Cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com has reportedly reduced the scale of many of its sponsorship deals with sports organizations amid staff cuts and the market downturn. According to an Oct. 6 report, Ad Age tech reporter Asa Hiken said Crypto.com cut the scope of sponsorship agreements inked with major sports organizations including Los Angeles' Angel City Football Club, the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and esports tournament host Twitch Rivals — in some cases reportedly attempting to pull out of the deals entirely. Hiken cited unnamed former and current Crypto.com employees, who said the crypto exchange began considering such actions following …

Decentralized Ethereum scaling platform, Polygon, has announced a partnership with the Ocean Conservation Exploration and Education Foundation (OCEEF) to promote ocean literacy through new creative, entertaining, and engaging ways to give people exposure to deep underwater missions. A new wave in ocean conservation @oceef_, a world class ocean conservation NGO, is working with #Polygon towards a next-gen ocean conservation initiative. The aim is to offer interactive experiences via a governance platform where participants can assist in key decisions. pic.twitter.com/N40r3iu54f — Polygon - MATIC (@0xPolygon) October 6, 2022 Polygon shared that the aim of this collaboration is to offer interactive experiences …

Interbank messaging system SWIFT has partnered with price oracle provider Chainlink (LINK) to work on a proof-of-concept (POC) project which would allow traditional finance firms the ability to transact across blockchain networks. Chainlink co-founder Sergey Nazarov announced the project at its SmartCon 2022 Conference in New York on Sept. 28 alongside SWIFT strategy director Jonathan Ehrenfeld Solé. SWIFT is using the Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) in an initial proof of concept. CCIP will enable SWIFT messages to instruct on-chain token transfers, helping the SWIFT network become interoperable across all blockchain environments.https://t.co/8GOBNhzwCk pic.twitter.com/Pvm0Cex45e — Chainlink (@chainlink) September 28, 2022 At the …

After a series of successful high-priced nonfungible token (NFT) sales, Christie’s has launched its own dedicated NFT "on-chain auction platform," allowing auctions to be carried out fully on-chain on the Ethereum network. The 256-year-old British auction giant, which is also the second-largest auction house in the world by fine-art auction revenue, said its “Christie’s 3.0” allows for NFT auctions to be conducted entirely on the ETH network “from start to finish.” “All transactions, including post-sale, will be automatically recorded on the blockchain.” In its past NFT auctions, the payments from the winning bidder were not always conducted on a blockchain, …

Mastercard has launched customizable nonfungible token (NFT) debit cards, allowing some cardholders who own avatars from select NFT collections to add the artwork onto the payment's card. The debit cards are made available through a Sept. 26 partnership with European cryptocurrency exchange platform, “hi” allowing its “Gold” members to personalize their debit cards with an NFT they verifiably own Gold membership with the platform is obtained by staking a minimum of 100,000 hi Dollar’s (HI), the platform's native token, a sum worth around $4,600 according to data from CoinGecko. NEWS! Today @hi_com_official launches the world’s first debit card featuring NFT …

Blockchain company Zilliqa is launching a Web3 focused console with a cryptocurrency wallet and mining capabilities, along with featuring gaming titles from the company. On Sept. 23, prototype images were released showing an array of ports including HDMI, Ethernet and USB connections, although full hardware specifications and the price of the unit remain guarded. The console itself looks similar to something from Xbox, but has two green panels on the top. The #Zilliqa gaming console seems to be taking a page form the OG Xbox playbook by putting letter into the hardware design.$ZIL #web3 #playtoearn pic.twitter.com/mln1kiUrwD — ChaseRaz (@ChaseRaz) September …

Hardware walletcompany Trezor is moving to enable direct crypto purchases with a new partnership with the crypto fintech startup MoonPay. Trezor, Czech Republic-based hardware wallet provider, has partnered with MoonPay to allow its customers to buy crypto directly in their hardware wallet, according to an announcement on Wednesday. Backed by major industry investors including Tiger Global and Coatue, MoonPay is a crypto payment service, allowing users to buy and sell cryptocurrencies and nonfungible tokens (NFTs) using debit cards, credit cards and other payment methods. In April 2022, the firm raised $87 million from investors like Justin Bieber and Snoop Dogg …

National Football League (NFL) team Houston Texans has become the first organization in the league to sell single-game suites in exchange for crypto. The move comes as part of a deal with Texas-based crypto firm bitWallet, which as of Aug. 16 became the official crypto wallet provider for the team. bitWallet will also provide intermediary services by exchanging crypto for cash for the Houston Texans. According to an announcement from the Houston Texans, local digital marketing agency EWR Digital made the first single-game suite purchasing using crypto shortly after the offer launched, making it the first time a game suite …

Decentralized-finance (DeFi) aggregator 1inch Network has revealed plans to expand within the Asian market, according to its co-founder Sergej Kunz. Speaking to Cointelegraph during Korean Blockchain Week (KBW) 2022 on Aug. 8, Kunz said that despite the DeFi market being relatively small in Korea and Asia, there are a number of Asia-based Web3 companies that 1inch is looking to partner with. However, Kunz also added that the biggest barrier to entry appears to be a lack of understanding about DeFi and how to use crypto wallets: “As soon as people understand that they can [yield] farm, they can swap, they …

Hyosung America has signed a partnership deal with cash-to-crypto provider DigitalMint that enables Bitcoin (BTC) purchasing across the firm’s 175,000 ATMs located in the United States. Apart from offering its own BTC and Litecoin (LTC) payment rails such as ATMs, bank wires and tellers, DigitalMint also provides software API integrations that allow retailers or ATM operators to sell BTC through their machines. As part of the deal, which was announced on Tuesda, Hyosung America will add DigitalMint’s crypto buying services to its upcoming API-based app store, which is being built for the firm’s ATMs. However, it will be up to …

The longer the crypto market stays in bearish territory, the more marketing deals with American sports teams are being taken off the table as crypto firms tighten their belts. Crypto exchange FTX has been rethinking its marketing plan to plaster its name and logo across Los Angeles Angels jerseys, according to a Monday report from the NY Post. The dramatic market downturn is likely to blame for the retractions. Another patch deal between an undisclosed crypto firm and the Washington Wizards was axed just as the crypto market began its violent tumble in recent weeks. The crypto firm in question …

Major toy brand Mattel has signed a multi-year partnership with forthcoming toy-focused nonfungible token (NFT) marketplace Cryptoys to exclusively feature its brands on the platform. Cryptoys is expected to launch in late summer 2022 on the Flow blockchain and is the flagship product of OnChain Studios, which has received funding from crypto-interested venture capital firms such as Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and Dapper Labs. OnChain Studios also plans to make a Cryptoys metaverse and other play-to-earn games where Mattel’s intellectual property — including Barbie, Hot Wheels and Masters of the Universe, among many others — will be made into playable avatars. …