Why Clubs Are Turning to Blockchain for Smoother Transfers

Hello friends,
As you all know, I keep bringing you the latest news from the crypto and blockchain world. Today while doing some research, I came across a very exciting update that I think many of you will love .

Football’s transfer system is plagued by delays and barriers. Blockchain technology offers faster settlements and global market access.
The football transfer market has long been seen as a world of discrete backroom deals and negotiations. The transfer window brings immense excitement to supporters wanting to see how clubs prepare for the season ahead.

It’s not always smooth sailing, given the huge capital requirements and tight deadlines the clubs face to complete the deals. There is an option that could overcome these issues.The answer has come to the fore in recent years, and the football industry is beginning to embrace it.

Football has become a great partner to the crypto industry, with a rapid increase in sponsorship deals with football clubs making up 43% of all crypto sports sponsorships in the last year, roughly valued at $213 million, according to SportQuake.

There is an opportunity for clubs to take these partnerships even further by integrating blockchain technology into their financial systems to increase transparency and democratize access to the transfer market.

Crypto’s Growing Role in Football

It’s no secret that football has embraced crypto in recent years. Sponsorship deals are everywhere, with nearly half of all crypto sports sponsorships last year tied to football — a market worth over $200 million. But there’s a bigger opportunity here than just logos on shirts. The same technology can actually help clubs handle transfers more smoothly.

Early Experiments With Crypto Transfers

This isn’t a brand-new idea. Back in 2018, Harunustaspor paid part of a player’s transfer fee in Bitcoin, making headlines as the first club to try it. Since then, teams like Inter de Madrid, São Paulo FC, and Raków Częstochowa have all carried out transfers involving crypto.

The main appeal is speed and efficiency. Settlements that might normally take days can be wrapped up within minutes, and complicated international payments become much simpler.

A Real Example: São Paulo FC and USDC

One of the clearest examples came when São Paulo FC signed Giuliano Galoppo from Argentina’s Banfield Athletic Club. Because Argentina’s currency market was unstable, the deal was at risk of falling apart. Instead, São Paulo completed it using USDC stablecoins, with a transfer valued between $6–8 million.

Local export rules later created some issues, but the key takeaway was clear: blockchain can give stability in situations where traditional finance struggles.

Beyond Clubs: Benefits for Governing Bodies

It’s not only clubs that could gain from this shift. Organizations like UEFA could also use crypto rails to handle prize money and performance bonuses. Imagine Champions League payouts arriving instantly instead of waiting weeks for bank transfers to clear.

Solving the “Deadline Day” Chaos

Fans love the drama of Deadline Day, but for clubs, it’s a nightmare. Paperwork delays, banking hours, or even silly tech glitches (remember when a fax machine stopped David De Gea’s move to Real Madrid in 2015?) can ruin huge deals.

Blockchain payments could cut settlement times from days to minutes, removing one of the biggest risks clubs face at the very last moment.