LeBron James Partners with Crypto.com to Help Kids Learn About Digital Future

Collaboration with Los Angeles Lakers star comes after the company bought naming rights to the team’s arena

article-image

The future Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles; Source Crypto.com

share
  • Kids at the four-time NBA champion’s I Promise School in Akron, Ohio, to learn about crypto and Web3, according to the Akron Beacon Journal
  • The Staples Center was renamed Crypto.com Arena last month as part of a 20-year, $700 million deal

LeBron James and Crypto.com have teamed up, the Akron Beacon Journal reported Friday, in a move designed to teach kids about crypto technology and the ways it could impact their lives.

The roughly 1,600 children at the four-time NBA champion’s I Promise School will learn about crypto and career fields related to the space from experts provided by Crypto.com. The education initiatives will extend to the students’ families.

“Blockchain technology is revolutionizing our economy, sports and entertainment, the art world, and how we engage with one another,” James told the Akron newspaper. “I want to ensure that communities like the one I come from are not left behind.”

The deal follows Crypto.com’s purchase of the naming rights to the Staples Center in Los Angeles in November as part of a 20-year, $700 million deal. The venue — home of the NBA’s Lakers and Clippers, the NHL’s Kings and the WNBA’s Sparks — was renamed Crypto.com Arena on Dec. 25. 

The company also made a big marketing splash when it began airing a television spot starring Matt Damon in October. 

After the crypto exchange set out to build its brand awareness last year the company is focusing more on educating users and telling stories in 2022, Chief Marketing Officer Steven Kalifowitz told Blockworks in December.

Crypto.com is not the only company in the space attracting star athletes. Crypto derivatives exchange FTX has partnered with Tom Brady, Stephen Curry and Shohei Ohtani, among others. 

Voyager Digital, which intends to produce more video content and build partnerships outside of the sports world this year, partnered with Rob Gronkowksi last September. 

The Wall Street Journal reported that Crypto.com and FTX will advertise during the Super Bowl, which is scheduled for Feb. 13.

An FTX spokesperson declined to comment on the company’s plans around the game. A representative for Crypto.com did not immediately return Blockworks’ request for comment. 



Get the day’s top crypto news and insights delivered to your inbox every evening. Subscribe to Blockworks’ free newsletter now.


Tags

Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily, with Byron Gilliam.

Upcoming Events

Javits Center North | 445 11th Ave

Tues - Thurs, March 24 - 26, 2026

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

Old Billingsgate

Mon - Wed, October 13 - 15, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

recent research

Unlocked by Template (1).jpg

Research

As AI supercharges surveillance, privacy becomes a prerequisite and the winning stack will combine confidentiality with selective disclosure. Zcash’s Tachyon, composable standards on Ethereum/Solana, and compliance-aware pools aim to make private rails the new norm.

article-image

The startup says it aims to rival Stripe and Worldpay by using stablecoins to speed merchant settlements from days to seconds

by Blockworks /
article-image

“S&P 500” for crypto comes as segment gains “established role in global markets,” S&P exec says

article-image

The S&P Digital Markets 50 Index combines 15 cryptocurrencies with 35 crypto-linked companies, offering investors hybrid exposure

by Blockworks /
article-image

Gnosis is betting that openness — not ownership — will define the future of onchain money

article-image

Crypto’s quest to imbue shareholder protections for tokens

article-image

Grass previously raised a seed and Series A rounds and plans to utilize the token purchase to execute on its roadmap