The third week of December saw crypto firms deepen their reach across education, payments, sports, and regulated finance. From exchange-led university programs to payment integrations and high-profile cultural partnerships, these deals highlight how crypto companies are positioning for mainstream adoption heading into 2025.
Bitget Expands Blockchain Education With ETH Zurich Partnership
Bitget has entered a year-long partnership with the Google Developer Group on Campus (GDGoC) at ETH Zurich as part of its Blockchain4Youth education initiative. The collaboration focuses on student-led programs designed to provide practical exposure to blockchain and Web3 technologies, including hackathons, workshops, and applied learning sessions hosted throughout the year.
GDGoC works as a worldwide network of developer communities based on universities, having over 1,260 chapters globally. The chapter of ETH Zurich, initiated in 2020, acts as a student-managed center for the developers, researchers, and designers, and it is a regular host of technical talks, study jams, hack nights, and networking events. The ETH Zurich University is considered one of the best science and engineering institutions in Europe.
As per the agreement, Bitget is going to share its views on the industry through participating in discussions, practical sessions, and workshops focused on the market. Also, students will get a chance to look into Bitget’s Graduate Program, which is being advertised as a gate to blockchain and digital asset careers. The leading figure at Bitget has indicated that the partnership is based on long-term connection with developer communities and has reasserted that education is the key to handling the technicalities of the very fast-changing Web3 world.
From GDGoC ETH Zurich’s perspective, the partnership is positioned as more than a sponsorship. Student organizers have highlighted the value of moving beyond theory toward real-world applications, particularly in areas such as blockchain infrastructure and applied development. The collaboration builds on Bitget’s earlier involvement with GDG-led events across Europe, including AI-focused hackathons and DevFest initiatives, reinforcing its broader push into academic developer ecosystems.
Coinbase Partners With PPRO to Launch BLIK Payments in Poland
Coinbase has partnered with local payments platform PPRO to integrate BLIK payments into its platform, enabling users in Poland to purchase cryptocurrencies using Polish złoty (PLN). BLIK is the country’s most widely used mobile payment method, with around 20 million active users, and the integration marks Coinbase’s first PLN-based onramp in the market.
The move aligns with Coinbase’s broader European strategy to simplify crypto access through familiar local payment rails. With BLIK embedded directly into the Coinbase app, users can complete purchases with a few taps, reducing friction for first-time buyers. The timing is notable, as recent Chainalysis research pointed to a 51% increase in crypto adoption in Poland, driven by grassroots usage and remittance activity.
Coinbase’s EU growth leadership has described the rollout as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen onramping infrastructure across Europe, linking improved payment access to the company’s wider mission of expanding economic participation. From PPRO’s side, the partnership is positioned as a way to help global platforms connect more effectively with local consumer preferences, particularly in high-growth markets.
Incorporating BLIK into the mix, Coinbase gets a chance to tap a well-rooted local payment network, and at the same time Polish customers enjoy the comfort of a very much localized crypto purchasing process. This collaboration is in line with the overall industry tendency of making regionally-specific payment methods available as exchanges fight for their users based on ease of use not only on asset availability.
Nexo Becomes Official Crypto Partner of the Australian Open
Nexo has cemented a multi-year global partnership contract with Tennis Australia and has been named the Official Crypto Partner for both the Australian Open and the wider Summer of Tennis series. The arrangement covers significant events like the United Cup and several ATP and WTA tournaments, which is a remarkable milestone since it is the first time a digital asset company has collaborated with a Grand Slam.
At the Australian Open, Nexo’s branding will feature prominently through the “Nexo Coaches Pod,” appearing across key arenas including Rod Laver Arena and Margaret Court Arena. The activation is designed to highlight strategy, decision-making, and teamwork—concepts Nexo aligns with its positioning around disciplined, long-term digital wealth management.
Nexo’s co-founder has framed the partnership around shared values of performance and ambition, describing elite sport as a natural environment to showcase “intelligent digital tools” to a global audience. Tennis Australia’s commercial leadership, meanwhile, has emphasized innovation and next-generation thinking as reasons for selecting Nexo as its inaugural crypto partner.
The deal builds on Nexo’s expanding footprint in professional tennis, following recent partnerships with the DP World Tour and several international tournaments. Taken together, these agreements signal a continued push by crypto firms into premium global sports properties, using mainstream visibility to reinforce brand legitimacy and long-term positioning rather than short-term promotional campaigns.
Klarna Explores Crypto Wallet Infrastructure With Privy
Klarna has announced a collaboration with wallet infrastructure provider Privy to research and design potential crypto wallet solutions for Klarna users. The initiative follows the recent launch of KlarnaUSD, the company’s in-house stablecoin, and reflects a broader exploration of how crypto products could be integrated into Klarna’s existing financial ecosystem.
