A brand new crypto partnership meant to regular FC Barcelona’s funds has as a substitute change into a public headache inside days.
FC Barcelona is dealing with rising criticism after confirming in mid-November {that a} Samoa-based firm, Zero-Data Proof (ZKP), would act because the membership’s “Official Cryptographic Protocol Associate.”
However by November 26, the membership moved to distance itself from a digital token launched by the sponsor, insisting it had “no connection in anyway” to the asset.
The controversy broke in Barcelona over the previous 24 to 48 hours as followers and observers questioned who controls ZKP and why the membership permitted the association.
World partnership with @ZKPofficial, new Official Blockchain Know-how Associate of FC Barcelona. #BarçaxZKP
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) November 14, 2025
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Did Barcelona Formally Deny Any Hyperlink To ZKP’s Token?
Barcelona stated the settlement by no means concerned any token exercise and added that it might present updates as soon as it obtained “conclusive data.”
The partnership was introduced on November 14 with a three-year time period operating by means of 2028 and was described as an information privateness and safety undertaking slightly than a token or fan-coin deal.
Quickly after, ZKP started selling a token sale, resulting in claims on-line that the membership was not directly endorsing an untested providing.
In response, Barcelona issued a late-night statement on November 26 setting out three clear factors: it has no hyperlinks to ZKP’s token, holds no duty for its creation or management, and confirmed that neither the token nor the know-how behind it was included within the sponsorship settlement.
Criticism has grown from soccer watchdogs and from inside Barcelona’s personal circle.
Martin Calladine, who has written about crypto in soccer, stated the shortage of readability round ZKP is “deeply regarding” and warned that followers might be pushed towards tokens which will find yourself value nothing.
Former Barcelona director Xavier Vilajoana has additionally requested that the membership clarify the way it vetted the deal initially.
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What Does Barcelona Imply By Promising “Transparency”?
ZKP describes itself as a privacy-focused, decentralised undertaking. However key particulars stay unclear.
Reporting over the previous day reveals the corporate is registered in Samoa and had earlier listed “Braxova Ltd” in its phrases earlier than quietly eradicating the reference.
The agency additionally claimed main monetary backing and moved shortly right into a token sale, including to doubts about who is basically in cost and who’s accountable.
Barcelona’s response marks its clearest try to date to guard its title whereas preserving the sponsorship settlement in place.
The membership’s assertion stops in need of any speak of suspension or cancellation. As an alternative, it guarantees “transparency” and says extra data will comply with.
The stance highlights a difficult actuality for Barcelona. The membership continues to be carrying a big quantity of debt. Latest stories point out that its internet liabilities exceed the a whole bunch of thousands and thousands of euros, along with giant loans tied to the stadium rebuild. That context explains why contemporary industrial income issues a lot.
The row additionally evokes blended recollections of Barça’s previous in cryptocurrency. In 2021, the membership withdrew from an NFT take care of Ownix after an individual related to the undertaking was arrested. The membership said it acted to guard its repute.
A 12 months later, FC Barcelona signed a separate three-season partnership with the change WhiteBIT, operating by means of June 2025.
The deal was pitched as a part of a wider push into digital ventures. Collectively, these episodes illustrate the attract of recent sponsors and the dangers related to partnering with younger or unproven entities.
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The publish Barcelona Crypto Nightmare: How a Big Money Sponsorship Became a Big Money Liability appeared first on 99Bitcoins.
