Today Socios.com announced that it has partnered with AS Roma to develop a blockchain-based fan token. In autumn this year, the platform will make available the cryptocurrency style tokens to be used by fans to vote on club decisions and access exclusive merchandise.
The Rome based football club boasts international success with nearly 300 million fans worldwide. Upon release, they will be able to purchase AS Roma Fan Tokens exclusively on Socios.com with the primary purpose of voting which, the partnership hopes, will encourage fan engagement. The initiative is mainly aimed at international fans as they can vote from anywhere in the world.
Decisions such as the name of a club facility, which player will hold a live Q&A, and warm-up activities at the club’s Stadio Olimpico will be voted on using the blockchain-based token. The more fans interact, the more exclusive rewards they can earn through Socios.com’s dedicated app.
Franceso Calvo, AS Roma’s Chief Revenue Officer, was optimistic about the use of blockchain: “AS Roma, as a Club, has a duty to always be very attentive and proactive towards new technologies and innovation.”
“Thanks to Socios.com’s blockchain platform, we can guarantee new opportunities to our fan base around the world, giving them the possibility to interact in an innovative way with their favorite team,” he continued.
The CEO of Socios.com, Alexandre Dreyfus, said: “This partnership gives us the opportunity to educate a huge audience of mainstream consumers to the benefits of blockchain and cryptocurrencies, across Europe as well as Asia and Latin America.”
“If you add up all the fan bases of our current partners, we’re already looking at a potential audience of hundreds of millions of sports fans and users for both [our token] and Socios.com,” explained Dreyfus.
Socios.com uses the Chiliz platform for its tokens, operating on a side chain of Ethereum. Chiliz claims to have secured $66 million through a private placement including Binance, OK Blockchain Capital and FBG Capital.
Each club participating on Socios.com is a proof of authority node on the blockchain, Chiliz is part of Malta-based HX Entertainment, a subsidiary of Mediarex Group, previously active in online poker.
Socios.com has already secured partnerships for blockchain-based fan tokens with UK Premier League team West Ham, French side Paris Saint Germain, and fellow Italian club Juventus.
Neither the author nor Ledger Insights team own Socios or Chiliz tokens
