If you're a big sports fan, you've probably heard about Fan Tokens, which is an innovation that is bringing fans closer than ever to their favorite teams. In football, several of the biggest clubs in the world, including Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, Inter, Arsenal, AS Roma, Galatasaray, Flamengo and Corinthians have launched Fan Tokens through Socios.com .
In this article, we will discuss:
What are fan tokens?
(I.e. fan tokens are cryptocurrencies intended to give sports fans exclusive membership perks, voting rights in team decisions, merchandise rewards, and official access to the non-fungible token (NFT). Fan tokens offer sports teams a different avenue for marketing and brand exposure, while giving fans the chance to interact with their clubs in new ways.
They are minted in networks blockchain, such as Ethereum and Binance Smart Chain, and adhere to the respective ERC-20 and BEP-20 token standards. Teams can offer supporter token holders the chance to participate in exclusive events, access official club NFTs, sports merchandise and match day perks. Fan tokens can be traded on cryptocurrency exchanges like any other cryptocurrency.
Top 8 best fan tokens of 2022
Paris Saint Germain (PSG)
🥇 Paris Saint-Germain Football Club, commonly known as PSG, is a professional football team that competes in the top flight of the French football league. The Paris-based club is France's most successful football team and boasts superstar players Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.
PSG fan tokens were minted on the Ethereum blockchain via the Socios Fan Token Platform. According to its website, the PSG fan token will give fans the right to vote to choose the message written on the captain's armband and the message for the day of the match. Holders can also vote for standout awards such as 'defensive game of the season', 'goal of the season' and 'skill of the season'. PSG token holders will also have the chance to earn rewards that include VIP hospitality at the Parc des Princes stadium, player meet events and signed merchandise.
Alpine F1 (ALPINE)
🥈Alpine F1 Team Fan Token (ALPINE). Formula 1 builders, the team is currently called the BWT Alpine F1 Team after a partnership with Austrian water treatment supplier BWT. It is owned by the French automotive company Renault and was previously called the Renault F1 Team. It was renamed Alpine F1 Team in 2021 to promote Renault's Alpine sports car brand. Two-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso and fellow Frenchman Esteban Ocon are team drivers for the 2022 season of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
ALPINE is a Binance Smart Chain BEP-20 token launched in February 2022. It is the top fan token by market cap, valued at over $35 million at the current (June 10) price of $3,10. According to the token whitepaper, ALPINE allows token holders to participate in team voting surveys on the Binance Fan Token platform. It can be used to purchase BWT Alpine F1 Team NFTs, which in turn can be wagered to earn fan rewards.
ALPINE token holders have access to engagement events with the Alpine team on the Binance Fan Token Platform and meet-and-greet events with pilots from the Alpine F1 team. The maximum token supply is capped at 40 million. In all, 11,36 million ALPINE tokens, 28,4% of the total supply, were initially listed on Binance in February 2022. As per ALPINE's launch schedule, 100% of the token supply will be released by the end. 2026 – 10% of the total ALPINE supply was allocated to the Binance Launchpad Sale at $1 per token.
SS Lazio (LAZIO)
🥉 SS Lazio Fan Token. Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional football team in the top division of the Italian football league. The Rome-based club is known for its traditional sky blue kit and rivalry with rivals AS Roma, with whom it shares a stadium.
LAZIO is a Binance Smart Chain BEP-20 token launched in October 2021. At the time of writing, June 10, LAZIO is the 593rd largest cryptocurrency, valued at $22,61 million. According to its whitepaper, LAZIO token holders can participate in voting sessions and win digital collectibles. The LAZIO token can also be incorporated into the “potential future e-commerce ecosystem” of SS Lazio. The maximum supply of tokens is 40 million. In all, 8,6 million LAZIO tokens were initially listed on Binance in October 2021 – 4 million tokens were allocated for the Binance Launchpad Sale in October 2021 at a price of $1 per LAZIO.
Santos FC (SANTOS)
O Santos Futebol Clube was founded in the city of Santos in 1912, when football was still in its infancy in Brazil. Over the century, Santos became one of the most recognizable clubs in the world and was a driving force behind the global dominance of Brazilian football in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Pelé, considered one of the greatest players of the 20th century, played by Santos. Former Manchester City striker Robinho and current PSG forward Neymar are other notable products of the famous Santos academy.
Like the ALPINE and PSG fan tokens, the Santos FC Fan Token (SANTOS) is also a BEP-20 token based on Binance Smart Chain. It was launched in November 2021 and is currently the 606th largest cryptocurrency in the world, valued at $21,5 million. Holders of SANTOS tokens can participate in voting events related to fan engagement on the Binance Fan Token platform. According to their website, fans can currently vote to choose the warm-up song for the next game day and choose a message for the Santos captain's armband.
