The Croatian Football Federation has made history by being the first national football team to introduce automatic cryptocurrency rewards for fans through its official app, powered by the Kadena blockchain.
Summary
- The Croatian Football Federation has initiated automatic crypto rewards on its official app following integration with the Kadena blockchain.
- Fans can earn 1% cashback in VATRENI tokens when they buy merchandise through the official app.
Supporters of the Croatian Football Federation (HNS) can now earn VATRENI tokens as part of the team’s enhanced loyalty program, directly within the HNS Official Store app, according to a press release distributed to crypto.news.
Purchasing any official merchandise via the app, whether it’s a jersey, scarf, or other items, will automatically grant a 1% cashback reward in VATRENI tokens, which can be used for official gear, exclusive experiences, and eventually match tickets.
The VATRENI token serves as the official loyalty cryptocurrency for HNS and was initially launched in 2022 as an ERC-20 token on Polygon. It is intended to enhance the national team’s fan engagement platform and can be utilized to unlock rewards, engage in exclusive experiences, and play an active role in the community through token-based interactions.
Although VATRENI is tradeable, it is presently listed only on Gate.io, where it was valued at approximately $1.25 at the time of writing, having risen by 7.5% in the last 24 hours.
Since migrating to Kadena, the VATRENI token now enjoys faster transactions, lower fees, and enhanced scalability. Tokens received as rewards will be automatically added to fans’ digital wallets linked to their HNS Official Store accounts, allowing them to view their balances and monitor their earnings.
According to Kadena’s Head of Partnerships, Joel Woodman, the recent integration is anticipated to enhance revenue generation for HNS.
“For the Croatian Football Federation, integrating Kadena is a seamless advancement in fan engagement and monetization. Fans enjoy their familiar app experience, but behind the scenes, blockchain fosters deeper loyalty and new rewards. The federation gains more revenue, connects with fans in smarter ways, and eliminates the burden of traditional loyalty systems,” Woodman stated.
Kadena and the HNS signed a multi-year partnership earlier this year, and this integration represents the first live deployment under that agreement.
Crypto and soccer
Crypto-driven fan loyalty programs are gaining traction within the global sports landscape, particularly among soccer clubs and national teams.
Other national soccer teams that have unveiled their own crypto tokens include the Argentine national team, which launched the ARG token in 2021, along with Brazil (BFT token), Portugal (POR token), and Spain (SNFT token), all of which were introduced the same year.
Additionally, notable football clubs like FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Juventus have also rolled out similar tokens to engage their fans.
