MoonPay is making a bold move.

 

The crypto payments firm has signed an eight-figure, multi-year title sponsorship deal with the newly launched Moonpay X Games League, becoming the first company ever to put its name directly on an X Games competition format. The partnership signals a deeper push by crypto infrastructure companies into global sports, and a shift in how action sports are being commercialized.

 

Under the agreement, the competition will officially operate as the MoonPay X Games League, or XGL, a team-based, season-long league designed to modernize the X Games brand and create recurring engagement beyond standalone events.

 

A New Era for X Games

For decades, the X Games have been synonymous with big moments rather than long seasons. Events were iconic but episodic, built around festival-style showcases of skateboarding, BMX, snowboarding, and freestyle skiing.

 

The X Games League changes that structure entirely.

 

Instead of isolated competitions, XGL introduces a formal league model with teams, standings, and year-round storytelling. Athletes will compete under team banners across multiple events, creating continuity that mirrors traditional professional sports while staying rooted in action sports culture.

 

X Games leadership has positioned the league as a necessary evolution. Younger audiences increasingly expect ongoing narratives, not one-off spectacles, and sponsors are looking for longer engagement windows rather than weekend-only exposure.

 

MoonPay’s investment gives the league financial stability at launch and a high-profile partner willing to commit for multiple seasons.

 

Why MoonPay Is Doing This

MoonPay has spent the last several years positioning itself as the easiest on-ramp into crypto, focusing less on trading hype and more on payments, infrastructure, and consumer access. Sponsorships have become a core part of that strategy.

 

By aligning with X Games, MoonPay is targeting an audience that is global, young, digitally native, and culturally influential. These are users who may not be active crypto traders today but are comfortable with digital wallets, online payments, and emerging financial tools.

 

The company already has a track record of partnering with gaming, esports, and entertainment brands. Action sports fit naturally into that ecosystem, especially as athletes and leagues explore new revenue models, fan engagement tools, and digital ownership concepts.

 

Just as important, the deal gives MoonPay category exclusivity across crypto and financial services within the league. That means no competing exchanges, wallets, or fintech firms sharing the same stage.

 

Traditional Brands Are Watching Closely

MoonPay is not the only major name backing the X Games League. Legacy action sports sponsor Monster Energy has also signed on as a founding partner, signaling confidence in the league’s long-term viability.

 

That mix of crypto infrastructure and established lifestyle brands reflects where sports sponsorships are heading. New leagues need both cultural credibility and financial scale, and the XGL appears to be aiming for both from day one.

 

For crypto companies, these partnerships are no longer just about logos and hype cycles. They are about legitimacy, durability, and reaching audiences outside the usual crypto echo chambers.

 

What This Says About Crypto and Sports

Crypto sponsorships in sports have gone through boom and bust cycles, especially during the last market downturn. Stadium naming rights and short-term promotional deals often disappeared as quickly as they arrived.

 

This deal feels different.

 

Rather than chasing maximum visibility during a bull market, MoonPay is tying its brand to infrastructure, long-term league development, and athlete ecosystems. It is a slower bet, but potentially a more durable one.

 

For X Games, the partnership provides the financial runway to experiment with new formats, athlete compensation models, and media strategies without relying solely on traditional broadcast economics.

 

Looking Ahead

The MoonPay X Games League is expected to roll out full seasonal competition across both summer and winter disciplines, with teams, rosters, and standings that evolve over time. If successful, it could reshape how action sports are organized and monetized.

 

For MoonPay, the sponsorship is a statement. Crypto infrastructure companies are no longer content operating quietly behind the scenes. They want cultural relevance, mainstream trust, and staying power.

 

Whether the XGL becomes the future of action sports remains to be seen. But one thing is clear. Crypto is no longer just sponsoring moments. It is helping build leagues.

Rain’s Big Raise Signals Stablecoins Are Moving Toward Everyday Money

 

Rain just raised $250 million at a valuation just shy of $2 billion, and the size of the round is only part of the story.

What really stands out is what investors are backing. This is not a bet on a new token, a trading platform, or a speculative crypto narrative. It’s a bet that stablecoins are quietly becoming part of the global payments system, and that Rain is positioning itself as one of the companies building the pipes.

