Since 2021, several football clubs have generated significant revenue through so-called fan tokens. These are a type of cryptographic asset that is traded on the blockchain which has experienced sustained growth since its creation and from fans and investors. Barcelona Soccer Club, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Atletico Madrid, Juventus, Milan, the Manchester City, Roma or Galatasaray are examples of football teams that own their own cryptos.
According to information from the Business Insider portal, the commercialization of these fan tokens can reach Movements of around 200 million dollars in just 24 hoursHowever, like any digital asset, it is volatile and its prices can fluctuate easily.
Sport, fame, and the crypto economy
A prominent example of this phenomenon was observed when Lionel Messi signed for Paris Saint-Germain. The viral news that part of his salary would be paid through the club's fan token prompted a price increase of just over 65% in just a few hours.
This increase It was not limited to the case of the Parisian teamThe entire world witnessed a positive impact on the entire sector, which, although initially impulsive, has continued to pay dividends.
Some tokens like Atlético de Madrid's also saw its value soar by 45%. In one week, Barcelona's fan tokens rode this wave, benefiting from this trend with an increase of nearly 13%.
Fan tokens vs. cryptocurrencies
Unlike traditional cryptocurrencies, Fan tokens do not run on their own blockchain.These depend on networks managed by third parties. This model has primarily benefited two companies: the Turkish Bitci and, above all, Socios, based in MaltaThese have established themselves as the main platforms for marketing football-related fan tokens.
This is how we can buy digital currencies from leading European teams in which in addition to tokens from Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Atlético de Madrid we will get digital assets from the Juventus, Milan, Manchester City, Roma or Galatasaray.
However, Juventus and Barcelona are the clubs that stand out as two of the pioneers in providing fan tokens to their fans. This phenomenon doesn't only impact European clubs. Bitci also sells fan tokens of national teams such as Argentina and Brazil, to which are added assets from Turkish and some Spanish teams, among which the Spanish National Football Team stands out.
As reported the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) The agreement between this organization and the Turkish platform was initially intended to last three years. That is, it expired in 2024. However, it was renewed and has the option to extend for two more years, which means this pact will be extended until 2026.
Cryptocurrencies and famous athletes
Lionel Messi isn't the only famous athlete who accepted payments in digital assets.The world of various sports has seen many athletes invest part of their capital in cryptocurrencies. These are the most notable examples:
- Cristiano Ronaldo: The Portuguese football star launched his own non-fungible token. NFT called CR7 In 2022, the player's fans will have the opportunity to acquire these assets and enjoy exclusive experiences with him, such as meeting him in person and participating in various activities with him.
- Marcelo Vieira: Former Brazilian footballer Marcelo Vieira, who was captain of Real Madrid and recently, on February 6, 2025, announced his retirement from the football fields, fulfilled the role between 2022 and 2023 as global ambassador of the Mexican exchange BitsoIts goal was to familiarize the Latin American public with cryptocurrencies and the benefits this ecosystem offers, yielding excellent results.
- Serena Williams: One of the greatest tennis players in history, she also has ties to the world of cryptocurrencies. In 2014, she founded a venture capital firm called Serena Ventures. with the aim of offering opportunities to entrepreneurs in various sectors, but especially in those company initiatives that integrate diverse leadership, individual empowerment, creativity, and environmental sustainability.
- Alex Barrett: He is an American football player who made history in the NFL by being the first athlete in this league to choose receive your salary entirely in BitcoinSince 2019, he has been part of one of the most prominent teams on the West Coast, San Francisco 49ersThis soccer player relies on Bitcoin (BTC) as a strategy to maintain the value of his income and uses Bitwage as his payment platform.
- Miguel Cabrera: the former Venezuelan baseball player and Major League Baseball (MLB) star He is also one of those who joined the NFT trend. In 2022 he announced his entry into the field of non-fungible tokens with the launch of his project called NFT-LINEUP. This is a platform for authenticated NFTs of limited-edition collectibles endorsed by celebrities and star athletes. This initiative aims to build an exclusive library of non-fungible tokens that rewards and supports its community.
Michael Jordan: NBA star and his son Jeffrey Jordan entered the world of NFTs thanks to Solana, the blockchain on which they launched HEIR. This is a project originated with the intention of bring professional NBA athletes closer to their fans, Seeking community benefit and pushing the definition of a new digital culture. To do so, they use exclusive tokens built with Solana's blockchain technology. This initiative focuses on connecting high-performance athletes and fans using Web 3.0.
