The world's biggest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance today announced that it has entered an exclusive multi-year partnership with the popular Portuguese footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo, for NFT promotion.
As part of the partnership deal, Binance will create a series of NFT collections with the football star. The exchange noted that the NFTs will be listed and sold exclusively on the Binance NFT Marketplace, adding that the first collection is slated to be released later this year.
Binance intends to push the global adoption of Web3 products and services, with the world of NFTs as an entry point. Leveraging Ronaldo's massive social media following, the exchange intends to onboard the football legend's fans to the Web3 and NFTs ecosystem.
Ronaldo is widely recognized as one of the greatest players in football history, with five Ballon d’Ors and about 815 career goals under his belt. He is loved by football fans across the globe and has more than 550 million followers on his Twitter and Instagram pages.
Changpeng Zhao (CZ), the CEO and founder of Binance praised Ronaldo for his accomplishments in the world of football, adding that he has gone beyond the sports industry and established himself as an icon in several industries.
CZ said, "Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the world's best footballers and has transcended sport to become an icon in multiple industries. He has amassed one of the world's most dedicated fan bases through his authenticity, talent, and charity work. We are thrilled to provide his fans with exclusive engagement opportunities to connect with Ronaldo and own a piece of iconic sports history."
Meanwhile, Ronaldo commented on the partnership, adding that he is confident that his fans will surely enjoy the upcoming NFT drops. He said, "My relationship with the fans is very important to me, so the idea of bringing unprecedented experiences and access through this NFT platform is something that I wanted to be a part of. I know the fans are going to enjoy the collection as much as I do."
The latest development is certainly not the first time the football star would interact with crypto tokens. In March 2021, Ronaldo was awarded 770 JUV tokens for every senior career goal he scored.
With the popularity of NFTs having skyrocketed in recent times, bad actors in the industry are using them to evade taxes. Earlier in February, the UK tax authority confiscated three NFTs involved in a £1.4 million fraud case.