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Crypto.com is putting its name on the Staples Center

It's a sign of a growing effort by the industry to appeal to mainstream consumers.

The Staples Center in Los Angeles

Goodbye, Staples Center

Photo: David Vives on Unsplash

AEG, the owner of the downtown Los Angeles sports arena currently known as the Staples Center, has struck a deal with Crypto.com for naming rights to the venue.

Staples Center will become Crypto.com Arena on Dec. 25, AEG said. Crypto.com will also become the official cryptocurrency partner of the Los Angeles Lakers and LA Kings.

Crypto.com has drawn attention for a recent big advertising push, including a campaign with actor Matt Damon. The industry more broadly has been trying to broaden its appeal beyond tech enthusiasts and sophisticated speculators.


Owen Thomas

Owen Thomas is a senior editor at Protocol overseeing venture capital and financial technology coverage. He was previously business editor at the San Francisco Chronicle and before that editor-in-chief at ReadWrite, a technology news site. You're probably going to remind him that he was managing editor at Valleywag, Gawker Media's Silicon Valley gossip rag. He lives in San Francisco with his husband and Ramona the Love Terrier, whom you should follow on Instagram.

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