Share this article
ESPN, DraftKings Execs Join Soccer NFT Platform Sorare Following $680M Raise
The startup has been rapidly expanding since announcing its Series B in September.
By Eli Tan
Updated May 11, 2023, 7:08 p.m. Published Oct 7, 2021, 1:25 p.m.

European soccer non-fungible token (NFT) platform Sorare is continuing its growth with a slew of new hires.
- The company announced Thursday Ryan Spoon has been appointed as chief operating officer, bringing experience from BetMGM and ESPN.
- Michael Meltzer, who previously worked for sports betting site DraftKings, will be the company’s new VP of business development.
- David Byttow, a tech veteran who’s worked for Lyft, Snap and Postmates, has been hired as principle architect and head of mobile.
- Kiana Davari has been brought on as Sorare’s head of people. She oversaw international talent as the first-ever recruiter at Lyft.
- Sorare raised $680 million in a Series B funding round that valued the company at $4.3 billion.
- The Paris-based firm has plans to grow the business internationally, including opening a U.S. office.
Read more: European Football NFT Platform Sorare Raises $680M Series B
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
UPDATE (Oct. 7 13:55 UTC): Corrects spelling of Michael Meltzer’s name.
More For You
Protocol Research: GoPlus Security

What to know:
- As of October 2025, GoPlus has generated $4.7M in total revenue across its product lines. The GoPlus App is the primary revenue driver, contributing $2.5M (approx. 53%), followed by the SafeToken Protocol at $1.7M.
- GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month.
- Since its January 2025 launch , the $GPS token has registered over $5B in total spot volume and $10B in derivatives volume in 2025. Monthly spot volume peaked in March 2025 at over $1.1B , while derivatives volume peaked the same month at over $4B.
More For You
VanEck's new Avalanche ETF filing to include staking rewards for AVAX investors

The fund will use Coinbase Crypto Services as its initial staking provider and pay a 4% service fee, with rewards accruing to the fund and reflected in its net asset value.
What to know:
- VanEck has updated its filing for an Avalanche ETF, VAVX, to include staking rewards, aiming to generate income for investors by staking up to 70% of its AVAX holdings.
- The fund will use Coinbase Crypto Services as its initial staking provider and pay a 4% service fee, with rewards accruing to the fund and reflected in its net asset value.
- If approved, the fund will trade on Nasdaq under the ticker VAVX, tracking AVAX's price via a custom index, and will be custodied with regulated providers, including Anchorage Digital and Coinbase Custody.
Top Stories











