NBA superstar Kevin Durant and his companies Thirty Five Ventures and Boardroom will work with leading cryptocurrency platform Coinbase Global on content and education around crypto, NFT news and creation, philanthropy, and more.
Expanding on its prior investment, Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman’s Thirty Five Ventures have entered a strategic marketing partnership and collaboration with Coinbase.
The agreement includes adding Durant as a collaborator, Boardroom as a media partner, and a philanthropic integration with the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation (KDCF). Thirty Five Ventures will work with Coinbase across several strategic paths, from creating NFT drops to storytelling and content around how crypto empowers everyone, NFT education, and highlighting Coinbase’s rapid growth in the industry.
Durant and 35V will help unlock creativity and highlight Coinbase’s artist- and creator-first approach to the NFT marketplace.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong first connected with Thirty Five Ventures in 2016, which saw 35V participating in Coinbase’s 2017 Series D funding round that raised $100 million at a $1.6 billion valuation. Durant then became regularly associated with Coinbase as the company continued to grow.
“Being an early investor in a company you’re excited about is always an amazing feeling,” Durant said. “Being able to come back a few years later and create an even more in-depth partnership is rare, and we’re fortunate to be building further with Coinbase.”
When Coinbase hit the public market, trading on Nasdaq in April, the company’s market value soared toward $100 billion. It’s also made major inroads in the marketing partnership space, becoming the NBA’s first exclusive cryptocurrency partner in October.
“Kevin is a perfect partner for Coinbase because he is genuinely experienced and excited about crypto,” said Kate Rouch, Coinbase’s chief marketing officer. “He is a builder and embodies an entrepreneurial spirit that we look for in our partners. His authenticity will be critically important to helping us reach millions of fans around the world.”
Kleiman added: “To think that four years later they have invested in our platform, invested in Kevin, invested in our foundation, I think it’s what all good partnerships in the future look like for us.”
The two companies will now double down on their partnership, centered around Durant and Thirty Five Ventures’ shared excitement and early investment in the crypto space.
And the space is rapidly growing. Coinbase’s trusted and secure platform boasts more than 73 million verified users as cryptocurrency grows in cultural relevance, along with the metaverse and web3 technologies.
“Historically, premium has meant brands that have been around forever, like Mercedes, Rolex and American Express,” Kleiman said. “But in five years, Coinbase has become representative of that era and is in line with our premium brand philosophy. And we’re getting into this formalised agreement with a company that is just scratching the surface on where it’s going.”
To celebrate the partnership, Coinbase is releasing a welcome message, created by artist Jayce Hall, which will be featured in digital and out-of-home advertising across the country. And as part of its integration with KDCF, Coinbase also will help foster crypto education for young people, including opportunities for careers in the space.
About Durant
The 33-year-old Durant, lovingly known as KD by his fans, is widely considered as one of the greatest players in the history of NBA. He currently plays as a free agent for Brooklyn Nets, after having spent nine seasons with Seattle SuperSonics, who picked him up as the second overall pick in the 2007 draft. The team later became the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008. In 2016, Durant signed with the Golden State Warriors, winning back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018. He was the Finals MVP for both years, as well as the NBA Most Valuable Player in 2014.
