The Bullet No.48 The Football
TL;DR There will always be more football, but there will only ever be 21 million Bitcoin
With England’s Ladies being crowned European champions, the men’s football season starting across all leagues this week, and the FIFA World Cup kicking off in a few months, the topic of football is everywhere, and this week’s Bullet will be no exception. Apologies to those who aren’t fans of the beautiful game but as always, it’ll be with a crypto twist. Here’s some things to look out for this season, starting with clubs:
1. Real Bedford
Last year, host of the popular What Bitcoin Did podcast, Peter McCormack purchased his hometown football club in Bedford, with the long term stated aim of turning them into a Premier League team. McCormack is running the club on a Bitcoin standard, which he hopes will set them on a sounder financial footing than other clubs long term, and he already has plenty of sponsorship from big names in the industry. Rebranding the club Real Bedford, this will be the first full season for them to start realising their ambitions. Just the small matter of 10 promotions to go and having met Peter personally, I’m backing them all the way. You can follow their journey here Real Bedford FC.
2. Crawley Town
A company named WAGMI United (WAGMI is an acronym often used in the crypto world to mean We Are Gonna Make It) having failed in a bid earlier this year to buy Bradford City FC, have bought Crawley Town instead, who currently sit in the 4th tier of the English football league pyramid. WAGMI is a consortium of investors (including loudmouth Gary Vaynerchuk) who’ve made their fortune primarily through non-Bitcoin crypto and NFTs. The motive for why Crawley Town and what they want to do with it isn’t entirely clear yet, although they have said:
"Crawley Town Football Club is a club with more than 125 years of rich history that we revere and respect. However, a conventional approach to ownership hasn't worked and the club is losing hundreds of thousands of pounds while its fans suffer through year after year of uninspiring results on the pitch. We're going to shake up the status quo, try out some new ideas, and build a worldwide community of fans new and old that can be excited to cheer on the Red Devils together - stretching from West Sussex to anywhere in the world with an internet connection."
I look forward to the day Real Bedford and Crawley Town meet for a match in a clash of crypto ideals.
3. Oxford United
Over at Oxford United, they may not have been taken over, but they have announced a partnership with Isle Of Man Bitcoin company CoinCorner, to let football fans use Bitcoin for payments at the stadium via the Lightening Network. Coincorner will also be a shirt and matchday programme sponsor and are a company at the forefront of Bticoin innovation, helping to drive adoption across the UK and beyond. This is just one of the latest examples in which they’re pushing forward the use of Bitcoin for everyday transactions after releasing the Bolt payment card earlier this year.
4. Sponsorships
Look out for the Bitcoin logo across many teams and across all leagues this season, from exchanges, betting companies and others. It’s getting harder to escape that little orange B now and its increased use in sponsorships to promote businesses connected to it, is a sign of how Bitcoin is permeating mainstream culture.
5. FIFA
And not to forget there is the once every 4 year mega-event that is the FIFA World Cup, that will this year be staged during a European winter for the first time. The crypto connection here is that FIFA have announced a partnership with Algorand who will become the “official blockchain platform of FIFA and provide the official blockchain-supported wallet solution”. The partnership will see Algorand become a tournament sponsor, so expect to see their logos and messaging during the tournament alongside world famous brands like Visa, Coca-Cola and Adidas. As the founder of Algorand said “This partnership with FIFA, the most globally recognised and distinguished organisation in sports, will showcase the potential that the Algorand blockchain has to transform the way we all experience the world’s game.” What that means is anyone’s guess but I’m looking forward to seeing whatever it is. Not to forget, Algorand also join Crypto.com who are the official crypto exchange partners.
At this time of year, I always like to rewatch sketch below as a reminder to stay grounded when it comes to the ups and downs of football fandom. There will always be more football and while it’s fun to be passionate about it, whoever wins and loses this year, there will be another match quickly around the corner. While football fixtures are infinite, remember there will only ever be 21 million Bitcoin.
Peace, love, and Bitcoin,
Rob