Nikolas Sargeant
The Polkadot community has used an on-chain community vote to select IndyCar racing star Conor Daly as Polkadot Brand Ambassador for the upcoming Indianapolis 500. This is the first time in sports history that a brand ambassador is chosen via a blockchain chain voting process.
In a press release shared with Cryptowisser, the team revealed that Daly is among the most beloved figures in the American professional racing ecosystem. He is also one of 29 drivers in history to have raced in NASCAR’s Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500 within the same year.
The Polkadot community voted massively in favor of Faly becoming a brand ambassador (05.8%). Polkadot’s decentralized governance places the community at the center of decision-making processes, with each DOT holder having a voice in shaping the platform’s future direction.
The iconic Indianapolis 500 will take place on May 26 and is set to serve as the launch pad for a dynamic year-long collaboration. The team revealed that Daly’s Polkadot Ambassadorship will extend beyond the racetrack and include a series of interactive community events and digital initiatives designed to engage fans and introduce them to Polkadot’s innovative technology.
While commenting on this latest development, Conor Daly said,
"The fact that thousands of individuals in the Polkadot community - not a corporate marketing team - used their voices to vote and select me as their ambassador is an incredible honor and reflective of the power of what a more free and open internet can look like in the future.The fact that I’m racing not just for a brand name or logo, but representing developers, investors and regular people that are building tomorrow’s web, is thrilling and overwhelming. We’re bringing power back to people, while making sports history."
Polkadot Makes Sports Sponsorship History
The partnership between Polkadot and Conor Daly is the first of its kind in sports sponsorship history. By leveraging decentralized governance, the Polkadot community is pioneering a new, transparent way to engage with sponsorships. This latest development showcases the immense potential of blockchain technology to enable transparent, community-led decision-making within the sporting world and beyond.
Chris Wade, the Polkadot community member who championed the proposal, commented that,
“This landmark sponsorship proves the transformative power and trust of blockchain technology in making a previously exclusive process open and inclusive. It’s a testament to Polkadot’s forward-thinking innovative community, robust network, and progressive governance model. It's a blueprint for future collaborations.”
Polkadot is a powerful, secure core of Web3 for boundary-defying developers. It enables Web3’s biggest innovators to get their ideas to market fast, with flexible costs and token options. By making blockchain technology secure, composable, flexible, efficient, and cost-effective, Polkadot is powering the movement for a better web.
Conor Daly is one of the most beloved figures in the American professional racing landscape – having competed in the NTT IndyCar Series, NASCAR (Cup Series, Xfinity and Truck Series), GP2 Series and Nitrocross, amongst other pursuits. Just as popular off the track, the Indiana native appeared in Season 30 of The Amazing Race and has engaged in a variety of activities that have highlighted his social personality, including hosting the prominent motorsports podcast, Speed Street, as well as appearing in the 2024 NBA Celebrity All-Star Game in his home state.
