The news follows recent deals the cryptocurrency exchange inked with the Miami Heat and Major League Baseball.
Cryptocurrency exchange FTX continues to expand its reach across the world of sports and culture, and its list of official partners added two icons on Tuesday: quarterback Tom Brady and supermodel Giselle Bündchen.
The power couple will receive an equity stake in the crypto firm as part of the landmark deal, the company announced.
The seven-time Super Bowl champ and world-renowned model/entrepreneur will serve as ambassadors for FTX as part of what is intended to be a long-term partnership between the parties. According to an official release, Bündchen will also be FTX’s Environmental and Social Initiatives Advisor.
“Tom and Gisele are both legends and they both reached the pinnacle of what they do,” said Sam Bankman-Fried, founder and chief executive officer of FTX, via Bloomberg. “When we think about what FTX represents, we want to be the best product that is out there.”
FTX’s ever-expanding list of partnerships speaks to the company’s growth and influence. This year alone, the company has already inked lucrative naming rights deals with the Miami Heat and esports titan TSM, as well as with Major League Baseball for a series of activations that includes placing logo patches on umpire uniforms.
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Since its launch in 2017, FTX has become one of the world’s largest crypto companies, and their momentum is only increasing. As Bloomberg notes, the company is reportedly deliberating an additional $1 billion fundraise that could peg the company’s estimated valuation in the neighborhood of $20 billion.
As for their official roles with the firm, Bankman-Fried said that Brady and Bündchen are “really into it.”
Notably, Brady has become an increasingly fervent advocate for cryptocurrency and digital collectibles this year. In April, he announced the formation of Autograph, a new venture that unites NFTs with exclusive in-person experiences. May, he contributed to the frenzy surrounding Bitcoin by tweeting a picture of himself with laser eyes — a meme-worthy symbol of support for the industry. When $BTC’s price began to drop, Brady then tweeted if anyone had suggestions about what to do next since his laser eyes, “didn’t work.”
“This isn’t the first time that they’ve been involved in crypto, not the first time they’ve thought about it or even used it, which I think makes it a much more natural and authentic partnership,” Bankman-Fried said. “They’re examples of audiences we’d really like FTX to be the product for.”