According to Klarna’s leadership, the company sees itself as well positioned to introduce crypto to “normal people,” not just early adopters, given its role in everyday spending and payments. The focus of the partnership is on building crypto experiences that feel intuitive and familiar, rather than standalone or technically complex products.
Privy brings experience supporting more than 100 million accounts across 1,500 developers, including crypto-native platforms. Its infrastructure handles large-scale crypto and stablecoin movements, making it suitable for enterprise-grade deployments. Privy’s leadership has positioned the partnership as part of its goal to act as backend infrastructure for fintechs entering crypto.
The announcement also referenced industry estimates suggesting hundreds of millions of global crypto holders, with transaction activity continuing to grow annually. KlarnaUSD, launched on the Tempo blockchain developed by Stripe and Paradigm, marked a notable shift for Klarna’s CEO, who had previously expressed skepticism toward crypto. The partnership with Privy suggests Klarna is now evaluating crypto infrastructure as a long-term component of mainstream payments.
KuCoin and Tomorrowland Announce Multi-Year Festival Partnership
KuCoin has entered a multi-year strategic partnership with Tomorrowland, becoming the exclusive cryptocurrency exchange and payment partner for the festival from 2026 through 2028. The agreement covers both Tomorrowland Belgium and Tomorrowland Winter, positioning KuCoin at the center of one of the world’s most recognizable electronic music brands.
Both organizations have highlighted a shared “One World” philosophy focused on inclusivity and borderless participation. Tomorrowland brings together attendees from more than 200 countries, while KuCoin, launched in 2017 as “the People’s Exchange,” now serves over 40 million users globally. KuCoin’s CEO has linked the partnership to the exchange’s original mission of enabling accessible and efficient value movement.
Under the agreement, KuCoin will support crypto-based payments across ticketing, merchandise, food and beverage, and VIP services. The companies have emphasized that the technology will remain intuitive, aiming to keep the user experience seamless for festivalgoers unfamiliar with crypto.
The announcement comes right after KuCoin Got the green light under the EU’s MiCA framework through the Austrian Financial Market Authority, which permits regulated activities throughout the EEA. This regulatory milestone greatly increases the likelihood of KuCoin getting partnerships with prominent global brands. To a larger extent, the partnership indicates a trend where crypto exchanges are inclined to have long-term cultural partnerships as part of their strategies for gaining mainstream adoption.
ENI Expands Into Japan Through NTT Digital and BitTrade Partnerships
ENI has announced two strategic partnerships in Japan with NTT Digital and BitTrade, marking a significant step in its global expansion into one of the world’s most compliance-driven markets. The collaborations anchor ENI’s presence across both enterprise infrastructure and regulated financial access.
NTT Digital, a subsidiary of telecom giant NTT Group, will act as ENI’s enterprise infrastructure partner. NTT is Japan’s largest IT services provider and plays a central role in shaping national technology standards. Through the partnership, ENI’s blockchain infrastructure will support enterprise-grade Web3 solutions delivered to Japanese corporations across sectors such as finance, commerce, and supply chain management.
Complementing this, ENI has partnered with BitTrade, one of Japan’s few fully licensed crypto asset exchanges. BitTrade holds both a Crypto Asset Exchange License and a Type I Financial Instruments Business License, placing it in the same regulatory category as major securities firms. This relationship provides ENI with a high-trust compliance gateway for blockchain deployment.
Together, the partnerships create a localized adoption loop combining infrastructure, enterprise deployment, and regulatory access. ENI has positioned Japan as a blueprint market, with the goal of replicating the model across other highly regulated regions including Korea, Southeast Asia, and Europe.
Amina Bank Expands Ripple Partnership for Cross-Border Payments
Swiss crypto bank Amina has expanded its partnership with Ripple by adopting Ripple Payments as its cross-border settlement solution. The move builds on an earlier integration of Ripple’s stablecoin, RLUSD, which Amina added in July as part of its digital asset offering.
According to Amina, the Ripple Payments solution allows businesses to move funds without relying on traditional correspondent banking infrastructure, improving transaction speed, cost efficiency, and transparency. Ripple has described Amina as the first European bank to adopt its licensed end-to-end payments solution, noting that the network covers more than 90% of daily FX markets and processes over $95 billion in volume.
The announcement follows growing momentum around RLUSD, which saw a reported increase in activity after its integration with Amina. Ripple, founded in 2012, has continued to expand its institutional footprint, recently acquiring London-based custody provider Palisade after a major funding round.
Amina has also strengthened its regulatory standing, securing a crypto-asset service provider licence under the EU’s MiCA framework through its Austrian subsidiary. The expanded Ripple partnership positions Amina to offer regulated, blockchain-based cross-border payments at a time when European banks are increasingly exploring alternatives to traditional settlement systems.
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Source: Mpost.io
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