A brand new crypto partnership meant to regular FC Barcelona’s funds has as a substitute develop into a public headache inside days.
FC Barcelona is dealing with rising criticism after confirming in mid-November {that a} Samoa-based firm, Zero-Information Proof (ZKP), would act because the membership’s “Official Cryptographic Protocol Accomplice.”
However by November 26, the membership moved to distance itself from a digital token launched by the sponsor, insisting it had “no connection in any way” 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 authorised the association.
World partnership with @ZKPofficial, new Official Blockchain Expertise Accomplice 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 mentioned the settlement by no means concerned any token exercise and added that it will present updates as soon as it obtained “conclusive data.”
The partnership was introduced on November 14 with a three-year time period working via 2028 and was described as a knowledge privateness and safety mission fairly 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 assertion 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 expertise 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, mentioned the shortage of readability round ZKP is “deeply regarding” and warned that followers may very well be pushed towards tokens that will find yourself price 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 mission. 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 absolutely in cost and who’s accountable.
Barcelona’s response marks its clearest try to this point to guard its title whereas retaining the sponsorship settlement in place.
The membership’s assertion stops wanting any discuss of suspension or cancellation. As an alternative, it guarantees “transparency” and says extra data will observe.
The stance highlights a tough actuality for Barcelona. The membership continues to be carrying a big quantity of debt. Latest reviews 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 combined 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 mission was arrested. The membership mentioned it acted to guard its repute.
A yr later, FC Barcelona signed a separate three-season partnership with the change WhiteBIT, working via June 2025.
The deal was pitched as a part of a wider push into digital ventures. Collectively, these episodes illustrate the attract of latest sponsors and the dangers related to partnering with younger or unproven entities.
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