FILE PHOTO: Representations of cryptocurrencies Bitcoin, Ethereum, DogeCoin, Ripple, and Litecoin are seen in front of a displayed Binance logo in this illustration taken, June 28, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
(Reuters) -Binance, the world's biggest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volumes, said on Thursday it has signed a partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo for the promotion of non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
As part of the multi-year agreement, the Portuguese soccer star and Binance will create a series of NFT collections for sale on the company's platform, the cryptocurrency exchange said, adding that the first collection would be released later this year.
An NFT is a digital asset that exists on a blockchain, a record of transactions kept on networked computers, and the blockchain serves as a public ledger, allowing anyone to verify the NFT's authenticity and check who owns it.
Souring investor sentiment toward risky assets has led to a plunge in cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin, and has also spilled over into NFTs, which exploded in popularity last year.
Crypto companies have been relying on sports partnerships in a bid to go mainstream. Last year, Crypto.com signed a $700 million deal to rename the Staples Center in Los Angeles as the Crypto.com Arena, while crypto exchange FTX Trading Ltd sold a stake to National Football League quarterback Tom Brady.
(Reporting by Niket Nishant in Bengaluru; Editing by Amy Caren Daniel)
