Karsten Wenzlaff, Advisor
August 26th, 2025
Karsten Wenzlaff is a Crowdfunding and Fintech Expert from Germany. He is Secretary-General of Digit[...]
How Are Different Cryptocurrencies Changing Our Sports Entertainment Habits
July 10, 2026
AI Image: Cryptocurrencies give us a chance to get closer to the action
The way that digital finance and mainstream entertainment have come together has given us a variety of new ways to enjoy our favorite activities. Sports fans are among the people who can most appreciate these changes, so let’s take a look at how cryptocurrencies are enhancing the way they interact with their chosen teams and sports.
Faster Deposits and Withdrawals on Sportsbooks
The arrival of online sportsbooks was one of the most notable events for sports in recent times. Being able to find the latest, updated odds from events around the planet was a massive step forward. It means that we can now just as easily bet on the NHL, the NBA, or a table tennis tournament from the other side of the world. Many sportsbooks also provide casino games, ensuring they offer fans a well-rounded platform with lots of options.
Of course, finding a fast and safe way of moving funds in and out of these platforms was the next big challenge. Since it’s a fast-moving industry, fans need to be able to make deposits swiftly and securely, while they also want the security of being able to make rapid withdrawals with complete safety. Traditional fiat methods have been used to good effect, but the growing use of cryptocurrencies allows fans to take advantage of a highly secure and almost instant transfer process.
Looking at this online casino in Canada, we can see that Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Tether (USDT) are among the tokens accepted. These are some of the biggest cryptocurrencies in the market, meaning that they offer deep liquidity. Transfer times vary across networks, although most are completed almost instantly. Fees also vary, with most offering an extremely cost-effective approach.
The transfer process is simple once you understand the basics. Fans need to buy their chosen token first, which is usually done through an exchange. The next step is to send the cryptocurrencies to a self-custody wallet, and from there to the sportsbook’s wallet.
Given the added privacy with digital assets, this could also be viewed as a way to ensure that there is a buffer between the user’s main bank account and their gambling account. Some folks like to have a layer of separation, and cryptocurrencies make this significantly easier.
Fan Tokens Provide Voting Rights and Digital Extras
Fan tokens have emerged as one of the most interesting uses of cryptocurrencies. Soccer teams like Manchester City and PSG are among the top options for anyone looking for fan tokens. With fan tokens recently getting the green light in the US, Chiliz has an agreement with the NFL and NBA that lets them offer digital perks without minting any specific team tokens.
The right to vote on fan matters is one of the key aspects of fan tokens, since the holders of these tokens are offered the chance to vote on issues such as team outfits and fan chants. Arguably the first example came from Italy in 2019, when fans of Juventus voted for Song 2 by Blur as the team’s goal celebration music. Barcelona and PSG token holders have also successfully voted on their teams’ music choices in recent years.
In North America, the Professional Fighter League has used fan tokens to help choose the entrance anthems for fighters and also to set the questions to be asked at official press conferences. In the NASCAR world, Roush Fenway Racing (now RFK Racing) launched the first fan token and gave holders the opportunity to vote on various themes and designs.
The UFC went a step further by giving its token holders the chance to attend weigh-ins as VIP guests. This token also has a mechanism where the user’s number of tokens is applied to work out their exact voting power.
Paying for Tickets and Other Expenses
Digital assets can also be used to carry out real-world matchday transactions. The first example of Bitcoin being used by a major sports franchise came from the Sacramento Kings in 2014, when they teamed up with the BitPay payment processor. As well as entrance tickets, fans were able to use BTC to pay for official team merchandise at the store.
See: How Is Crypto Custody Regulation Changing?
The NFL has also moved in the same direction. The Tennessee Titans provide a good example, as this franchise accepts BTC for season tickets and corporate sponsorship payments. We can also see the example of the Houston Texans, who accept BTC for the booking of luxury suites at games. In the wider sports world, FIFA naming Kraken their Official Crypto Exchange Supporter of the FIFA World Cup 2026 is a clear sign of how deeply embedded crypto has become in sports.
Whether you want to place a bet, buy a ticket, or help make fan decisions, cryptocurrencies have been playing an increasingly large role in the way you enjoy your favorite sports. By choosing the right tokens and determining how to use them, you can get more out of your sports-based entertainment.
The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org
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