Christiano Ronaldo and Bentley Motors have both announced, separately, that they’re to sell NFTs.
That’s despite the struggles within the crypto sector, with some suggesting it’s going through a “Lehman moment.” Bitcoin, for example has seen its value fall 70% since its peak in the Autumn of last year.
Ronaldo
Ronaldo has signed an exclusive deal with Binance, which says it’s “still fine, still hiring and still growing.”
The 5-time Ballon D’or winner will provide a series of NFT collections, which will be exclusively sold on the company’s NFT platform, using Binance Pay. The first is slated to launch later this year, featuring designs, created in collaboration with the United player.
“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,” said Binance Founder and CEO “CZ” (Changpeng Zhao).
“We are thrilled to provide his fans with exclusive engagement opportunities to connect with Ronaldo and own a piece of iconic sports history.”
The company already has partnerships with the Argentine Football Association, the Brazilian Football Confederation, S.S. Lazio and FC Porto.
Last year the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ordered Binance to stop all UK regulated activity, over worries about “weak consumer protections” and that Binance Markets could only undertake regulated activity in the UK, with its prior written consent.
“The Binance Group includes Binance Markets Limited. Binance Markets Limited is regulated by the FCA for a limited set of activities. No other entity in the Binance Group holds any form of UK authorisation, registration or licence to conduct regulated activity in the UK,” read the statement.
“Due to requirements imposed by the FCA, Binance Markets Limited is not currently permitted to undertake any regulated activities without the written consent of the FCA. This requirement was put in place because, in the FCA’s view, Binance Markets is not capable of being effectively supervised. This is particularly concerning in the context of Binance Markets’ membership of the global Binance group, which offers complex and high-risk financial products posing a significant risk to consumers.”
At the time Binance stated that it took its compliance obligations very seriously and was working with regulators to be fully compliant in every territory in which it operated. A spokesperson added that they “have worked hard to build a robust compliance programme that incorporates anti-money-laundering principles and tools used by top financial institutions.”
