FTX partnership to NFTs in new ‘virtual ballpark’: MLB’s crypto journey continues

The pro baseball league’s now-defunct partnership with bankrupt crypto exchange FTX has not stopped it from being involved in the segment

article-image

Alex Kravtsov/Shutterstock modified by Blockworks

share

Two years ago at the 2021 All-Star Game in Denver, Major League Baseball (MLB) umpires began donning an FTX.US patch on their uniforms as part of a broader partnership with the company. 

Now, the sports league is set to introduce a “virtual ballpark” experience for several of this year’s All-Star events, starting with the annual celebrity softball game on Saturday.

As part of the experience, users can participate in a scavenger hunt to find 18 virtual cards from NFT gaming company Sorare. The first 250 people to find them all will win a digital card — an NFT built on top of the Ethereum blockchain.  

“We’re excited to be working with the MLB on this new virtual ballpark and create more ways for fans to interact and experience baseball through virtual programming,” a Sorare spokesperson told Blockworks. “Following this scavenger hunt, we’ll be working with MLB on additional activations with regular and postseason games.” 

Sorare partnered with the MLB last year to launch a free game allowing players to create player lineups using the NFT cards and join weekly competitions based on real-life player performance.

“The company’s focus on transforming fandom through an innovative combination of sports, technology and gaming to let fans truly own a piece of the game they love is unique and goes beyond borders — allowing us to bring the love of baseball to more fans across the globe,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement at the time.  

Metaverse technology firm Improbable helped the MLB develop the virtual ballpark using its Morpheus technology. It features interoperability with other metaverses within Improbable’s MSquared network.

Virtual ballpark attendees will also get a commemorative digital ticket created by Candy Digital — a company launched in June with the backing of Fanatics Executive Chairman Michael Rubin, Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz and entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuck.

Read more: Digital Artist S. Preston’s Entrance into the NFT Space

Rusty Matveev, chief strategy officer at social marketplace Calaxy, said while MLB notoriously has an older fan base than other sports, the league’s latest efforts are a way to change that. 

“This is one effort toward bringing in a younger crowd that’s used to the world of online games such as Roblox and the metaverse,” he told Blockworks. “It brings in a great sense of ownership and engagement and involvement for the fans.” 

MLB did not return a request for comment.

The virtual ballpark and its inclusion of NFTs marks the latest leap into the crypto world for the MLB. 

The league in June 2021 revealed a “long-term, global partnership” with FTX, as the crypto company — which ultimately collapsed in November 2022 — became MLB’s first-ever umpire uniform patch partner. 

MLB chief revenue officer Noah Garden called FTX “a global leader in the early stages of their unbelievable growth” in a statement at the time, adding: “Our fans have been early adopters in using new technologies to engage with our game.”

The pro baseball entity joined forces — also in June 2021 — with Candy Digital, which MLB noted was building an NFT ecosystem for the league. The link-up led to the release of an NFT of Lou Gehrig’s famous “Luckiest Man” speech that he delivered on July 4, 1939, after being diagnosed with ALS.

MLB’s partnership with Candy Digital is in its third consecutive year, as the company is offering player-focused digital collectibles called “ICONs” and continuing to issue NFT commemorative tickets in the 2023 season.  

Fans redeemed nearly 200,000 collectible tickets last year, according to the company.

Matveev said though the metaverse is currently limited by the adoption of available hardware, products like Apple Vision Pro and Meta’s Oculus are likely to help the space grow over time.  

“The effort is more for tomorrow versus today, but now is the time to start,” he added. “I think MLB has had an incredible track record of being a leader in the space of innovation.”


Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

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 state’s decision opens staking access to New Yorkers, signaling a regulatory shift toward broader crypto participation

by Blockworks /
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