Over the past several years, sports sponsorship by cryptocurrency and Web3 companies has emerged as a distinct segment of the global sports marketing market. Following rapid growth in 2021–2022 and a subsequent correction in 2023, the industry returned to active dealmaking in 2024–2025, adopting a more measured approach to both the scale and structure of investments.
Between 2021 and 2024, crypto companies signed more than 90 sponsorship agreements with sports leagues, clubs, and federations worldwide. In 2024, the number of new deals was nearly three times higher than in 2023. For the 2024–2025 season, total spending by crypto brands on sports sponsorships is estimated at approximately $565 million, representing an increase of around 20% year over year.
The majority of crypto sponsorship investment is concentrated in football and motorsport, which together account for roughly 70% of total sponsorship spending by cryptocurrency companies.
The following sections examine the largest and most significant sponsorships between crypto companies and sports brands.
Image source: UEFA
Crypto.com: Football, Basketball, Golf
Crypto.com remains one of the most active and consistent players in sports marketing, building a presence across several key disciplines, including football, basketball, and golf. The brand’s strategy focuses on global competitions with maximum media reach and long-term agreements designed to reinforce platform recognition among mass audiences.
The cornerstone of Crypto.com’s football strategy is its partnership with the UEFA Champions League for the 2024–2027 commercial cycle. The company became the official cryptocurrency partner of Europe’s premier club competition, securing brand visibility across broadcasts, stadium activations, and digital channels. Previously, Crypto.com served as an official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2022, the Coppa Italia final, entered a multi-year agreement with Adelaide Crows in the Australian Football League (AFL), and partnered with CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores, South America’s leading club football tournament.
In basketball, Crypto.com’s flagship asset is the naming rights agreement for Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, the home venue of the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers. In November 2021, the company signed a 20-year naming rights deal with Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) for the arena formerly known as Staples Center, securing long-term brand exposure at one of the most prominent sports and entertainment venues in the United States.
In golf, Crypto.com focused on a premium exhibition format. In 2024, the company became the title sponsor of the Crypto.com Showdown, a match between PGA Tour and LIV Golf players held in Las Vegas. The tournament featured a $10 million prize purse, paid entirely in Cronos (CRO) tokens, marking a rare instance of direct cryptocurrency use at this level of professional golf.
Beyond the partnerships already mentioned, Crypto.com has implemented several additional sports sponsorship initiatives, including:
- A partnership with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), one of the world’s largest MMA promotions
- Sponsorship of the Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team
- A five-year sponsorship agreement with esports organisation Fnatic, valued at over $15 million
Overall, Crypto.com’s sports sponsorship portfolio reflects the company’s focus on long-term contracts and international competitions with strong commercial relevance for the brand.
Image source: McLaren Racing
OKX: Motorsport and Football
OKX structures its sports marketing strategy around two core areas — motorsport and football — focusing on partnerships with global brands associated with technology, speed, and international audience reach.
In motorsport, OKX’s key asset is its partnership with the McLaren Formula 1 Team, initially signed in 2022. Ahead of the 2024 season, the agreement was expanded, with the OKX logo featured on the sidepods of McLaren’s car for 20 races during the season. As part of the collaboration, the OKX brand is present on the team’s race cars and also serves as a premium sponsor of the McLaren Shadow esports team. In 2025, OKX additionally sponsored drivers Guerlain Chicherit and Alex Winocq in the Dakar Rally.
In football, OKX is an official partner of Manchester City, a club competing in the English Premier League. The agreement covers cooperation with both the men’s and women’s teams and includes participation in the club’s digital and media projects. Under the contract, the OKX logo is placed on the sleeve of Manchester City’s playing kit, ensuring consistent brand visibility during domestic and international matches.
“Many companies focus heavily on pure media buying, which is a fine approach for short-term activation and instant results and an important part of the marketing mix. We put more focus on the long-term brand effects of our marketing and building meaningful integrations for the brand. That’s where sponsorships of globally recognized sports teams, like Manchester City, can deliver far more than traditional media buys.
Not only can you get better distribution with sponsorships, but you also put your brand in front of an audience that is more emotionally engaged. Done well, sports sponsorships are an incredible opportunity to build lasting relationships with a global fan community through a shared connection,” shared OKX with CoinsPaid Media.
Image source: Kraken
Kraken: Football and Formula 1
In recent years, Kraken has significantly expanded its presence in sports marketing, focusing on football and motorsport as key channels for global brand positioning. Rather than relying on isolated deals, the company’s strategy involves simultaneous partnerships with multiple top clubs and racing series across different regions.
In football, Kraken signed several parallel agreements with leading European clubs in 2024:
- Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League
- Atlético de Madrid in Spain’s La Liga
- RB Leipzig in Germany’s Bundesliga
In all three cases, the crypto exchange obtained sleeve sponsorship status, securing brand placement on the sleeve of the playing kits for both the men’s and women’s teams.
In motorsport, Kraken has been present since 2023 as an official partner of Williams Racing in Formula 1. The partnership has been extended through the 2025 season, with the exchange’s logo featured on the team’s cars, drivers’ race suits, and team apparel. The agreement also includes fan engagement initiatives such as the Grid Pass digital product and the Rear Wing Takeover competition.
Image source: BVB
Coinbase: Formula 1, Football, and Esports
Coinbase structures its sports marketing strategy around a combination of premium global competitions, mainstream European football, and esports. This approach reflects the company’s aim to reach different audience segments, ranging from traditional sports fans to a younger, digitally native online audience.
