NY Giants Catch NFL’s First Crypto Partner

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.