According to CryptoPotato, in a groundbreaking move, the Polkadot community has voted to sponsor IndyCar racing star Conor Daly as the Polkadot brand ambassador for the upcoming Indianapolis 500. This marks the first time a cryptocurrency firm has used blockchain technology to select an athlete for a brand ambassador sponsorship deal. The Indianapolis 500 race is scheduled for May 26, and this sponsorship will kick off a year-long collaboration between Polkadot and Daly.
The partnership will extend beyond the racetrack, with Polkadot planning to host interactive community events and digital initiatives to engage Daly’s fans and introduce them to the cross-chain network. The proposal to select Daly as Polkadot’s brand ambassador was approved with a 95.8% vote, indicating a departure from traditional sponsorship methods, which typically involve behind-the-scenes negotiations. Polkadot's decentralized approach to the deal is seen as a pioneering new way to engage in sponsorships, emphasizing transparency and community-led decision-making through blockchain technology.
Chris Wade, a Polkadot community member who advocated for the proposal, said, 'This landmark sponsorship proves the transformative power and trust of blockchain technology in making a previously exclusive process open and inclusive. It’s a testament to Polkadot’s forward-thinking innovative community, robust network, and progressive governance model. It’s a blueprint for future collaborations.'
Daly, a prominent figure in American professional racing, is one of only 29 drivers in history to have raced in the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing’s Daytona 500 and the Indy 500 in the same year. He also co-hosts the weekly motorsports podcast Speed Street. Daly expressed his excitement about the partnership with Polkadot, stating, 'The fact that thousands of individuals in the Polkadot community – not a corporate marketing team – used their voices to vote and select me as their ambassador is an incredible honor and reflective of the power of what a more free and open internet can look like in the future. We’re bringing power back to people, while making sports history.'
The announcement comes as Polkadot sees a record-breaking number of addresses in its ecosystem, with over 600,000 currently active, indicating a high level of activity on the network.