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

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

Research Report Templates.jpg

Research

Figure, founded by former SoFi CEO Mike Cagney, has emerged as a leader in onchain RWAs, with ~$17.5B publicly tokenized. The platform’s ecosystem volume is growing ~40% YoY as it expands beyond HELOCs into student loans, DSCR loans, unsecured loans, bankruptcy claims, and more. Operationally, Figure cuts average loan production cost by ~93% and compresses median funding time from ~42 days to ~10, creating a durable speed-and-cost advantage.

article-image

Former White House crypto official Bo Hines is expected to be the CEO of the new project

article-image

In bonds, stablecoins and billionaires, a reminder of what makes crypto special

article-image

21Shares exec says CPI and PPI data supports a Fed rate cut, with market leaning toward a 25bps decrease

article-image

The Ethereum co-founder suggested LINEA holders would be eligible for other airdrops in cryptic tweet

article-image

The layer-2’s biggest release yet brings benefits — but a post-upgrade outage caused a chain reorg

article-image

Crypto is shifting into risk-on mode — pump.fun dominates meme activity, while Lido leans on treasury maneuvers