Bulgaria’s Oldest Football Club Embraces Web 3.0 with Bitcoin and Lightning

Crypto Adoption for Bulgaria’s Oldest Football Club

Botev Plovdiv FC, Bulgaria’s oldest football club, has taken a major step forward in cryptocurrency adoption with the introduction of Bitcoin and Lightning Network payments, as well as joining decentralized protocol, Nostr.

Fans can now use Bitcoin to make peer-to-peer payments at Botev Plovdiv FC’s fan shops and stands during matches at the top flight of the Bulgarian League, the Bulgarian Parva Liga. The club also plans to extend Bitcoin payments for ticketing and its online store.

Anton Zingarevich, the president of the 111-year-old football club, is enthusiastic about the move, and is particularly excited about the potential of the Lightning Network. He stated in the press release,

The initiative was made possible through a partnership with BTCPayServer, a Bitcoin payment processor known for its open-source architecture, secure infrastructure, and low merchant fees. The hardware for payments was handled by CryptoDesk.bg, in collaboration with Bitcoinize.com, who provided the PoS Devices.

Botev Plovdiv FC Embraces Bitcoin and Web 3.0

Nicolas Dorier, founder of BTCPayServer, emphasized the importance of local Bitcoin adoption, expressing their commitment to supporting transformative endeavors such as the work at Plovdiv.

George Manolov, Bitcoin Director at Botev Plovdiv FC, explained that “Bitcoin offers a universe of technological, social, and financial opportunities.”

In addition to embracing Bitcoin, Botev Plovdiv FC has “revamped” its online presence. The club’s official website has been updated, English social media channels have been brought up to speed, and the club has created an account on Nostr, a decentralized protocol that offers social media platforms. Fans can now keep up to date with Plovdiv on Nostr.

The move to embrace Bitcoin and Web 3.0 is similar to that of Real Bedford, a UK football club that was the world’s first football club to adopt Bitcoin. Peter McCormack, chairman of Real Bedford, shared his thoughts on the news from Bulgaria:

The Adoption of Bitcoin in Football

Since 2021, McCormack has been running Bitcoin at the club and he consulted with Plovdiv prior to their decision to adopt the crypto. McCormack believes that Bitcoin acts as a “cheat code for life” and he is hosting an event called “Cheat Code” in Bedford in Spring 2024.

In an interview with Cointelegraph, McCormack said that there is a “plague of financial irresponsibility in football” and clubs that adopt a low-time preference Bitcoin standard are creating a strong foundation for their team.

On the day of the Bitcoin white paper, Plovdiv announced that football fans attending their home game against Lokomotiv Plovdiv can pay with both Bitcoin and Bitcoin Lightning, highlighting their support for web 3.0, also known as the crypto now live.