infrastructure. This is where gaming, digital assets, and advanced computing converge, and NIPG is positioned to lead that transformation.”
With this appointment, NIP Group highlights its belief that Bitcoin and digital currencies will be integral to next-generation technologies. The company’s strategy goes beyond mining, with plans to leverage its computing infrastructure to support AI-driven applications and immersive entertainment platforms.
Agren’s leadership, analysts note, could help NIPG bridge the worlds of gaming, blockchain, and high-performance computing at a time when Abu Dhabi is at the center of digital innovation.
