Naomi Osaka joined the likes of seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen and NBA star Stephen Curry in promoting the cryptocurrency exchange.
Naomi Osaka, once one of the world’s top-ranked tennis players, has become the latest sports and entertainment figure to endorse cryptocurrency exchange FTX.
In an announcement Monday, FTX said Osaka will take an equity stake in the exchange and receive an undisclosed amount of cryptocurrencies as compensation for her endorsement. According to the cryptocurrency exchange, the tennis star will be part of a “long-term partnership” aimed at attracting women to the space.
“We’ve seen the statistics about how few women are part of cryptocurrencies in comparison, which mirrors the inequality we see in other financial markets,” Osaka said. “Cryptocurrencies started with the goal of being accessible to everyone and breaking down barriers to entry.”
If @StephenCurry30 @TomBrady and @giseleofficial are in then you know I am too! Excited for the journey ahead with @FTX_Official and SBF_FTX 🚀 pic.twitter.com/ydrjhoKPaL
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) March 21, 2022
As an FTX ambassador, Osaka joined the likes of seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen and NBA star Stephen Curry. The exchange said it will “creatively direct and produce content” aimed at a global audience, and will unveil the FTX logo during its competition at the Miami Open, beginning March 21.
The announcement followed FTX founder and CEO Sam Bankman-Fried saying during Australian Blockchain Week that the exchange will open a subsidiary in Australia. Local senator Andrew Bragg said at the same event that he will introduce legislation aimed at addressing cryptocurrency, taxation and DAO operations issues.
Osaka, previously ranked the top singles player by the Women’s Tennis Association, is not entirely new to the space. Together with her sister Mari, she launched a collection of non-fungible tokens in August 2021 that sold for approximately USD 600,000. The tennis star has also expressed interest in cryptocurrencies, including Dogecoin (DOGE), hinting that token projects “are going to appear.”
Many celebrities, including major sports figures and movie and TV stars, have become the faces of cryptocurrencies as the space grows. Actor Matt Damon plugged Crypto.com in an October 2021 commercial that has been teased by comedy shows such as South Park and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
