Gemini Signs Five-Year Sponsorship Deal with Real Bedford

Today we are excited to announce that Gemini has signed a five-year sponsorship agreement with Real Bedford Football Club. The deal will be paid upfront in bitcoin, support the club’s continued success, and boost opportunities for children in the local community.

The long-term agreement cements Gemini’s commitment to supporting Real Bedford in its quest to reach the Premier League. It follows a recent announcement that Winklevoss Capital, the investment firm owned by Gemini founders, Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, made a $4.5 million bitcoin investment into the club in April 2024.

Real Bedford, a non-league football club based in Bedford, was acquired by journalist, Bedford resident and host of the “What Bitcoin Did” podcast, Peter McCormack. Known as the “Bitcoin football team”, the club has fully integrated Bitcoin into its infrastructure, allowing players to receive payments in Bitcoin and fans to purchase tickets and merchandise using the nascent currency. With a shared vision for supporting the growth of the digital economy and financial inclusion, Gemini began sponsoring the club in 2022.

Gemini’s five-year sponsorship deal, one of the longest multi-year shirt sponsor deals outside of the UK’s professional game, will be paid directly into the club’s Bitcoin treasury. This treasury supports the club’s ambitious goals by safeguarding it against high inflation. With plans to develop a new training centre and launch a youth football academy focused on underprivileged children in the Bedford region, the treasury plays a vital role in protecting the club’s savings and investments.

Today’s announcement follows the club’s recent successes, having achieved two consecutive league promotions and cup wins in the last two seasons, with an 81% win rate.

"Our strategic five-year deal reaffirms our continued conviction that Real Bedford — powered by Bitcoin and Peter’s leadership — has the ability to defy the odds, upset the establishment, and dethrone incumbents,” said Marshall Beard, COO of Gemini. “Through our investment, Real Bedford’s balance sheet will be fortified with digital assets, giving them advantages on and off the pitch. We can’t wait to see what the club achieves in the coming years.”

Peter McCormack, Club Owner of Real Bedford, said, “I want to extend a massive thank you to Gemini for renewing their sponsorship agreement with Real Bedford for another five years. By accepting payment in Bitcoin, this deal strengthens our economic foundations. In today's climate of reckless government economic policies, marked by massive borrowing, high inflation, and soaring interest rates, hardworking people are bearing the financial burden."

"While the government continues to stifle the productive class, bitcoin offers a lifeline, providing individuals and businesses a way to safeguard their financial future," McCormack added. "By integrating bitcoin into our treasury, we have achieved a 62% return, thereby strengthening the club's financial position and protecting our cost base against the recent surge in inflation. Real Bedford is happy to share its Bitcoin strategy with any other club or business feeling the strain of the current economic environment.”

Onward and Upward!
Team Gemini