Cryptocurrency companies have staged a real race for the attention of sports fans. Billion-dollar contracts, big names (Holiverse, Binance, Bybit) and ambitious projects – the digital money industry is storming stadiums, race tracks and eSports arenas.
But what is behind this large-scale expansion? Why are companies trading virtual assets so actively investing in real sports? And most importantly – how does this change the sport itself and its perception by fans?
Big game: crypto giants join the game
In the world of football, crypto companies have launched a real battle to gain the attention of fans.
Binance, the largest crypto exchange, plays big. They managed to get the Argentina national team (the current world champions!), Portuguese Porto and Italian Lazio into their portfolio. Moreover, with Lazio they went beyond simple sponsorship, launching fan tokens. Binance also supports the Brazilian Women's Football Championship and the African Cup of Nations - not bad coverage, right?
Crypto.com, with CEO Kris Marszalek, is not far behind. The company started with the Italian Cup in 2021, where they even released NFT highlights of the Atalanta vs. Juventus match. Then they took on more serious projects: sponsorship of the FIFA World Cup, support for the Australian Football League, and in 2024, a deal with the UEFA Champions League came in handy.
Bybit also has an impressive football portfolio. They sponsor Borussia Dortmund and even made it to Japan, where they support the Avispa Fukuoka team.
OKX has focused on quality over quantity. Their main football asset is Маnchester Сity, the current champions of England. A three-year deal for $70 million allowed them to place their logo on the team's training uniform.
Interestingly, all these companies use football not just as an advertising platform, but as a way to become part of the fans' daily lives. They issue fan tokens, create NFT collections, and try to make cryptocurrencies as familiar to football fans as club scarves and T-shirts.
Cryptospeed: who sponsors the fastest teams on the planet?
In the world of motorsports, crypto companies have also launched prominent activities, choosing the most prestigious racing series and teams.
OKX made a serious bet on Formula-1, having signed a contract with the legendary McLaren team. Binance also did not stay away from the royal races, becoming a sponsor of the Alpine team in Formula 1.
Bybit exchange (CEO Ben Zhou) went the other way, having entered into a partnership with Red Bull Racing – one of the brightest and most successful Formula 1 teams. The choice is not accidental: Red Bull is famous for its innovative approach and willingness to take risks, which is very much in tune with the spirit of cryptocurrencies.
Polkadot, however, chose American motorsports, supporting racer Conor Daly. He participates in several prestigious series at once: Indianapolis 500, Nitrocross and NASCAR. The Polkadot logo on Daly's car illustrates not just an ad, but a statement about the speed and innovation that the blockchain platform brings to the world of Web3.
Companies use motorsports not only to increase brand awareness, but also as a metaphor for their activities: high technology, speed of decision-making, willingness to take risks and constant innovation. In a sense, a racing car with a crypto exchange logo is an ideal symbol of the modern financial world, where success depends on reaction and technological superiority.
Who and how spends millions on basketball teams: Holiverse and other crypto companies
Crypto companies are actively looking for their place in the basketball world, although their presence is still smaller than in football or motorsports.
The most high-profile deal was made by Crypto.com, which bought the naming rights to the home arena of the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers. The stadium is now called Crypto.com Arena, and this contract was one of the most expensive in the history of sports sponsorship. The company paid an impressive $700 million for a 20-year agreement.
While big deals like Crypto.com's attract attention around the world, sponsorship partnerships are also penetrating smaller but rapidly growing formats of basketball, such as 3x3. The sport does not yet have the mega-contracts of football or motorsports, but its growing popularity opens up new opportunities for investors. The metaverse Holiverse by Lado Okhotnikov actively invests in the development and integration with teams, creating a closer connection with fans. Holiverse’s partnership with Serbian team Partizan 3x3 is a prime example of this approach: the deal strengthened the team, but also emphasized the importance of brands in the dynamic world of 3x3. The team even changed its name, which speaks of the deep integration of the sponsor into the club structure.
The NBA also did not stay away from the crypto trend. The league signed a multi-year contract with Sorare to create a fantasy game with NFT. This allows fans to create virtual teams and compete using real player statistics. The project turned out to be a success - almost 5 million users joined it.
А completely unique event took place in the Big3 league - the crypto project DeGods DAO bought the entire Killer 3s team. They received not just the rights to the name, but the opportunity to manage the team and release official products.
FIBA is also experimenting with crypto technologies, having entered into an agreement with Bitci in 2021. The partnership includes not only the placement of logos, but also the issuance of FIBA fan tokens.
Virtual sports, real money: how crypto companies are taking over esports
In esports, crypto companies have found fertile ground - and no wonder, gamers are already well acquainted with digital technologies and cryptocurrencies!
Bybit is especially active in developing the esports arena. The company supports several top teams at once: the legendary Natus Vincere, Danish Astralis and Brazilian MIBR. Moreover, in case with MIBR they went beyond simple sponsorship, launching fan tokens for fans. A smart move - after all, esports fans are usually more open to experimenting with digital assets.
OLX is not far behind with its bet on the esports division McLaren Shadow. This is a team that competes in virtual F1 racing, which creates an interesting symbiosis of real motorsports and esports. It turns out to be a double audience reach - both fans of traditional and of virtual racing.
Gavin Wood, the founder of Polkadot, although better known for his participation in motorsports, also shows interest in the esports scene. The company sees this as an excellent opportunity to demonstrate its technological capabilities to a young and advanced audience.
It is interesting that crypto companies in esports do not just place logos on team uniforms or tournament streams. They are actively experimenting with new formats of interaction: they create reward systems for in-game activity through tokens, launch NFT collections with memorable match moments, and develop fan voting mechanics.
Not by mass, but by class: crypto exchanges are mastering niche sports
Cycling turned out to be not very popular among crypto companies - only Binance made a move here, and even then not directly. The company operates through its broker Coinmerce, which supports the Dutch team Team Jumbo-Visma.
The situation in golf is also quite modest - only one major player is noticeable here. OKX supports the Majestics GC team, which plays in the new golf league LIV Golf. The choice of this sport for OKX is not accidental - golf is traditionally considered a game of wealthy and conservative spectators. Sponsorship in this sport helps the crypto exchange position itself as a serious financial instrument and attract the attention of an audience that is accustomed to investments and values stability and status.
It is interesting that in both cases, crypto companies chose niche but prestigious sports, where the audience, although smaller than in football or auto racing, is more solvent and inclined to long-term investments. Not all crypto companies are chasing mass appeal - some prefer to work with a narrower but higher-quality audience.
The cryptocurrency revolution in sports is gaining momentum, and we are witnessing an unprecedented symbiosis of digital finance and the sports industry. Behind the bright logos and high-profile contracts, there is a deeper process - crypto companies are not just advertising themselves, they are creating a new culture of interaction between sports and fans. Fan tokens, NFT collections, virtual teams - all this is shaping a new reality, where digital assets are becoming an integral part of the sports experience.
News by Businessnewsrelease.com
