Crypto.com will hand out $1 million in CRO tokens to fighters at the UFC’s Freedom 250 card — a bonus pool the exchange says is the largest in UFC history — as part of a co-presenting sponsorship for a June 14 event staged on the White House grounds to mark America’s 250th birthday.
The exchange will pay the $1 million pot in CRO. With CRO trading recently above $0.068, that sum equates to roughly 14.6–14.7 million CRO tokens. UFC President Dana White called the night “the most historic sporting event in history,” adding that Crypto.com’s $1 million bonus “gives fighters the biggest bonus in UFC history” and that “the world will be watching on June 14.”
The Freedom 250 card features high-profile matchups, including a main event between lightweight champion Ilia Topuria and interim champ Justin Gaethje, and a headline attempt by former two-division champion Alex Pereira, who will face Ciryl Gane as he pursues a third UFC title. The event will stream on Paramount+ in the United States.
The promotion dovetails with Crypto.com’s 10th anniversary. “I can think of no better way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Crypto.com than by making history at the White House,” Crypto.com co-founder and CEO Kris Marszalek said, calling the partnership a milestone that “transcends sport.”
Crypto.com’s relationship with the UFC dates to 2021, when the exchange became the promotion’s first Official Fight Kit Partner. The companies have also worked on official UFC digital collectibles (NFTs) through Crypto.com’s platform. The UFC’s broader web3 play includes a blockchain tech partnership with VeChain and a licensed FIGHT token issued on Solana and BNB Chain. The organization also named prediction market Polymarket an exclusive partner; over the weekend, Polymarket drew headlines when one trader turned a $500 wager into a $252,000 payday after spotting a scoring-error announcement on the broadcast.
Outside of the UFC, Crypto.com has been active in other media and crypto integrations. The exchange has linked up with Trump Media & Technology Group on crypto ETF plans and CRO integrations across Truth Social and Truth+ platforms, and the companies have collaborated on a CRO treasury vehicle and prediction market initiatives.
This sponsorship highlights the continuing fusion of mainstream sports and crypto brands: large token-denominated bonuses, NFT tie-ins and cross-platform integrations are becoming regular features of major sports partnerships as exchanges push visibility and utility for their native tokens.
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