Credit card company Mastercard has announced users for Coinbase’s upcoming nonfungible token marketplace will be able to use their cards to make purchases as part of a new partnership. In a Tuesday blog post, Mastercard executive vice president of digital asset and blockchain products Raj Dhamodharan said under the agreement, NFTs would be considered “digital goods” and able to be purchased using a credit card. The measure is aimed at allowing non-crypto natives to get into NFTs without using a wallet and buying Ether (ETH) or other tokens. “Cryptocurrency enthusiasts are used to this process,” said Dhamodharan. “But for most …

BTC Markets, the largest digital assets exchange in Australia, has announced it will be sponsoring professional tennis player Ajla Tomljanovic for the Australian Open and Sydney Tennis Classic tournaments taking place this month. In a Tuesday announcement, BTC Markets said it would be backing Tomljanovic as part of a partnership inspired in part by “increased investor activity from female investors in the last financial year.” Users from the crypto exchange will have the chance to win tickets to the tournaments and a meeting with the tennis star with a nonfungible token showing proof of attendance. Flash Competition to win 2 …

Turkey’s electronic vehicle (EV) manufacturer Togg has announced a strategic partnership with Ava Labs to design and build smart contract-based services aimed at improving autonomous mobility. Togg’s collaboration with Ava Labs, a team dedicated to supporting and developing the Avalanche public blockchain, was revealed at the CES 2022 event in Las Vegas. As Cointelegraph Turkey reported, the partnership aims to fast-track Togg’s Use-Case Mobility initiative, which combines different technologies and transportation solutions to produce cars with more functionalities as compared to traditional EVs. According to the official announcement, Togg has been exploring use cases around blockchain and related technologies in …

Cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com has inked another deal to expand its brand recognition in the United States with the professional women’s sports team Angel City Football Club. In a Tuesday announcement, Crypto.com said it had partnered with the Los Angeles soccer team in an effort to increase awareness and access to crypto, blockchain, and Web 3.0 among Angelenos, soccer fans, and the athletes themselves. The exchange said it plans to continue looking for “unique and impactful ways” to invest in LA, with the partnership aimed at encouraging “financial education, independence, and financial empowerment” for women. “Given the speed with which Web3 …

The company behind four major Washington, D.C.-based professional sports teams has announced FTX US will be its official crypto exchange and nonfungible token partner. In a Monday announcement, Monumental Sports and Entertainment, or MSE, said FTX US would be the official crypto partner of the Washington Capitals hockey team, Washington Wizards men’s basketball team, Washington Mystics women’s basketball team and the Capital City Go-Go basketball team as part of a multi-year deal. According to MSE, FTX US’ NFT platform will have exclusive rights to future token drops by the four teams and the exchange will be a partner for an …

Crypto trading platform Voyager Digital has inked a deal with the National Women's Soccer League, or NWSL, aiming to provide players crypto education and financial support. In a Tuesday announcement, Voyager said it would become the league’s first cryptocurrency brokerage partner as part of a multi-year deal. The trading platform said a “significant amount” of the investment would fund rostered players’ crypto accounts. There are expected to be 12 teams in the NWSL starting in 2022, so up to 312 players could benefit from the Voyager partnership. "Voyager's investment in the league is especially innovative because we've collectively designed the …

On Wednesday, Thirty Five Ventures, a venture capital firm co-founded by NBA star Kevin Durant and sports manager Rich Kleiman, announced a business partnership with Coinbase. Under the agreement, Thirty Five Ventures will work jointly with Coinbase to create nonfungible tokens, or NFT, drops, storytelling content about NFTs and crypto, as well as showcasing Coinbase's recent growth in the sector. According to the announcement, there will additionally be a philanthropic integration with the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation. Coinbase is currently the third-largest centralized cryptocurrency exchange in the world by trading volume. At the time of publication, there is currently a …

Sportswear manufacturer Nike announced the acquisition of virtual sneakers and collectibles brand RTFKT. Nike becomes the biggest U.S.-based athletic products manufacturer through this partnership to join the metaverse bandwagon. A Cointelegraph report from Nov. 02 highlighted Nike's submission of requests for patenting the words — namesake, swoosh logo and just do it — for use online and in online virtual worlds." The filing was accompanied by two new job postings for virtual material designers, signaling the company's intent to enter the metaverse. However, the new RTFKT acquisition confirms Nike’s interest in delving into the metaverse ecosystem: RTFKT is now a …

Blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis will be partnering with Robinhood to provide data and tools for trading in advance of the app launching its crypto wallet. In a Monday announcement, Chainalysis said the integrated partnership with Robinhood Crypto will help the trading app meet compliance requirements ahead of the launch of its crypto wallet, expected to roll out for all users in early 2022. According to Robinhood, the platform will adopt Chainalysis' Know-Your-Transaction, the firm’s monitoring compliance solution, in addition to Chainalysis Reactor, its investigations software. The trading app also said its teams would be using Chainalysis’ certification programs to achieve …

Cointelegraph has had a lot of NFT related news this week from pop culture to sports and gaming. Below is a roundup of stories you don't want to miss. Pepsi and VaynerNFT team up Pepsi launched their Mic Drop genesis NFT collection made up of 1,893 generative style NFTs on the Ethereum blockchain. The number commemorates the year Pepsi was born. Consumers will only have to pay gas fees, and to ensure more manageable fees, Pepsi implemented a waitlist process from now until December 14. In homage to the brand’s history, the design of the NFTs are grounded in variations …

On Thursday, Adidas announced it was entering the Metaverse in collaboration with Bored Ape Yacht Club, gmoney NFT, and PUNKS comic. In an article posted on the Adidas mobile app, the developers behind the initiative said the following: This autumn, Adidas, known for celebrating ideas at the bleeding edge of originality, it settling in at the frontier of creativity: The Metaverse. Our goal there? To see every one of its inhabitants thrive. The Metaverse is where anyone can express their most original ideas and be their most authentic selves, in whatever form they might take. And thanks to the blockchain …

Major cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com continues expanding its crypto on-ramp and off-ramp solutions with a new partnership with the California state-chartered bank Silvergate. Crypto.com announced on Nov. 30 that it is working with Silvergate to allow institutional clients to deposit and withdraw from the exchange using the U.S. dollar (USD). According to the announcement, bank transfers to and from the Crypto.com exchange are now available for institutional investors. With the help of Silvergate, institutional clients can transfer USD between their bank accounts and Crypto.com with no fees. The new feature is enabled through the Silvergate Exchange Network, a payments platform enabling …