MoonPay Brings Web3 to Action Sports With Historic X Games League Partnership

X Games is preparing to close one of the most recognizable chapters in action sports and replace it with something entirely new. The brand announced a multi-year, category-exclusive partnership with MoonPay that will transform X Games from a series of standalone events into a permanent, global league, marking the first league title sponsorship in its three-decade history.

Under the agreement, MoonPay becomes the Title Partner of the newly created MoonPay X Games League, or XGL, a year-round, team-based competition structure spanning both winter and summer disciplines. The deal represents a structural shift rather than a traditional sponsorship, signaling X Games’ intent to professionalize action sports through teams, season-long rivalries, and consistent competitive narratives.

X Games Aspen 2026 will serve as the final standalone event under the legacy format. From that point forward, the focus will move toward a league system in which athletes compete for teams rather than individual medals. Organizers frame the transition as the end of an era and the beginning of a more sustainable future for athletes, one built around salaries, benefits, and long-term career stability.

Jeremy Bloom, CEO of X Games, described the partnership as a defining moment for the sport. He said the move is not simply about adding a sponsor, but about declaring a new future in which action sports operate on a global league model comparable to traditional professional sports, while retaining the culture and creativity that made X Games influential in the first place.

MoonPay’s role goes beyond branding. As the exclusive partner across finance, banking, and crypto, the company will sit at the center of the league’s commercial ecosystem. The partnership introduces a pass-through model that allows select MoonPay partners to activate within XGL through integrated experiences, effectively creating a unified gateway for the broader crypto and fintech sector to engage with X Games at the league level.

For MoonPay, the alliance places the company at the crossroads of sport, culture, and digital finance. The firm positions itself as infrastructure that connects traditional money and crypto, enabling buying, selling, payments, and on-chain commerce. Through X Games, MoonPay aims to extend that role into fan engagement, digital experiences, and new forms of interaction between athletes and audiences.

Ivan Soto-Wright, MoonPay’s CEO and founder, framed the decision as a long-term investment. He emphasized that the shift toward a true league structure is precisely the moment to commit capital and resources, arguing that the MoonPay X Games League puts athletes first while introducing crypto-native infrastructure to a global mainstream audience.

The new league will cover skateboarding, BMX, snowboarding, freeskiing, and other disciplines that have defined X Games since its launch in 1995. Over time, organizers expect the format to create deeper rivalries, clearer team identities, and more compelling storylines that unfold across an entire season rather than a single weekend.

For action sports, the implications are significant. A permanent league model offers the promise of more predictable income for athletes, new ownership opportunities, and a framework that can support long-term growth. For MoonPay, the partnership delivers visibility at cultural scale, aligning crypto infrastructure with one of the most influential brands in youth and extreme sports.

As X Games transitions from iconic events to a league-driven future, the MoonPay partnership signals that the next phase of action sports will be defined as much by structure and sustainability as by spectacle.