Oxford City FC Accepts Bitcoin For Match Ticket Payment
JAKARTA – The adoption of cryptocurrencies is increasing. Recently, English football club, Oxford City FC announced that it will accept Bitcoin (BTC) payments for ticket purchases for next season, on August 6.
Oxford City Football Club plays in the sixth tier of English football, the National League South. As part of the deal between CoinCorner and The Hoops, the club's nickname. Later the BTC logo will appear on the back of the club jersey.
The ticket payment using BTC is the result of the club's collaboration with CoinCorner, a crypto exchange company operating in the UK. Not only to buy tickets, club fans will also be able to use Bitcoin to buy food and drinks at the RAW Charging stadium.
Reporting from CoinSpeaker, the British professional football club added that fans can also buy food and drinks at the RAW Charging Stadium with Bitcoin using the CoinCorner Bolt Card, which has been marked as the world's first contactless Bitcoin Lightning card.
However, it will be an alternative to older payment methods such as traditional card and cash methods. Oxford City FC branded Bolt Cards have also been produced by CoinCorner in limited quantities to commemorate the partnership and are available for purchase at the club store.
Danny Scott, CEO of CoinCorner, speaking after the agreement, described OCFC as “the first adopter of Bitcoin payments in the National League”, adding that the two organizations are innovative and forward-thinking businesses, which will result in a perfect partnership.
“It is great to see the club become the first adopter of Bitcoin payments in the National League. We believe this move will set the trend across non-league and league football as digital currencies establish themselves as (part of) the new normal for sports fans and event goers across the UK," said Scott.
Furthermore, he added that the idea of paying with crypto was still foreign to some circles. However, since the launch of The Bolt Card, fans will have a new experience in transactions. Because payments with cryptocurrencies are faster and easier to use for everyone.
Oxford City FC Director of Football Justin Merritt stated that more than 3.3 million people living in the UK now own Bitcoin, a figure that has seen an increase of around one million since last year.
“As a football club, we are constantly striving to develop and improve our overall customer experience, which is why our partnership with CoinCorner is so important to us. Embracing the latest technology and innovations to ensure Oxford City FC can continue to operate as a standalone club is an important part of our long-term goal," said Merritt.
Oxford City FC is not the first club to accept purchase of match tickets with Bitcoin. Previously, the top club of the Brazilian League, Sao Paulo FC has done the same thing after establishing a partnership with crypto exchange Bitso.