The New York Digital Investment Group will pay in Bitcoin to the Houston Rockets franchise of the National Basketball Association (NBA) as part of a partnership aimed at promoting education and the adoption of cryptocurrencies.
On November 16, The Houston Rockets announced that the New York Digital Investment Group (NYDIG) would become the team’s partner and official Bitcoin (BTC) service platform. As part of the partnership, NYDIG plans to appoint “Bitcoin suites” to the boxes of the Rockets at the Toyota Center in Houston.
The NYDIG deal appears to be part of a broader strategy by the Rockets owner, Tilman Fertitta, who is also president and CEO of Landry’s Restaurant Group. Last week, the company announced that would introduce a rewards program in BTC for its restaurants and is already implementing payment options in cryptocurrency.
Through Landry’s and other companies, Fertitta, with an estimated net worth of USD 6.3 billion, also owns some hotels and five casino resorts in the United States. At the time of writing, it has not been reported that BTC or other cryptocurrencies are accepted in these establishments. However, in June, Fertitta said its holding company planned to start validating blocks on the Akash Network.
This year, the crypto space has seen many of the largest basketball franchises in the United States partner with companies related to digital assets and Blockchain technology. In October, Voyager Digital signed an agreement with the Dallas Mavericks with the goal of making cryptocurrencies more accessible through fan engagement. Coinbase also recently signed a multi-year endorsement deal to become the official cryptocurrency platform of the NBA.
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