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Cryptocurrency exchange, Binance Australia, has secured a partnership with NRL club Melbourne Storm as the Official Match Day Partner for the club’s home game at HBF Park in Perth on 8 August.
The Round 23 fixture, which will see Melbourne Storm host the Manly Sea Eagles, is one of three NRL premiership games scheduled for Perth during the 2026 season. It will be played at HBF Park, the rectangular stadium that is set to become the home ground of the Perth Bears when the expansion franchise enters the NRL competition in 2027.
The deal represents Binance Australia’s first NRL sponsorship and adds to a growing portfolio of Australian sporting partnerships for the global cryptocurrency exchange, which last year signed Olympic silver medallist and professional surfer, Jack Robinson, as a brand ambassador.
Binance to host 70 fans at the match
As part of the partnership, Binance Australia will bring 70 users and fans to the match at HBF Park, with tickets distributed through giveaways for Binance users in the lead-up to the game.
The exchange’s branding will appear across the stadium and on-field during the fixture.
General Manager of Binance Australia, Jenny Wei, described the partnership as an opportunity to connect cryptocurrency with sport in a Western Australian context.
“Melbourne Storm is bringing a home game to Perth, and Binance Australia is proud to be the partner making that moment even more special for fans,” Wei commented. “This partnership is about bringing crypto and sport together in a way that feels genuine, local and exciting for the Western Australian community.”
Wei was appointed to the General Manager role in late May, bringing more than 18 years of experience across Australia’s regulated financial services sector to the position. She previously led the establishment and growth of Australian operations for cryptocurrency over-the-counter desk, Ebonex, and spent 13 years at Western Union specialising in international payments and global financial markets.
Storm’s first home game in Perth
Melbourne Storm’s decision to schedule a home fixture in Perth is part of a broader NRL strategy to build the code’s presence in Western Australia ahead of the Perth Bears’ 2027 debut.
HBF Park, which has a capacity of approximately 20,500 for sporting events, currently serves as the home ground for A-League club Perth Glory and Super Rugby franchise Western Force. It is due to receive a significant upgrade in preparation for the Bears’ arrival.
The Western Australian government committed $65.6 million over seven years to support the Perth Bears franchise, which will become the NRL’s 18th team and mark the return of professional rugby league to Western Australia for the first time since the Western Reds exited the competition in 1997.
Three NRL premiership games are being played in Perth during the 2026 season. A double-header at Optus Stadium in April featured the South Sydney Rabbitohs against the Canberra Raiders and the Cronulla Sharks against the Sydney Roosters. The Storm fixture at HBF Park is the standalone event among the three.
Binance expanding its Australian sporting footprint
The Melbourne Storm partnership continues a pattern of Australian sport sponsorships for Binance. The Robinson deal, announced in early 2025, was noted as the first time a cryptocurrency exchange had sponsored a professional surfer in Australia.
Globally, Binance maintains sponsorship arrangements with footballer Cristiano Ronaldo and has previously partnered with the BWT Alpine Formula One team and the Confederation of African Football.
Wei framed the Perth match day partnership as part of Binance Australia’s broader effort to establish a physical presence in the Western Australian market.
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“Storm are doing something unprecedented – taking a home game to a new market for the first time in the club’s history,” Wei observed. “That mirrors what we’re doing at Binance Australia: showing up locally, investing in communities and proving that we’re here to stay.”
Crypto-sport partnerships under scrutiny
The partnership arrives against a backdrop of ongoing regulatory attention toward cryptocurrency exchanges operating in Australia. Binance lost its Australian derivatives licence in 2023 and has been working to rebuild its compliance credentials in the market.
Wei’s appointment was positioned by the company as part of that effort. Binance Co-Chief Executive Officer, Richard Teng, indicated at the time that the hire was intended to support the exchange’s ongoing work in Australia to provide a compliant platform while engaging with the broader ecosystem.
The cryptocurrency industry’s involvement in sport sponsorship has drawn both commercial interest and scrutiny in recent years, particularly following the collapse of rival exchange FTX in 2022, which left a string of high-profile sporting sponsorship agreements in disarray.
Binance Australia has sought to differentiate its approach by focusing on locally relevant partnerships and community engagement rather than large-scale naming rights deals.
Fans interested in the ticket giveaway can follow Binance Australia on Instagram and X for details.
The Melbourne Storm versus Manly Sea Eagles fixture is scheduled for Saturday 8 August at HBF Park, Perth.
Last Updated on August 3, 2026 by Nick Ross
