Cristiano Ronaldo Launches NFT Collection, UK Financial Watchdog Seeks Support For Crypto Ban

Footballer Cristiano Ronaldo plans to launch his NFT (Non-Fungible Tokens) on Friday as part of a multi-year partnership with Binance, the world’s leading blockchain ecosystem, and cryptocurrency infrastructure provider.

“The launch is supported by a global marketing campaign featuring Ronaldo, aiming to give his fans an introduction to Web3 through NFTs,” said Binance in a press statement.

Commenting on the development, Ronaldo said, “It was important to me that we created something memorable and unique for my fans as they are such a big part of my success.”

The Portugal national football team captain added “With Binance, I was able to make something that not only captures the passion of the game but rewards fans for all the years of support.”

The inaugural Cristiano Ronaldo NFT collection would be rolled out on November 18 (9 am UTC) and feature seven animated statues with four rarity levels: Super Super Rare (SSR), Super Rare (SR), Rare (R), and Normal (N). Each NFT statue depicts Ronaldo in an iconic moment from his life, from career-defining bicycle kicks to his childhood in Portugal.

“We believe the metaverse and blockchain are the future of the internet,” said Binance co-founder and chief marketing officer He Yi. “We are honored to collaborate with Cristiano to help more people understand blockchain and showcase how we are building Web3 infrastructure for the sports and entertainment industry,” He said.

According to Binance, new users who register with Binance.com (and complete KYC) will receive a Cristiano Ronaldo Mystery Box, which may include limited-edition Ronaldo NFTs. The CR7 Mystery Boxes are available for the first 1.5 million new Binance users who sign up with referral ID RONALDO.

Britain Financial Watchdog Seeks Political Support For Crypto Bans

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) of Britain urged lawmakers on Tuesday to uphold its unpopular decision to deny licence to cryptocurrency exchanges, including the recently

defunct FTX , Reuters reported.

According to the watchdog’s chief executive Nikhil Rathi, the FCA is under pressure because 85 per cent of licence requests from crypto firms have either been denied or withdrawn.

“We have taken quite a bit of heat from people saying we are allowing this innovative activity to move to other jurisdictions, and that other jurisdictions are stealing a march,” Rathi told a committee in parliament’s upper chamber, the House of Lords.

“That means sometimes turning down some of the largest players in the global market,” Rathi added.