Cryptocurrency payments provider MoonPay secured a three-year title sponsorship with X Games in an eight-figure deal that rebrands the long-running action sports competition as the MoonPay X Games League.
The partnership, announced January 25 during X Games Aspen 2026, grants MoonPay category exclusivity across finance, banking and cryptocurrency for the newly formed league format.
X Games transitions from standalone annual events to a year-round team-based competition launching summer 2026.
MoonPay receives branding across draft events, digital content and season-long broadcasts. The deal includes a pass-through provision allowing select partners in MoonPay's network to participate through integrated activations at league level.
League Structure and Athlete Compensation
The MoonPay X Games League drafted 150 athletes who opted into eligibility for four regional teams. The March 12 draft at Cosm Los Angeles assigns athletes to two-year or three-year contracts with co-ed rosters of 10 competitors per team.
Athletes compete in skateboarding, BMX, snowboarding and freeskiing across three summer stops and three winter stops.
The format replaces individual prize-money competitions with team scoring and season championships.
X Games Aspen 2026, held January 23-25 at Buttermilk Mountain, served as the final event under the traditional standalone format. The league provides athletes with base salaries, health insurance stipends and covered travel expenses.
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Cryptocurrency Sports Sponsorship Precedents
MoonPay, founded in 2019 and based in Miami, operates payment infrastructure enabling fiat-to-cryptocurrency conversions. The company serves over 30 million users across 180 countries and processed more than $8 billion in transactions as of 2025.
Cryptocurrency firms previously established significant sports sponsorship positions during the 2021 market peak.
Crypto.com secured a 10-year, $175 million UFC partnership as global fight kit partner, while multiple exchanges purchased stadium naming rights.
Several cryptocurrency sponsorship deals from 2021-2022 generated controversy when market conditions deteriorated. FTX's collapse in November 2022 left numerous sports partnerships in default, including Super Bowl advertisements featuring celebrities who faced subsequent criticism.
The MoonPay X Games partnership arrives as cryptocurrency regulatory frameworks evolve under the Trump administration, with industry-backed stablecoin legislation pending congressional consideration.
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