Key Highlights
- FC Barcelona says it has “no connection whatsoever” to the cryptocurrency launched by its new sponsor ZKP.
- Fans and analysts question ZKP’s anonymity and the club’s decision to partner with a company offering little transparency.
- The issue reflects wider concerns as more football clubs turn to crypto sponsors amid financial pressure and tightening gambling ad rules.
FC Barcelona has been forced into damage-control mode after its newest commercial partner, Zero Knowledge Proof (ZKP), unexpectedly launched its own cryptocurrency, triggering an immediate backlash from supporters and industry observers.
The club has now taken the unusual step of publicly stressing that it has “no connection whatsoever” to the digital coin linked to its sponsor.
Club rushes to reassure supporters
Barcelona’s statement, published on its official website, was direct and unusually blunt for the club’s media team: “The club has no responsibility for, or involvement in, the issuance or management of this token, nor does it use the associated technology.”
The reassurance came after ZKP announced its cryptocurrency just days after signing a three-year sponsorship deal with Barcelona in mid-November. The sudden introduction of the token raised concerns that fans might assume it had the club’s implicit endorsement.
A sponsor with more questions than answers
Very little is known about ZKP, and that opacity has become the heart of the controversy. The company describes itself as a “pseudonymous collective” scattered across “multiple jurisdictions.” In practical terms, that means the individuals running it are not publicly named and their location is not disclosed.
The Financial Times reported that an earlier version of ZKP’s terms of service included an office address in Apia, Samoa, though this has since disappeared from its website. Beyond that, the company has offered almost no details about who is behind it.
Carol Alexander, professor at the University of Sussex, warned that Barcelona’s global reputation offers enormous visibility to firms like ZKP — visibility they could not achieve on their own.
“Sponsorship creates an aura of credibility, even when the underlying project is opaque,” she said, urging fans to be “very cautious.” She added that “with ZKP, none of those answers are clear.”
Financial pressure looms over the club’s decision-making
The timing of the partnership has also revived debate about Barcelona’s fragile finances. Years of escalating wages, pandemic-era losses, and delayed revenue projects have left the club in a prolonged struggle to stabilize its accounts.
Football finance author Kieran Maguire believes Barcelona is prioritizing short-term cash injections: “Barcelona’s finances in recent years have been perilous, so the club appears to have adopted a strategy of ‘bank the money first, ask questions later’,” he said.
This pressure, he suggested, makes the club vulnerable to partnerships that may not fully align with its reputation.
ZKP turns controversy into marketing fuel
In an unexpected twist, ZKP has leaned into negative publicity. The company’s X account has reposted articles and online criticism in a way that suggests it is treating the uproar as a marketing opportunity.
That approach has only deepened concern among fans and analysts, who already questioned why the club partnered with a firm that discloses so little about itself.
Adding to the unease, former Barcelona youth player Xavier Vilajoana, who is reportedly preparing a run for the club presidency, publicly demanded clarification over the agreement. He also pointed out that ZKP follows only three accounts on X, one of which belongs to the infamous, self-proclaimed misogynist Andrew Tate.
Cryptocurrency firms increasingly target football clubs
The Barcelona–ZKP episode unfolds during a period of rapid expansion of crypto sponsorships across European football. With gambling advertisement restrictions tightening in several leagues, cryptocurrency firms have stepped in to fill the financial void.
Some major deals in recent years include:
- Arsenal and Bitpanda (2025) — a wide-ranging crypto trading partnership with fan-oriented events.
- Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Crypto.com — a massive agreement worth more than $430 million across three years.
- Kraken with RB Leipzig, Atlético de Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur — establishing the exchange as a recurring football sponsor.
- Juventus, Inter Milan and several Serie A clubs — multiple agreements with blockchain and trading platforms.
- Smaller clubs, including Real Bedford FC and Watford, are experimenting with Bitcoin and NFT-based engagement.
- Unlike these established companies, ZKP’s anonymous structure and sudden launch of a cryptocurrency have drawn particular scrutiny.
Growing pressure for transparency in sports sponsorships
Consumer-protection advocates say football supporters are often put at risk when financial products are linked to club branding. Fans may assume the club has vetted the sponsor, even when that isn’t the case. Several clubs have already experienced collapsed crypto partnerships due to non-payment or regulatory warnings.
Barcelona’s willingness to stress its distance from ZKP’s token signals an awareness of that risk and perhaps an attempt to avoid repeating past sponsorship controversies seen across European football.
Uncertain road ahead
The club has said it will share more information if it becomes available and has emphasised its commitment to transparency. However, questions remain about why the deal was approved in the first place and whether the partnership will survive the current backlash.
This situation shows a clear problem in modern football: clubs are trying hard to bring in more money amid financial struggles, while fans just want them to be careful — especially when it involves something as unstable as cryptocurrency.
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