ESPN, DraftKings Execs Join Soccer NFT Platform Sorare Following $680M Raise
The startup has been rapidly expanding since announcing its Series B in September.
Oct 7, 2021 at 1:25 p.m. UTC:format(webp)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/coindesk/6K75GCV7PZHUZJ4LJE453MPXXQ.jpeg)
Sorare recently added the Bundesliga as one of its leagues. (Lars Baron/Getty Images)
European soccer non-fungible token (NFT) platform Sorare is continuing its growth with a slew of new hires.
- The company announced Thursday Ryan Spoon has been appointed as chief operating officer, bringing experience from BetMGM and ESPN.
- Michael Meltzer, who previously worked for sports betting site DraftKings, will be the company’s new VP of business development.
- David Byttow, a tech veteran who’s worked for Lyft, Snap and Postmates, has been hired as principle architect and head of mobile.
- Kiana Davari has been brought on as Sorare’s head of people. She oversaw international talent as the first-ever recruiter at Lyft.
- Sorare raised $680 million in a Series B funding round that valued the company at $4.3 billion.
- The Paris-based firm has plans to grow the business internationally, including opening a U.S. office.
UPDATE (Oct. 7 13:55 UTC): Corrects spelling of Michael Meltzer’s name.
DISCLOSURE
Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.
The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups. As part of their compensation, certain CoinDesk employees, including editorial employees, may receive exposure to DCG equity in the form of stock appreciation rights, which vest over a multi-year period. CoinDesk journalists are not allowed to purchase stock outright in DCG.
:format(webp)/www.coindesk.com/resizer/vMXZk3pjFdMXR0tvBkAz_NdxMOQ=/arc-photo-coindesk/arc2-prod/public/YPVKFTQAFBCK5MOMWTN6NUQDVE.png)
Eli is a news reporter for CoinDesk. He holds ETH, SOL and AVAX.
Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk’s longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.