FC Barcelona President Joan Laporta (pictured) outlined how one of the world’s most famous football clubs is exploiting technologies such as blockchain, non-fungible tokens (NFT) and the metaverse to create opportunities for growth and drive sustainability.

In his keynote, Laporta indicated that FC Barcelona plans to launch its first NFT soon, although without revealing any details. He also revealed that the club wants to create its own cryptocurrency, and generally regards blockchain as a key tool for the creation of compelling services for the club’s 300 million fans around the world.

“We are innovative in the use and adaptation of technologies and we will continue to be so,” he said. “In recent times there has been a lot of attention to blockchain products and services such as NFTs and metaverse … We should be able to offer digital products to our members, our fans that will align with the value of the club and generate a very interesting emotional experience.”

FC Barcelona, an institution with over 120 years of history and is owned by its members, is also in the process of rebuilding its Camp Nou stadium by embracing technology, improving sustainability and prioritising inclusivity. It has already established Barca Studios for the production of its own content and the Barca Innovation Hub for new technologies.

Barca intends to diversify and integrate all kinds of esports and entertainment lines of business. “We want to generate new opportunities for growth,” he said.

Laporta added: “Our goal is to win titles and to make our fans happy, but we also have to profit from opportunities in the sports industry. It is a matter of survival.”