The cryptocurrency exchange FTX inked a long-term partnership with the renowned tennis player Naomi Osaka. Over the course of the collaboration, the Japanese will serve as a global ambassador of the trading venue. She will also receive an equity stake in FTX Trading Limited and compensation in digital assets.
Inspiring More Women to Enter the Crypto Realm
According to a recent press release, Osaka’s primary focus will be on bringing females onto FTX’s platform and introducing the future of Web3. The four-time Grand Slam singles champion emphasized the need for equality in the crypto market:
“We have seen the statistics about how few women are part of crypto by comparison, which kind of mirrors the inequality we see in other financial markets. I’m excited to partner with FTX to get back to that mission and to innovate on new ways to reach more people and further democratize the space.”
Apart from serving as a global ambassador, Osaka will produce content alongside FTX oriented towards the multicultural clients of the exchange. Given the fact that the tennis player is a mixture of Haitian and Japanese cultural heritage makes her a perfect match for the company’s values, the statement explained.
Sam Bankman-Fried – CEO of FTX – noted that his company wants to be at the “forefront of social change.” He raised hopes that the partnership with Osaka will enable more people from various backgrounds to enter the world of digital assets and Web3.
“I am excited to work with Naomi as we look to educate those groups and create a positive impact in the world,” he concluded.
In addition to the collaboration, FTX vowed to donate to Osaka’s charitable organization – Play Academy. Launched in Tokyo, the entity aims to empower young girls through sport.
Another popular athlete who serves as a global ambassador at FTX is the NFL icon – Tom Brady. Last year, he and his wife (Gisele Bündchen) took an equity stake in the platform.
Osaka’s Previous Interaction With Crypto
Last summer, the tennis star revealed she finds “interesting” the first-ever memecoin Dogecoin. “There is going to be something new and interesting that’s going to pop up,” she said back then.
Osaka explained that athletes, in general, should consider where to invest some funds as they can not play their sports for a lifetime.
Before that, Osaka released a non-fungible token collection. She also joined the advisory board of Tom Brady’s NFT Platform – Autograph, where she launched additional digital collectibles.