In motorsport, Coinbase became an official partner of the Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1 Team in 2025. The partnership set a precedent for Formula 1, as the sponsorship agreement was fully paid in the USDC stablecoin, marking the first such case in the championship’s history. The agreement includes brand placement on the team’s car as well as the implementation of joint marketing and fan engagement initiatives throughout the season.
In football, Coinbase officially collaborates with German club Borussia Dortmund. The partnership began in August 2022 and was renewed and geographically expanded in August 2024 to cover Europe and Singapore. Under the agreement, the crypto exchange’s brand is featured in advertising activations at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK, Germany’s largest football stadium, and Coinbase also delivers joint fan events and digital projects with the club. Coinbase is also an official sponsor of Toronto FC, competing in Major League Soccer (MLS), as well as the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
“Coinbase has been a proud partner of Borussia Dortmund. As the first crypto platform to receive a license for crypto custody from BaFin, our long-term commitment to BVB exemplifies our dedication to Germany as a priority market. More broadly, we view partnerships with iconic sporting brands like BVB as essential for building community affinity in priority markets and driving broader awareness about the future of finance.”
Esports represents a separate strategic pillar for Coinbase. The company is an official partner of the League of Legends Esports and Valorant Champions Tour ecosystems, which encompass the leading international tournaments and leagues in these disciplines. The partnership includes brand integration into broadcasts, analytical segments, and digital content for the competitions’ global audiences.
CoinsPaid: Football and Motorsport
CoinsPaid develops its marketing initiatives through a combination of football and motorsport sponsorships, focusing on partnerships aimed at an international audience and targeted engagement with communities connected to digital finance.
In football, CoinsPaid is a partner of Aris Limassol FC, a club competing in the top division of the Cypriot championship and participating in European competitions in recent seasons. The partnership is part of CoinsPaid’s official project portfolio and is long-term in nature. It includes branding initiatives, joint marketing and communications activities, as well as projects focused on engagement with the club’s fan base.
Particular attention within the partnership is given to youth development. CoinsPaid supports Aris FC Academy, where more than 2,000 children train at the CoinsPaid Training Centre in Limassol. The company is also involved in educational and social initiatives aimed at the development of youth football in Cyprus.
In motorsport, the company has been working with racing brothers Eduardo and Fernando Barrichello since 2025. Eduardo, who competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) for Racing Spirit of Léman, serves as an official CoinsPaid brand ambassador, while Fernando races in the Euroformula Open for Team Motopark under the CryptoProcessing by CoinsPaid brand.
In an interview with Max Krupyshev, CEO of CoinsPaid, Fernando described the partnership with CryptoProcessing by CoinsPaid as not only professional but also personal. “When you have support, and you already know what you will be doing next season, it brings a great sense of calm and allows you to sleep better at night. It’s not only a professional relationship, but a personal one as well. This connection truly brings me a lot of peace,” Fernando said.
Image source: ATP
Unique Sponsorship Programs
Cryptocurrency and Web3 brands are increasingly leveraging niche and less advertising-saturated sports, where sponsorship enables more precise audience targeting and allows brands to stand out from traditional advertisers.
Tennis
In recent years, cryptocurrency and Web3 companies have established a visible presence in tennis, both at the level of professional tours and individual tournaments and players. Among the most notable initiatives are:
- A multi-year partnership between crypto exchange Bitpanda and the ATP Tour, under which the company became an official partner of the men’s professional tour and several European ATP 500 and ATP 250 tournaments.
- Sponsorship by crypto platform Nexo of the Acapulco Tennis Open, an ATP 500 tournament.
- Brand visibility secured by investment firm Galaxy Digital at the US Open, one of the four Grand Slam tournaments.
A separate area is represented by individual sponsorship agreements between crypto companies and professional tennis players. For example, Gaël Monfils, a two-time Grand Slam singles semifinalist, serves as a brand ambassador for Bitpanda, while former world No. 1 singles player Iga Świątek is sponsored by crypto exchange OKX.
Billiards
Cryptocurrency and Web3 companies are also active beyond mainstream sports, including billiards, where sponsorship allows brands to build long-term media presence without direct competition from large mass-market sponsors.
Marketing involvement by crypto companies has been observed at the following prestigious international events:
- World Nineball Tour and World Snooker Tour (WST), where individual stages and competitions are sponsored by the iGaming company Sportsbet.io.
- World Pool Championship, one of the key pool tournaments organised under the Matchroom Multisport banner, with Crypto.com acting as an official partner.
- Professional billiards tournaments organised by Matchroom Pool, held with the support of crypto platform StormX.
Combat Sports
In combat sports, cryptocurrency companies are primarily represented in mixed martial arts (MMA) and boxing. In particular:
- Cloudbet, an iGaming platform, acts as a sponsor of the Professional Fighters League (PFL), one of the largest MMA leagues in the United States.
- Crypto.com is an official partner of the UFC, the world’s leading MMA promotion.
- Crypto platform StormX collaborates with Matchroom Boxing, one of the largest boxing promotion companies.
Partnerships in this segment are focused on a highly engaged online audience closely connected to crypto infrastructure, while the event format itself delivers high engagement levels and global reach through streaming platforms.
Overall, sports partnerships involving cryptocurrency companies form a distinct market segment that combines mainstream and niche disciplines. Sponsorship strategies are increasingly built around specific audience selection, regional relevance, and integration formats that go beyond traditional branding.
