Cryptocurrency services and products provider Crypto.com has signed a two-year Official Sponsorship Agreement as the exclusive cryptocurrency and NFT sponsor of the 2021 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, as per a release over the weekend.
The championship will be held in Riga, Latvia from 21 May – 6 June 2021, and then in 2022 in Finland.
NFTs for the hockey championship
The IIHF, for the uninitated, was founded on 15 May 1908 in Paris, France, and is the governing body of international ice hockey. It features 81 member associations, each of which is the national governing body of the sport in its nation.
As part of the sponsorship, Crypto.com will utilize the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship archives to create special NFT collectibles and release them throughout the tournament.
The IIHF World Championship becomes the third sporting event to launch NFTs with Crypto.com, joining Lega Serie A and the Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team who launched their first NFTs to commemorate their return to the sport after more than 60 years.
“We are proud to join renowned brands like Nike and Tissot in supporting the IIHF World Championships, watched by hundreds of millions of fans throughout Europe and North America” said Kris Marszalek, co-founder and CEO of Crypto.com, in a statement.
He added, “This is just the latest in a series of exciting sports partnerships where we bring together the best of blockchain technology and sport by co-creating NFTs sure to become instant classics and highly coveted collectibles.”
A first
The IIHF, on its part, is the first international sports federation to have a flagship event supported by a cryptocurrency and NFT platform, and will feature Crypto.com branding prominently in the team benches and rink board advertising for at least the next two years.
“The IIHF has always been about pushing the boundaries of what is possible both on and off the ice and we are excited to begin working with Crypto.com,” noted Rene Fasel, IIHF President, in the regard.
He added:
NFTs have already found a role in sport but we are delighted to be the first international sports federation to properly recognise how they can add value to a number of stakeholders who are both familiar and new to ice hockey.
Crypto.com was founded in 2016 and serves over 10 million customers with the world’s fastest-growing crypto app featuring credit cards, DeFi wallets, and a dedicated crypto exchange.The firm is headquartered in Hong Kong and boasts 1,000+ strong team.
Disclaimer: Crypto.com is an advertising partner of CryptoSlate.
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