During the 2021 bull run, crypto companies dived deep into sports sponsorships. But, in 2022, things slowed down, when the crypto market wiped out about 70-85% of its market cap, a decline fueled further by the fall of FTX which was once a major player in sports partnerships.
CoinGecko Research put together a top of crypto companies with the most sponsorships between 2021 and 2024.
Top Crypto Companies By Number of Sports Sponsorships
CoinGecko listed six companies with major sports deals and partnerships between 2021 and 2024.
1. Crypto.com (11)
Crypto.com became one of the most significant players regarding sports sponsorships and established deals across various regions and multiple sports. Here are the sports in which the crypto company invested:
Basketball
Back in 2021, the Singapore-based exchange Crypto.com signed an important deal valued at $700 million for the naming right of the Staples Center, home to the LA Lakers. The venue was renamed Crypto.com Arena.
CoinGecko noted that this partnership was historic, marking one of the largest sports sponsorships ever recorded.
Motorsport
Crypto.com fueled its relation to motorsports by teaming up with Aston Martin’s Formula 1 and sponsoring Formula 1 itself with $100 million back in 2021.
During the 2021 season, the Crypto.com Overtake Award was created to reward the individual driver who made the most overtakes during the season, and the winner was Sebastian Vettel.
The crypto company also sponsored the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix back in 2022, strengthening its ties to motorsports even more.
Soccer
Another focus regarding Crypto.com’s deals was soccer. In 2021, the crypto company sponsored Coppa Italia, and the match’s highlighters between Atalanta and Juventus were minted as NFTs.
The soccer deals for Crypto.com continued the next year as well with the following moves:
Combat Sports
Crypto.com also entered combat sports and secured a deal with UFC in 2021, a historic partnership that highlighted the platform’s interest in mixed martial arts.
2. FTX (6)
FTX was one of the crypto companies with the most sports deals before its 2022 collapse. Here are its most notable sports deals:
Esports
In 2021, FTX signed a $210 million deal with Team SoloMid (esports).
Baseball
The same year, FTX signed a $135 million deal with Major League Baseball (MLB).
Basketball
FTX teamed up with NBA teams, securing a $135 million naming rights deal with the Miami Heat’s arena. FTX also sponsored the Golden State Warriors with $10 million.
Motorsports
FTX signed a deal with Mercedes Formula 1, but in 2022 the team suspended its partnership.
3. Polkadot (5)
Polkadot has important partnerships in the sports world, especially in motorsports and esports.
Motorsports
Polkadot sponsored racing driver Conor Daly across multiple events:
- The Indianapolis 500
- The NASCAR Truck Series
- The Nitro RallyCross
- The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Esports
In 2024, Polkadot also teamed up with Heroic, a top-tier esports organization.
4. Coinbase (4)
Coinbase expanded its presence across multiple sports and it signed various sponsorships in 2021 and 2022.
Esports
In 2021, Coinbase signed a sponsorship deal for BLAST Premier, renewing the partnership in 2022.
Basketball
In the same year, Coinbase signed a deal with NBA star Kevin Durant.
The exchange also teamed up with the Women’s NBA.
Soccer
Kraken also signed a sponsorship deal with Borussia Dortmund in 2022, to get exposure to European soccer. This year they extended their partnership
5. Kraken (4)
Kraken currently has four significant sports partnerships.
Football
Kraken is the official crypto and Web3 partner for Tottenham Hotspur (Premier League) for both their men’s and women’s teams. The exchange is also a partner of Atlético de Madrid (La Liga).
Kraken signed a partnership with LP Leipzig’s men’s first team.
Formula 1
Kraken also sponsored the Williams Racing Formula 1 team.
6. Thunderpick (4)
Thunderpick crypto betting platform expanded its presence in esports via more partnerships including the following:
- In 2021, Thunderpick became a partner of OG Esports.
- Thunderpick became the official partner of Heroic CS2 Dota2.
- The platform extended their current partnership with the*gameHers in 2025.
- Thunderpick secured a partnership with Evil Geniuses in 2023.
