Ayrton Senna's historic 1989 McLaren F1 car swaps hands through cryptocurrency at Himalaya Exchange

LONDON, March 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Himalaya Exchange's newly launched Payment Application, Himalaya Pay, has facilitated the historic purchase of Ayrton Senna's McLaren 1989 MP4/5 F1 car for over $5m USD. The iconic vehicle was privately purchased by means of a Himalaya Pay member-to-member transfer of Himalaya Dollar (HDO), a stable coin listed on the Himalaya Exchange.

Ayrton Senna remains a legend to drivers and fans past and present. For three-time F1 World Champion Niki Lauda, Senna was simply "the best driver who ever lived." Lewis Hamilton, who credits Senna as his childhood idol, unveiled a special tribute helmet to Senna at last year's Brazilian Grand Prix.

Senna remains arguably unsurpassed in driving ability, but was known as much for his character as he was for his driving. He famously saved the life of French driver Erik Comas at the 1992 Belgian Grand Prix. With Comas' engine screaming and close to explosion, Senna stopped and sprinted over to the Frenchman's car, shut off the engine so it wouldn't catch fire, then held his head to stabilise his neck until the paramedics could arrive. Comas, who sits on the Senna Foundation, stated: "I have no doubt that Ayrton Senna saved my life. He was an extraordinary person as well as a brilliant driver. Ayrton's legacy and reputation remains completely unique."

This reputation has understandably made the cars in which Senna drove some of the most valuable and highly sought-after sporting and engineering artefacts in the world. The deal underscores users' continued confidence in Himalaya Exchange and reflects how cryptocurrency is making its way into the mainstream of society and motorsports.

Zak Brown, McLaren Racing's CEO, stated: "There are few vehicles in motorsports more iconic than Ayrton Senna's McLaren 1989 MP4/5 F1 car. Not only is it a beautiful piece of engineering, but represents a special chapter in the history of motorsports. To witness a transaction like this take place through the Himalaya Exchange reflects the constant pace of innovation that is a hallmark of the motorsport industry, both in the past and into the future."

Many businesses and individuals are now capitalising on the opportunities that well-managed cryptocurrency exchanges such as the Himalaya Group - which is registered as the Digital Currency Exchange Provider in Australia and Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) in the United States - offer for transferring digital assets efficiently and securely.

Jesse Brown, CEO of Himalaya Exchange, said: "This symbolic transaction is a huge vote of confidence in the newly launched Himalaya Pay platform, but should also be a source of excitement for anyone interested in cryptocurrencies and their potential to offer secure and frictionless finance for all."

The deal comes as the first version of Himalaya Pay was recently launched on the Apple Store and Google Play store. Himalaya Pay V1.0 is an innovative digital gift card system for merchants and members in permitted countries.

The second version, V2.0, is in development and will be a next generation payment system. The platform will feature the ability to make instant cryptocurrency transfers around the world, automate payment schedules and offer the ability to shop with exclusive retailers with all types of cryptocurrencies.

William Je, the Founder and CEO of Hamilton Investment Management Ltd – a global fund manager with multi-billion assets under management – said: "Cryptocurrencies are evolving, and the future of cryptocurrency will belong to those platforms that can be used by anyone, at any time. People are looking for alternatives to the fiat system which they can trust. For F1 fans, Ayrton Senna's 1989 MP4/5 car is the encapsulation of elegance and performance. At its best, that's what cryptocurrency can represent too. Put simply, cryptocurrencies are a new asset class that no institutional investors or governments can any longer afford to ignore."

Himalaya is the first and only crypto platform to operate a fully integrated crypto ecosystem. It is unique for integrating a cryptocurrency exchange with a native trading coin (Himalaya Coin "HCN"), a stable coin (Himalaya Dollar "HDO") and a recently launched payment application (Himalaya Pay) across a single platform. The company's ultimate mission is to create a world where people have control over their money, data and destinies, empowering the individual with true financial freedom.

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