For years, stablecoins have been treated as a behind-the-scenes tool for traders and crypto-native users. Rain is trying to move them out of the background and into everyday spending.

 

What Rain Actually Builds

Rain describes itself as stablecoin payments infrastructure, but in practice, it operates more like a full-stack payments company.

The platform allows partners to issue payment cards that are directly connected to stablecoin balances. Those cards can be used anywhere Visa is accepted, which immediately changes how practical stablecoins become for everyday use. From the user’s perspective, it looks and feels like a normal card transaction. Under the hood, the value is settled using stablecoins.

Rain also provides wallets, on- and off-ramps, compliance tooling, and APIs that enterprises can plug into. The goal is to let fintechs, crypto companies, and global platforms launch stablecoin-based payment products without having to build payments infrastructure from scratch.

This setup is already live across more than 150 countries, giving Rain a global footprint that goes well beyond experimental pilots.

 

The Visa Connection Is a Big Part of the Story

One of the reasons Rain stands out is its direct relationship with Visa.

Rain is a Visa principal member, which means it can issue cards directly on the Visa network rather than relying on third-party sponsors. That status is not trivial. It places Rain closer to traditional payments infrastructure while still operating on crypto rails.

Even more important is how settlement works. Rain has been involved in Visa’s move toward stablecoin settlement, allowing card transactions to be settled on chain using stablecoins rather than relying entirely on legacy banking settlement systems. That opens the door to faster settlement cycles, including weekends and holidays, and reduces some of the friction that exists in traditional cross-border payments.

In simple terms, Visa handles the merchant acceptance and point-of-sale experience. Rain handles the stablecoin side of the transaction. Together, they create something that looks familiar to users but operates very differently in the background.

 

Why Investors Are Paying Attention

Rain’s growth metrics look more like a payments company than a typical crypto startup.

The company reports billions of dollars in annualized transaction volume, rapid growth in active cards, and a growing list of enterprise partners using its infrastructure to launch payment programs. That traction helps explain why investors were willing to price the company near $2 billion in this round.

The investor roster also tells a story. The round was led by a major growth firm, with participation from both traditional venture capital and crypto-focused investors. That mix suggests Rain is being viewed as a bridge company, one that sits between fintech and crypto rather than fully in either camp.

The fresh capital is expected to support expansion into new markets, deeper enterprise integrations, and continued investment in compliance and licensing, which remain critical for any payments business operating at global scale.

 

Stablecoins Are Shifting From Trading Tools to Payment Rails

Rain’s rise comes as stablecoins themselves are going through a quiet identity shift.

They still play a major role in trading and on-chain finance, but more companies are now looking at them as a way to move dollar-like value globally with fewer intermediaries. The challenge has always been usability. Most people do not want to think about wallets, gas fees, or blockchain confirmations when they pay for something.

Rain’s model hides that complexity. Users swipe a card. The merchant gets paid. The settlement happens using stablecoins in the background.

That approach aligns with a broader trend across payments and fintech, where blockchain is increasingly treated as infrastructure rather than a product in itself.

 

A Competitive Landscape and Real Execution Risk

None of this guarantees success.

The space is getting crowded. Other crypto infrastructure companies are building similar tools, and large fintechs and banks are experimenting with stablecoin settlement of their own. Regulatory frameworks are evolving, but uncertainty still exists, especially across jurisdictions.

Rain’s challenge now is execution. Scaling payments infrastructure is hard. Doing it globally, while staying compliant and reliable, is even harder. The Series C gives Rain the resources to try, but the next phase will be about proving that stablecoin-powered payments can move from niche programs to mainstream usage.

 

Why This Matters

Rain’s funding round is a signal that the crypto market’s focus is shifting again.

Not toward speculation, but toward utility. Not toward flashy narratives, but toward infrastructure that quietly connects crypto to the real economy.

If stablecoins are going to become everyday money, they will need to work through systems people already trust and understand. Rain’s partnership with Visa, and its push to make stablecoin settlement invisible to users, suggests one possible path forward.

 

That makes this raise more than just another big crypto funding headline. It marks a moment where stablecoins start to look less like an experiment and more like a serious part of the global payments conversation.

 

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