Chain Strikes Sponsorship Deal With New England Patriots

Web3 software solutions company also to become blockchain sponsor of New England Revolution, Gillette Stadium

article-image

Source: DALL·E

share

key takeaways

  • Deal with Patriots owner Robert Kraft-founded company to lead to “cutting-edge” experiences around Gillette Stadium
  • Blockchain.com’s partnership with the Dallas Cowboys in April was the first deal between a crypto exchange and an NFL team

Web3 software solutions company Chain has partnered with Kraft Sports and Entertainment to become the official blockchain sponsor of the NFL’s New England Patriots.

The deal also makes Chain a sponsor for MLS’ New England Revolution, as well as Gillette Stadium, where the Patriots and Revolution play. 

“Our team is excited to help Kraft Sports and Entertainment build cutting-edge experiences for stadium visitors utilizing Chain’s proprietary blockchain technology,” Chain CEO Deepak Thapliyal said in a statement. 

Terms of the deals were not disclosed. A Chain spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment. 

Billionaire Robert Kraft acquired the Patriots in 1994. Since then, the team has won six Super Bowls, all with Tom Brady as quarterback. Brady, who now plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is a brand ambassador for crypto exchange FTX.

Kraft founded the Revolution in 1996 and created The Kraft Group in 1998. Gillette Stadium opened in 2002.

Murray Kohl, vice president of sales for Kraft Sports and Entertainment, said in a statement that the Patriots and Revolution have sought to utilize tech to engage with fans over the years through early website development, a nightly internet show and a long-running podcast. 

“Together with Chain, we’ll look to innovate that same way with Web3,” Kohl said.

“Our fans will be able to connect with the Patriots and Revolution in ways never before possible,” he said.

Crypto companies teaming up with professional sports teams, leagues and athletes to build brand awareness became more common during the last bull cycle and continues amid the so-called crypto winter. 

Perhaps most notably, Crypto.com inked a 20-year, $700 million deal last year to rename the Staples Center — the home of the NBA’s Lakers and Clippers, the NHL’s Kings and the WNBA’s Sparks — as Crypto.com Arena.

Blockchain.com partnered with the Dallas Cowboys in April — the first such deal between a crypto exchange and an NFL team. 

Terra agreed in February to pay roughly $40 million to MLB’s Washington Nationals as part of a five-year deal to sponsor its luxury club behind home plate and run a digital series on the team’s social media platforms.

The Terra Club at Nationals Park has kept its name despite the crash of Terra’s algorithmic stablecoin TerraUSD (UST) and LUNA token several months ago.


Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

  • Blockworks Daily: The newsletter that helps thousands of investors understand crypto and the markets, by Byron Gilliam.
  • Empire: Start your morning with the top news and analysis to inform your day in crypto.
  • Forward Guidance: Reporting and analysis on the growing intersection of crypto and macroeconomics, policy and finance.
  • 0xResearch: Alpha directly in your inbox. Market highlights, data, degen trade ideas, governance updates, token performance and more.
  • Lightspeed: Built for Solana investors, developers and community members. The latest from one of crypto’s hottest networks.
  • The Drop: For crypto collectors and traders, covering apps, games, memes and more.
  • Supply Shock: Tracking Bitcoin’s rise from internet plaything worth less than a penny to global phenomenon disrupting money as we know it.
Tags

Upcoming Events

Industry City | Brooklyn, NY

TUES - THURS, JUNE 24 - 26, 2025

Permissionless IV serves as the definitive gathering for crypto’s technical founders, developers, and builders to come together and create the future.If you’re ready to shape the future of crypto, Permissionless IV is where it happens.

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

Bluefin possibly stands at an inflection point. The token is near an all-time low yet the protocol’s spot volume market share and derivatives exchange usage have been increasing month over month since its November launch. Given its current market position and the upcoming upgrades (for both Bluefin and SUI), there may be upside potential before the increased supply growth in December. However, strong opposition from existing competitors (like Cetus and Suilend), as well as new entrants (like Aftermath), pose key challenges to Bluefin’s medium-term success.

article-image

Top Committee Democrat Sen. Elizabeth Warren in her opening statement accused Atkins of “helping billionaire CEOs like Sam Bankman-Fried”

article-image

Introducing garbled circuits for enhanced privacy and regulatory compliance

article-image

Ross Ulbricht was a freedom maximalist building freedom tech, powered by Bitcoin

article-image

Solana validators can reap benefits including payments, votes and community clout

article-image

Sponsored

WalletConnect is cementing itself as the essential connectivity layer, ensuring wallets remain the entry point for billions of users

article-image

According to a legal filing, Galaxy Digital helped boost the price of LUNA while quietly selling its tokens