Additionally, holders can access official NFTs and other digital collectibles using their tokens. SANTOS tokens can also be incorporated into the Santos FC e-commerce ecosystem to be used in merchandise, game tickets and memberships, according to its whitepaper. The maximum token supply is capped at 30 million – 4,55 million tokens, about 15% of the total supply, were initially listed on Binance in November 2021. In all, 5% of the total token supply was allocated to Binance Launchpool. 20% for the team, 15% for loyalty subscriptions, 35% for the user fund and 25% for the developer fund. As per the SANTOS release schedule, 100% of the total supply of tokens will be released by the end of 2031.
FC Barcelona (BAR)
FC Barcelona is a professional football team based in Barcelona, Spain, that competes in the country's top-tier football league. FC Barcelona is one of the most followed football clubs in the world. FC Barcelona fan tokens (BAR) are minted on the Ethereum blockchain, holders can access their fan reward on the Socios Fan Token Platform. BAR token holders can vote on various decisions, including game playlists and captain armband messages.
According to the BAR token's official website, 22 holders were chosen to play in a match at FC Barcelona's official stadium, Camp Nou. Token holders also have VIP access on match day and can earn fan rewards. As of June 10, the BAR fan token was trading at $4,92 and was the 637th largest cryptocurrency at $20,7 million. The token is down nearly 42% year-to-date.
Manchester City (City)
O Manchester City (CITY), also created on Socios.com, is a fan token of the popular football team Manchester City, launched in March 2021. Manchester City is known as a world star team with four Premier League titles and top 10 placed in the last ten years. The team is managed by Pep Guardiola, the highest paid football manager in the world in 2022.
As a result, the value of this fan token largely depends on Manchester City's on-field success and the growth of blockchain technology. The price of the CITY token jumped when rumors surfaced that Cristiano Ronaldo would join the team, but then dropped when the deal went through. As of June 2022, the Manchester City Fan Token (CITY) is trading at $5,30 with a total market capitalization of $6,8 million.
FC Porto (PORTO)
O FC Porto Fan Token (PORTO) is a fan token of the BEP-20 network. As a utility token of Binance's supporter token, PORTO is designed to reward fans of FC Porto, a well-known football team that competes in the Portuguese Premier League.
FC Porto was founded in 1893 and is the second richest football team in Portugal, known for its huge fan base. The PORTO token was launched on November 6, 2021. By holding the PORTO token, fans can gain exposure to the football club's activities by voting on decisions and gaining access to exclusive discounts and club rewards. The PORTO token also allows holders to collect rare non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and unlock fan badges through their token engagement.
AC Milan (ACM)
O AC Milan Fan Token (ACM) is one of 40 fans of various international football clubs under Socios that allow fans of those clubs to participate in club decision-making, earn VIP rewards and unlock access to exclusive promotions, games, chats, as well as earn the chance to be recognized as a superfan.
ACM is a utility token on Chiliz Chain (created by Chiliz — a fintech blockchain company), a Proof of Authority sidechain built on Ethereum. Like the other fan tokens, the AC Milan Fan Token gives AC Milan fans the power to influence how the team operates by voting in team polls that teams should take into account. Examples of changes ACM holders can make include choosing jersey designs, naming training venues, and choosing the next fan event.
The ACM acts as a gateway to the chance for every AC Milan fan to show their loyalty and support for the team by earning reward points, earning VIP experiences and purchasing club merchandise. Like many other cryptocurrency platforms, the greater the number of tokens you have, the higher the level of influence on the token base.
Is it worth investing in fan tokens?
Like all other cryptocurrencies, fan tokens are very volatile. Prices can go up and down in response to supply and demand. Several football fans also said that the cost of these tokens depends on the team's movements.
As the changing prices of tokens are driven by fan emotions and engagement, it is clear that some football fans use fan tokens as a status symbol and an indication of loyalty rather than a long-term investment. Having said that, before making any investments, do your research, investing in cryptocurrencies is highly risky and speculative, and this article is not a writer's recommendation for investing in cryptocurrencies.
Conclusion
Fan tokens are cryptocurrencies that allow users to access a range of fan-related membership benefits, such as voting on club decisions, incentives, item designs, and unique experiences. Sports clubs and music fan clubs often use these tokens to create unique events for their followers, establish club leadership, and so on. Whether fan tokens are a good investment for you will depend on your investment goals and risk profile, among other factors.
