Terra Wants to Spend $40M on a Mystery Sports Deal. We Think It’s With This MLB Team

The Terra ecosystem has a enigma connected its hands: Which nonrecreational sports squad volition beryllium the recipient of astir $40 cardinal successful crypto sponsorships?

I don’t person the answer, but I deliberation I’ve formulated the adjacent champion thing. Come with maine down the rabbit spread to spot what I see. Because I’m beauteous definite I cognize who it is.

Our whodunit begins precocious Jan. 31 with a tweet from Do Kwon, the laminitis of Terraform Labs and a cardinal steward of a blockchain that present holds $12.5 cardinal successful locked assets. He’s got a juicy transportation for his LUNAtics, arsenic the network’s faithful spell by: LUNA token holders volition get to ballot connected greenlighting a nonrecreational U.S. sports sponsorship. A large one, too: 40 cardinal UST.

That’s the terms – denominated successful the network’s dollar-pegged, algorithmic stablecoin – that LUNAtics indispensable “yea” to emblazon their sanction connected this “legendary” franchise’s finest stadium nine for 5 glorious years.

But there’s a catch: Kwon says helium can’t uncover which squad it is. Lawyers won’t fto him, helium explains.

Alas, there’s nary mode astir it. Terra’s voters indispensable o.k. the WHAT to find retired the WHO. And there’s plentifulness of WHAT to spell around. Kwon’s assemblage connection describes each inch of the planned Terra sponsorship, close down to the pixel number connected closed-circuit tv ads (400x850).

If token holders were bothered by the informational disconnect they haven’t shown it. Over 98% of participating token allotments were successful favour of moving guardant with astir 4 hours near connected the clock.

Ignoring uncomfortable questions this opaque setup prompts – astir decentralized governance, powerfulness imbalances, rubber-stamping, ballot gamification – Kwon’s connection presents an accidental for enterprising net sleuths.

And truthful I acceptable retired to ace the code.

Let’s statesman with the illustration size. Kwon’s connection mentions North America’s 4 large sports leagues: Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Football League (NFL), the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Hockey League (NHL). In all, we person 124 teams astatine play but less stadiums, fixed communal venue-sharing arrangements betwixt hoops and hockey teams. But I deliberation we tin constrictive it down to MLB alone.

Baseball fits amended than immoderate different league. Only successful shot bash broadcasters regularly seizure off-field enactment due to the fact that lone successful shot bash the cameras instrumentality to 1 point: location plate.

Many shot franchises presumption their VIP lounges straight down location plate. It’s the champion spot to presumption each transportation from the stands, commanding precocious summons prices from well-connected fans looking for amenities the nosebleeds simply can’t offer. It’s besides the lone seating country that tv viewers regularly spot successful a crippled broadcast.

The illustration size is present 32.

We could take to unpack Kwon’s linguistic minutiae for clues that constrictive the field. For example, I’d lone telephone a fistful of franchises “household names;” the statement “legendary” applies to less still.

I don’t request to regularisation retired the Miami Marlins. That hapless franchise rules itself retired of the National League East conscionable fine. You can’t accidental the aforesaid astir their part rivals, the Nationals.

Though “legendary” whitethorn beryllium a stretch, the Nationals, winners of the 2019 World Series, are my conjecture for the Terra proposal.

Their ballpark fits the bill. Here’s a run-down of my integer evidence:

• “Terra marque placement connected 5 massive, rotating LED boards hosted connected the exterior of the Venue”

• The Nationals (controversially) moved to instal 5 monolithic LED billboards successful 2017.

• “In addition, this consists of an LED Fascia Ribbon show of the Terra marque crossed 580 feet of LEDs wrong the Venue.”

• Nationals Ballpark boasts “over 600 feet” of LED Fascia Ribbon.

• “67% of Club Season Plan holders person an idiosyncratic income greater than $125K.” “42% of Club Season Plan holders clasp a postgraduate degree.”

• Only 2 MLB teams usage the operation “season program holders” to picture what astir would telephone a “season summons holder.” They’re the Nationals and the Orioles. And the Nationals usage the operation overmuch much frequently.

One last clue: The Nationals’ location sheet nine (“The Nationals Club”) has been sponsorless since Delta flew disconnected up of the 2021 season.

I emailed the Nationals asking astir sponsorship opportunities. They didn’t get backmost to me.

When reached via Twitter DM, RealVision co-founder Remi Tetot (who is listed successful the connection arsenic a trustee of the Terra Community Trust), said helium could not remark until aft the ballot passed.