Brady’s All-Star Board and Crypto Connections
Tom Brady’s company has assembled an all-star board including himself; Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior VP of services; Sam Bankman-Fried of FTX; and singer The Weeknd. Moreover, famous athletes on the platform include Tiger Woods, Derek Jeter, Wayne Gretzky, Tony Hawk, and Naomi Osaka.
Last June, Brady and his wife Gisele Bündchen took an equity stake in crypto firm FTX Trading to serve as brand ambassadors for the exchange.
NFL and Crypto: Brady’s Perspective
At this time, Brady doesn’t think the NFL plans to pay players directly in crypto. However, he believes more football players will choose to invest in digital assets over time.
Retirement and New Ventures
After 22 seasons, seven Super Bowl rings, and 624 touchdown passes, Brady is retiring to spend more time with his family. In addition, he plans to focus on his NFT startup, Autograph. The company recently raised $170 million with backing from venture capital firms Andreessen Horowitz, Katie Haun, and Kleiner Perkins.
In an Instagram post, Brady said, “The future is exciting. I’m fortunate to have cofounded incredible companies like Autograph, BRADY, and TB12 Sports that I’m excited to continue to help build and grow. However, exactly what my days will look like is a work-in-progress.”
What Is Autograph?
Autograph is Brady’s NFT platform designed to help athletes and celebrities create and sell their own digital collectibles. Essentially, it acts as a go-between for famous people and NFT collections. Brady got interested in crypto after talking with one of his coaches before the 2020 season.
He said, “The more I learned about crypto and blockchain, the more I wanted to help build a platform creating opportunities for myself, artists, and entertainment brands to make great collectibles.” Furthermore, the company has partnered with DraftKings and Lionsgate to create NFTs based on films and sports stars.
Autograph and DraftKings Partnership
In July 2021, Autograph made an exclusive deal with sports betting platform DraftKings. Therefore, users can buy, sell, and trade digital sports collectibles on the DraftKings Marketplace. Moreover, Autograph’s sports products are distributed exclusively through this marketplace.
Brady’s Crypto Investment Pays Off
Brady’s investment in crypto has already brought rewards. Recently, Byron Kennedy, the fan who caught Brady’s 600th touchdown ball, is returning it to him. Brady told former NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning, “I got the ball back. It took a lot of negotiation to make that happen.”
In return, Kennedy will receive two Brady-signed jerseys, a signed helmet, a signed Evans jersey, his game cleats, $1,000 in store credit at the Buccaneers team store, and two years of season tickets, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Brady also said, “I’m giving him a bitcoin, which is pretty cool, too. At the end of the day, I think he’s making out pretty well.”
The Value of Brady’s 600th Touchdown Ball
Ken Goldin, founder of Goldin Auctions, estimates the ball’s worth at least $500,000. However, he notes that many fans don’t understand the true value of sports memorabilia. Typically, trading cards get more media attention than collectibles like this.
