Spanish Football Club Says it Has Made World-first Crypto Pro Transfer

Payments Sport
Last updated:
Author
Author
Tim Alper
About Author

Tim Alper is a British journalist and features writer who has worked at Cryptonews.com since 2018. He has written for media outlets such as the BBC, the Guardian, and Chosun Ilbo. He has also worked...

Last updated:
Why Trust Cryptonews
Cryptonews has covered the cryptocurrency industry topics since 2017, aiming to provide informative insights to our readers. Our journalists and analysts have extensive experience in market analysis and blockchain technologies. We strive to maintain high editorial standards, focusing on factual accuracy and balanced reporting across all areas - from cryptocurrencies and blockchain projects to industry events, products, and technological developments. Our ongoing presence in the industry reflects our commitment to delivering relevant information in the evolving world of digital assets. Read more about Cryptonews

A Spanish football club said that it has made a veteran footballer and La Liga veteran the first professional player to complete a transfer conducted entirely in crypto.

David Barral. Source: A screenshot, Instagram/barraldb

Per the Spanish football newspaper Sport, David Barral – a former Real Madrid, APOEL and Sporting de Gijón striker who has also played in the Japanese, UAE and Cypriot professional leagues – completed his transfer to the Segunda División B (Spain’s third division) team DUX Internacional de Madrid (also known as Inter Madrid) in a deal financed entirely by crypto.

In a tweet, the club stated that its deal for Barral was “made possible” thanks to its new sponsor, the Valencia-based crypto firm Criptan.

The size of the deal was undisclosed, and the club did not mention the type of cryptoasset used in the deal. As the player, now 37, had recently been released by second-tier Spanish side Racing de Santander, the fee in question was likely a signing-on fee, a common bonus afforded to free-agent transfers.

Technically, the first recorded bitcoin (BTC)-powered transfer in football history was the 2018 transfer of Ömer Faruk Kıroğlu, a Turkish footballer whose move to the amateur club Harunustaspor cost the club’s president a mere USD 521 worth of bitcoin. The president admitted the move had been a publicity stunt, but had successfully managed to get Harunustaspor mentioned in the international media “as though it were a professional club.”

The Spanish club is co-owned by DUX Gaming, a Spanish e-sports firm that sealed a deal with the football outfit on June 30 last year, renaming the team DUX Internacional de Madrid shortly after.
___
Learn more:
Ethereum King Buterin Loses Live Showdown to Twitch Chess Queen
Japanese Football Megastar Keisuke Honda Launches His Own Crypto Token
Asia Games 2022 Tickets to Be Issued on Alibaba-run Blockchain Network

More Articles

Altcoin News
SEC Seeks 28-Day Extension to Review Coinbase’s Appeal in Ongoing Lawsuit
Ruholamin Haqshanas
Ruholamin Haqshanas
2025-02-15 11:02:55
Altcoin News
NYSE Seeks SEC Approval for Staking in Grayscale’s Spot Ethereum ETF
Ruholamin Haqshanas
Ruholamin Haqshanas
2025-02-15 11:00:18
Crypto News in numbers
editors
Authors List + 66 More
2M+
Active Monthly Users Around the World
250+
Guides and Reviews Articles
8
Years on the Market
70
International Team Authors