The NFL scored its first-ever cryptocurrency partner, and the New York Giants called the play. 

Cryptocurrency asset manager Grayscale Investments will be a presenting sponsor of Giants home games, a golf outing, and the club’s training camp.

Grayscale is one of the world’s largest digital currency asset managers, with more than $46.65 billion in assets under management as of April 30, 2021.

While this is the first deal of its kind for an NFL team, moves in the cryptocurrency space are becoming more common with the league’s players. 

• Top pick Trevor Lawrence agreed to a multiyear sponsorship deal with crypto exchange Blockfolio. He received his signing bonus in Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana. 
• Next season, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Sean Culkin will become the first NFL player to convert his entire salary ($920,000) to Bitcoin. 
• In 2020, Russell Okung converted half of his $13 million salary to Bitcoin.

The NBA’s Miami Heat agreed to a 19-year, $135-million deal with crypto exchange FTX in April, which includes naming rights for the team’s arena. The NHL’s Montreal Canadiens signed a one-year deal with Crypto.com back in March. 

Grayscale’s parent company, Digital Currency Group, has now upped its overall investment in the firm to $750 million.  

Nintendo sold 4.73 million Switch consoles in its fiscal Q4 2020 — a 44% increase year-over-year. The full fiscal year saw 28.83 million units sold, up from 21 million the year before. 

In just four years, 84.59 million Switch consoles have been purchased worldwide. It’s close to eclipsing the Nintendo Wii, which sits at 101.63 million units sold.

Despite the success, Nintendo expects Switch sales to dip to 25.5 million units in its 2021 fiscal year. Suntaro Furukawa, Nintendo’s president, referenced the global microchip shortage affecting everyone from competitors like Microsoft and Sony to car manufacturers.

Hardware sales took the spotlight, but Switch game sales climbed 37% for the year, reaching 230.88 million units sold (compared to 168.72 million in 2019). Yes, “Animal Crossing” topped the charts.

• “Animal Crossing”: 20.85 million 
• “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe”: 10.62 million
• “Super Mario 3D All-Star”: 9.01 million

Nintendo netted a full-year profit of roughly $4.4 billion. Its share price has gained 90% since March 2020.

A tech platform that makes it easy for anyone to set up their own NFT storefront brought together a star-studded group of investors for its Series A fundraising round. 

Bitski took in $19 million from Serena Williams, Jay-Z, and Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, among others, in a round led by Andreesen Horowitz.

• The San Francisco startup is currently hosting an NFT sponsored by adidas that celebrates Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback and crypto enthusiast Trevor Lawrence.
• Bitski is also showcasing the Staple Pigeon — the symbol of iconic, Nike-backed sneaker and clothing designer Jeff Staple. 
• In April, the platform hosted an auction for NFTs of WWE superstar The Undertaker.

The company’s seed round in Nov. 2019 included Coinbase, Winklevoss Capital, and Galaxy Digital.

Bitski, which also offers tools for NFT developers and creators, is betting that blockchain tokens will be more than a hype-inflated bubble, and become a widespread way for creators and influencers to distribute their work.

The NFT platform space is already getting crowded. Bitski’s competitors include OpenSea, used by artist Beeple — whose NFTs have sold for over $69 million — as well as Foundation and the Mark Cuban-backed Lazy.