Chinese cryptocurrency giant becomes official sponsor of Houston Rockets

Antpool announced on its Twitter account that it was partnering with the Rockets. Antpool announced on its Twitter account that it was partnering with the Rockets. Photo: Antpool Twitter Photo: Antpool Twitter Image 1 of / 17 Caption Close Chinese cryptocurrency giant becomes official sponsor of Houston Rockets 1 / 17 Back to Gallery

AntPool, a Chinese cryptocurrency and Bitcoin mining company, announced its official sponsorship of the Houston Rockets for the 2018-2019 NBA season.

The company plans to expand into the U.S. market through Houston. The company has pointed to the city's population growth, economy and business-friendly regulations when considering where to develop their American footprint.

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"As far as professional sports teams go, the Houston Rockets are legendary across the globe and what better way to continue the momentum of our U.S. expansion than partnering with the prolific Houston Rockets basketball club, the No. 1 team in China," said Haijiao Li, AntPool overseas operations manager, in a statement posted on Facebook.

Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta recently began accepting cryptocurrency at a luxury car dealership he owns.

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AntPool, a subsidiary of Bitmain Technologies, is a global leader in digital currency transactions and will host an exhibition inside the Toyota Center on January 19 through their Rockets' deal.