FC Barcelona, the Spanish soccer club, has secured €120 million ($132 million) in investment for its Web3 initiative Barça Vision. The investment comes from Libero Football Finance AG and Nipa Capital BV, with FC Barcelona selling a 29.5 percent stake in Bridgeburg Invest , the holding company of Barça Vision, in exchange for the capital. The transaction is awaiting approval from FC Barcelona shareholders and is expected to be finalized in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Barça Vision is FC Barcelona's initiative to integrate all digital content related to Web3 and blockchain, including NFTs (non-fungible tokens) and metaverses. The goal is to create a digital Espai Barça, aligning with the club's broader strategy. Libero, a German- listed company specializing in financial advisory services for football clubs, and Nipa Capital, a venture capital firm based in the Netherlands, are the investment partners in this initiative.
This isn't FC Barcelona's first foray into the blockchain and NFT space. Since February 2020, the club has collaborated with Chiliz Blockchain to create its Ethereum-based FC Barcelona Fan Token (BAR). In August 2022, Chiliz acquired a 24.5% stake in Barça Vision for $100 million. Additionally, FC Barcelona launched an NFT collection called "Unleash Your Passion" in partnership with Plastiks, aimed at combating plastic waste. The football club also made headlines in July 2022 when it sold its inaugural NFT "Masterpiece # 1 In A Way" for $693,000 at a Sotheby's auction in New York.
