He doesn’t want anyone to be left out of the emerging industry!
LeBron James has partnered with Crypto.com to teach children about blockchain technology, CBS News reports.
The Blockchain is the emerging technology behind bitcoin and various crypto assets, allowing users to conduct business and make transactions using a decentralized digital platform. Web3 is the name given to the online services and mobile apps that exist on the blockchain including cryptos and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). It is also the term that comes up often when discussing the new network of virtual reality domains known as the metaverse.
Crypto.com, launched in 2016, has become a leading force in decentralized finance (DeFi), allowing users to trade cryptocurrency and NFTs, utilizing high profile Hollywood stars to market the platform. The Singapore-based tech company recently paid $700 million to rename the Staples Center in Los Angeles, the Crypto.com Arena. They also utilized actor Matt Damon for a recent ad campaign and now the conglomerate has teamed up with NBA star LeBron James.
James’ foundation is working with Crypto.com “to offer educational and workforce development opportunities” around the blockchain for inner-city neighborhoods. The NFT market alone is expected to be valued at $75 billion by 2025, worth just $14 billion today. A lot of that comes from the potential to see a sports NFT product boom, NFL star Tom Brady recently launching his own “Autograph” NFT platform, allowing sports, entertainment and fashion stars to develop their own tokens.
The Los Angeles Lakers star is hoping to get ahead of the curve by focusing on the enormous possibilities for job opportunities that this new world will create, noting the newly created job positions in the blockchain, cryptocurrency and NFT realm as well as educational institutions like the Wharton School of Business that have already begun offering certificates in blockchain and digital assets.
It is James’ hope that offering educational services directly from tech giants like Crypto.com to those in underserved communities will help close the digital divide separating the wealthy from those in lower- income neighborhoods.
“Blockchain technology is revolutionizing our economy, sports and entertainment, the art world, and how we engage with one another…I want to ensure that communities like the one I come from are not left behind,” said James.
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