Leading cryptocurrency exchange LBank has signed a historic sponsorship deal with the Argentine Football Association (AFA), partnering as a regional sponsor of the FIFA World Cup-winning team. Following this agreement, the platform celebrated it by launching the $100 million Bonus Pro program to reward users and also strengthen its brand place.
This is a major milestone for LBank in the global sports marketing arena, leveraging the massive global exposure of football, ahead of the hosting of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
Established in 2015, LBank has gained a reputation as a platform for discovering the digital assets with great potential. The platform has also gained recognition by outlets like Forbes and The Wall Street Journal for early listings of top performers such as TRUMP (57x), LAUNCHCOIN (152x), and USELESS (74x).
Now with this new sponsorship, the exchange aims to link football and blockchain together in a passionate and innovative way. Eric He, LBank Community Angel Officer and Risk Control Adviser, stated that “this AFA partnership reflects LBank’s mission to fuse innovation with cultural resonance.” He added that “we’re bridging the passion of football with the ambition of crypto, inspiring fans and investors to pursue transformative opportunities in the digital asset space.”
Partnership with the Argentine national team showcases crypto’s strong crossover into the mainstream via sports. The AFA has also leaned into digital finance in the last few years, partnering with exchanges such as Bybit in 2021 and Binance in 2022, which paved the way for LBank’s latest entrance.
Founded in 1893, the AFA is one of the oldest and most prestigious football associations in the world. The legacy was also solidified following the victory at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where the likes of Lionel Messi, Ángel Di María, and Julián Álvarez wowed millions of fans.
With a devoted international following, the national team also obviously makes a perfect partner for LBank, as it hopes to grow its reach with new audiences as well.
LBank embracing football sponsorship is reflective of a larger trend of exchanges leveraging marquee global sporting events to target mainstream consumers. Soccer is the primary vehicle of digital assets being thrust in front of global audiences, with evidence showing it is home to 20 of the 34 new crypto sponsorship deals unveiled worldwide by 2023, according to industry data published globally.
Other recent examples include Gate.io becoming the sponsor of Oracle Red Bull Racing in 2025, Bitget sponsoring Brazilian driver Flávio Sampaio in the Porsche Cup Brasil in 2025, and OKX forming a partnership with McLaren Racing in 2022. The same year, Bybit also signed a sponsorship deal with Red Bull Racing.
Collaborating in this way reveals how crypto brands are seeking to tap into mass sports culture worldwide and co-sponsor some of the most visible games on behalf of greater trust and exposure.
With the increasing popularity of crypto, especially in the U.S. and Latin America, LBank’s unique blend of sport and the world of digital finance is symbolic of the playbook the industry is developing: find points of cultural passion such as football to onboard the next generation of investors into crypto and mainstream blockchain.
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