House of Doge, the commercial arm of the Dogecoin Foundation, has acquired a majority stake in a historic but financially struggling Italian football club.
On Monday, House of Doge, in partnership with Brag House Holdings, Inc., announced it has become the largest equity holder in US Triestina Calcio 1918, aiming to back projects with community impact, cultural significance, and long-term value.
“This investment in US Triestina 1918 marks Dogecoin’s boldest move into European football, positioning House of Doge as a leader in combining digital assets with traditional sports,” the statement noted.
House of Doge plans to provide US Triestina Calcio 1918 with new capital to improve football operations and enhance community initiatives.
The initiative will also integrate cryptocurrency for transactions like ticketing, concessions, and merchandise at home games.
“The goal is to create a modern payment system that improves the match-day experience, boosts the club’s financial stability, and adds utility to Dogecoin,” the announcement stated.
If House of Doge can help the club reclaim its former success, Dogecoin could see significant visibility, with domestic Serie A matches attracting between three to six million viewers.
Italian soccer team risks falling down the pyramid
In recent years, there has been an increasing trend of foreign investors acquiring stakes in struggling football teams, attempting to help them reach the top tiers again.
Brera Holdings, part of Solana’s digital asset treasury, has invested in various clubs, including SS Juve Stabia in Serie B, and smaller teams across Mongolia, Macedonia, and Mozambique.
US Triestina Calcio 1918 was one of the founding members of Serie A in 1929, but has spent decades in lower divisions, not competing at the top level since 1958.
The financial support from House of Doge will be crucial for the club, which currently sits at the bottom of Serie C, the third tier of Italian football.
The club risks dropping to Serie C2 next season, only one tier above semi-professional football, if performance does not improve.
Spread the Doge
House of Doge aims to increase the utility of Dogecoin (DOGE) to promote wider adoption and demand for the digital asset, exemplified by a recent partnership with a US hospitality payments platform, inKind.
Related: Dogecoin ETF, explained: How TDOG lets you invest without holding DOGE
This is not the first venture into sports for Doge Foundation’s financial arm.
In March, it teamed up with NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver Devlin DeFrancesco and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing for the Indianapolis 500.
This partnership included DeFrancesco receiving $100,000 of his Indy 500 salary in Dogecoin (DOGE) and a personal donation of $25,000 in DOGE to Riley Children’s Foundation in Indianapolis.
House of Doge also conducted a competition for the community to vote on DeFrancesco’s helmet design and race car wrap, with the helmet auctioned for charity afterward.
Additionally, House of Doge announced plans earlier this month to pursue a Nasdaq listing through its merger with Brag House Holdings, Inc., a media technology gaming platform.
“The combined entity will create recurring and diversified revenue through an integrated advanced payment system, Dogecoin-denominated merchant services, proprietary data insights, and global treasury activities,” the announcement stated.
House of Doge has also recently onboarded high-profile executives, including former Booking.com CTO and Citi CIO Matt Swan as chief digital officer.
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