With major football tournaments in Europe and the Americas looming, a notable segment within the cryptoverse is grabbing attention: fan tokens.
Unlike typical digital assets, fan tokens are issued by national teams or individual clubs, offering supporters a tradable means to engage with their favorite teams.
Activity in tokens associated with participating national teams has surged ahead of the Euro 2024 European soccer championship and the Copa América in North and South America.
The market value of Chiliz cryptocurrency, the native coin of the Socios blockchain hosting most major fan tokens, has surged to over $1.07 billion from approximately $687 million at the beginning of the year, nearing levels seen around the 2022 World Cup.
Trading volumes of fan tokens have also increased significantly in recent months, reaching over $170 million on May 24, compared to a range of $25 million to $57 million in January.
This summer’s sporting events could serve as a pivotal moment for the still-evolving fan token sector, offering perks such as raffle entries, early ticket access, merchandise discounts, and voting rights on minor decisions.
While supporters applaud fan tokens as a unique example of real-world crypto utility, critics highlight the potential tension between fostering team engagement and the speculative nature of tradable assets.
Chiliz emphasized that fan tokens are primarily intended for fan engagement, rather than speculative trading.
Despite recent upticks in trading volumes, some experts anticipate a temporary surge, citing a drop-off in trading following previous World Cup events.
The growth of club-linked tokens has been gradual, although the number of fan tokens has increased in recent years due to the ease of launching tokens on blockchains like Solana.
Paris Saint-Germain, a French football giant with a fan token, recently announced its role as a network validator for the Chiliz Chain blockchain.
English team Watford FC introduced digital equity tokens, offering investors and fans a 10% stake in the club along with additional perks such as dinners with team members and private training ground tours.
Overall, while fan tokens continue to garner attention and evolve, their future trajectory may depend on the balance between engagement-focused usage and speculative trading behavior.
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