Tennis star Naomi Osaka becomes ambassador for crypto exchange FTX

Naomi Osaka, erstwhile 1 of the highest-ranked tennis players successful the world, has go the latest fig successful sports and amusement to endorse crypto speech FTX.

In a Monday announcement, FTX said Osaka volition beryllium taking an equity involvement successful the speech arsenic good arsenic receiving an undisclosed magnitude of cryptocurrency arsenic compensation for her endorsement. According to the crypto exchange, the tennis prima volition beryllium portion of a “long-term partnership” aimed astatine bringing women into the space.

"We person seen the statistic astir however fewer women are portion of crypto by comparison, which benignant of mirrors the inequality we spot successful different fiscal markets," said Osaka. "Cryptocurrencies started with the extremity of being accessible to everyone and breaking down barriers to entry.”

If @StephenCurry30 @TomBrady and @giseleofficial are successful past you cognize I americium too!  Excited for the travel up with @FTX_Official and SBF_FTX pic.twitter.com/ydrjhoKPaL

— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) March 21, 2022

As an FTX ambassador, Osaka joined figures including seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen, and NBA prima Stephen Curry. The speech said she volition “creatively nonstop and nutrient content” aimed astatine a planetary audience, and diagnostic FTX’s logo during her contention astatine the Miami Open, opening connected March 21.

The announcement followed FTX laminitis and CEO Sam Bankman-Fried saying during Australian Blockchain Week the speech will beryllium opening an Australia arm. Local Senator Andrew Bragg said astatine the aforesaid lawsuit helium will beryllium introducing legislation aimed astatine addressing issues successful crypto custody, taxation and DAO operations.

Osaka, antecedently ranked arsenic the apical singles subordinate by the Women's Tennis Association, is not wholly caller to the space. Together with her sister Mari, she launched a nonfungible token postulation successful August 2021 which sold for astir $600,000. The tennis prima has besides expressed involvement successful cryptocurrencies including Dogecoin (DOGE), hinting that token projects are “going to popular up.”

Related: Australia's largest crypto speech volition sponsor tennis prima Ajla Tomljanovic

Many celebrities, including large sports figures and stars from movies and television, person go the faces of crypto firms arsenic the abstraction grows. Actor Matt Damon famously plugged Crypto.com successful an October 2021 advertisement spot that has been mocked by drama shows including South Park and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.