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Tom Brady Throws Bitcoin to Fan Who Returned 600th Touchdown Ball

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 03: Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers warms up before the game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on October 03, 2021 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

(Bloomberg) -- He threw his 600th touchdown pass -- now Tom Brady wants to chuck a Bitcoin to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan who returned the ball. 

By Michael P. Regan and Vildana Hajric
Oct 26, 2021, 9:01 PM – Updated on Oct 26, 2021, 9:12 PM
Word Count: 537

The 44-year-old seven-time Super Bowl champion — a part-owner in Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX Trading Ltd. who sports Bitcoin true-believer “laser eyes” in his Twitter profile picture — made the offer in a tweet directed to the crypto exchange.

Hey @FTX_Official, let’s make a trade…Let’s get this guy a Bitcoin https://t.co/emBFE1Lyr7

— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) October 25, 2021

FTX responded that they’re ready to make the trade. 

“It’s not every day you get handed the ball from Tom Brady’s 600th touchdown pass and give it back, and it’s not every day you get gifted a Bitcoin,” said Bankman-Fried. “FTX was happy to support Tom in thanking this fan for his generosity.”

We’re in.

One whole #bitcoin it is! Time to make the trade.

— FTX – Built By Traders, For Traders (@FTX_Official) October 25, 2021

FTX, with 29-year-old Bankman-Fried at the helm, has become one of the world’s largest crypto exchanges since its launch just two years ago. The company recently raised more than $420 million in a funding round, swelling its valuation to $25 billion, and plans to run an advertisement during the next Super Bowl. 

Read more: Crypto Exchange FTX Buys Super Bowl Ad, Deepening Sports Push

Brady and his supermodel wife Gisele Bündchen earlier this year took an undisclosed equity stake in FTX, saying they would serve as ambassadors for the company. Since the deal was announced, the celebrity couple have starred in an FTX television advertisement that showed Brady calling friends and acquaintances to ask if they were “in” on cryptocurrencies.

Read more: Bankman-Fried’s FTX Valued at $25 Billion After Funding Round

So who got the better of this trade? Well, one expert said the football could be worth as much as $900,000, considering Brady is the first person to throw 600 touchdowns in the NFL. Meanwhile, a single Bitcoin is trading for about $62,500. 

Then again, the fan reportedly agreed to return it in exchange for at least one other game ball and a signed jersey, so Brady’s Bitcoin offer is a bonus. The fan, 29-year-old Byron Kennedy, was in a field-side seat wearing Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans’ jersey when Evans surprised him by giving him the ball, CBS reported. 

Plus, the Bucs are throwing in a bunch of other swag, according to a Tampa Bay Times reporter.    

Bucs are giving Byron Kennedy the following for the No. 600 TD football: Two signed jerseys and a helmet from Tom Brady, a signed Mike Evans jersey & his game cleats, a $1K credit at our team store, and two season passes for the remainder of this season as well as next season.

— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) October 25, 2021

Not to mention, Bitcoin has rallied more than 1,000% from its low in March 2020, so who knows what the value of Brady’s gift will be by the end of the season.

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