Binance sponsors The Weeknd’s upcoming music tour

Crypto exchange giant Binance announced Thursday that it is the official sponsor of The Weeknd’s “After hours Til Dawn” tour, marking one of the first instances of a prominent crypto firm funding a popular performing artist.

Binance has also partnered with the incubator and accelerator HXOUSE to help release The Weeknd’s NFT collection and to give attendees commemorative NFTs from the tour. 

“It made perfect sense to work together [with Binance] and I can't wait for fans to experience crypto within a creative avenue while supporting a good cause,” The Weeknd was quoted as saying in a statement. “There are so many possibilities with crypto and I think this is just the beginning."

The Weeknd was one of the first high-profile celebrities to launch non-fungible token (NFT) collections in early 2021. The drop of previously unreleased music and art took place on the NFT marketplace Nifty Gateway. 

Binance also has a record of collaborating with music media entities, partnering with the organization behind the Grammy Awards on March 31, 2022.