This Thursday, 12, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) announced that it used cryptocurrencies to finalize the hiring of Argentine Lionel Messi. According to the official website of the Parisian club, the ace received part of the payment for the gloves for the officialization of the two-year bond in $PSG Fan Tokens.
This was the first time that the football club located in the French capital used cryptoactives to hire a player. But, PSG did not specify what was the portion of the amount of ‘gloves’ paid in cryptocurrencies, nor the amount provided to close with the ace, who did not renew his contract with Barcelona, from Spain.
“The furor over the latest signings in the club’s busy summer transfer window has created a huge surge of interest in ‘$PSG Fan Tokens’, with trading volumes exceeding $1.2 billion in the days leading up to Messi’s arrival “says the official statement from the PSG.
Fan tokens is a kind of cryptocurrency that allows its owner to participate in some decisions related to sports organization, such as selecting details in the locker room, the color of the bus that takes the cast, the music that will be played after the goals, sending messages in support of the athletes, among other actions.
Manchester City, from England, and Milan, from Italy, also joined this type of business. In national football, Corinthians, Atlético-MG and even the Brazilian team are already working as these cryptoactives.
Like the famous bitcoin and other digital currencies, tokens can also be traded on exchanges and vary in price. “This initiative further positions Paris Saint-Germain as one of the most innovative and avant-garde sports brands in the world,” says Messi’s new club statement.
PSG has issued 20 million Fan Tokens since January 2020
In conjunction with the Socios.com platform, PSG has issued around 20 million Fan Tokens since the beginning of last year. Marc Armstrong, Director of Partnerships at PSG, said: “The club’s involvement with Socios.com and the $PSG Fan Tokens is a great success. We were able to develop relationships with new fans around the world and generate income.”
Alexandre Dreyfus, CEO of Chiliz and Socios.com, reinforced: “Paris Saint-Germain is reaping the benefits of his innovative approach and I am convinced that this will be the beginning of a new trend that will make Fan Tokens and Socios.com perform an increasingly important role at the highest level of sport”.
