Kucoin Locks In Exclusive Crypto Deal With UAE Team Emirates for Tour de France
Kucoin announced Tuesday it has become the official cryptocurrency exchange partner of UAE Team Emirates – XRG, with the deal making its public debut at the 2026 Tour de France. Under the agreement, Kucoin holds exclusive rights in three categories: cryptocurrency exchanges, blockchain trading platforms, and crypto wallet services. No other exchange or blockchain brand can advertise alongside the team during the sponsorship term. The crypto exchange’s branding will appear across the team’s buses, support vehicles, and fleet cars for the three-week race.
UAE Team Emirates – XRG counts Tadej Pogačar among its riders. Pogačar has won the Tour de France multiple times and remains one of the sport’s most recognized names. He enters this year’s race chasing a fifth Tour title, a mark that would place him alongside cycling legends Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault, Miguel Induráin, and Eddy Merckx.
BC Wong, chief executive of Kucoin, tied the partnership to the exchange’s own operating philosophy. “World-class achievements are never solitary, they require a dedicated team moving in unison toward a shared vision,” Wong remarked. The executive further added that those values have driven Kucoin’s growth and that the exchange plans to support the team’s push for victory.
The Tour de France draws one of the largest global television audiences in sports, running across three weeks each summer. That exposure gives Kucoin visibility in markets where cycling holds cultural weight, including parts of Europe that remain central to crypto adoption.
The sponsorship lands during a Tour that already carries global attention. Isaac del Toro delivered UAE Team Emirates-XRG a stage win in Barcelona on July 5, crossing the line ahead of teammate Tadej Pogačar, who finished second as the team celebrated a one-two result. UAE Team Emirates-XRG opened the race with a third-place finish in the Barcelona team time trial, with Pogačar posting the fastest climb time of any rider on stage one.
Kucoin also said that additional joint activity with UAE Team Emirates – XRG and Pogačar will roll out later in the 2026 season, though the company did not specify further details. The sponsorship adds cycling to Kucoin’s existing sports marketing efforts. Neither party disclosed the financial terms of the agreement.