LONDON: English Premier League club West Ham United have joined Italian giants Juventus and French champions Paris Saint-Germain in bringing cryptocurrency opportunities to their fans worldwide by partnering with Malta-based Socios.com.
The move will "give fans the best experience possible, whether they live within a mile of the stadium or thousands of miles away," said Karim Virani, digital and commercial director at the London-based club.
The blockchain company's mobile app allows fans to vote on club matters by buying, earning or hunting for digital tokens.
"This is the first partnership between a Premier League club and Socios.com, joining the likes of European clubs Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus," a joint statement said.
Other top European football clubs have established similar partnerships -- tapping the potential of blockchain technology to deal with longstanding issues such as ticket scalping, fan engagement and the payment of players' salaries.
The West Ham United Fan Token will be available from the start of the Premier League season in August.
Blockchains, or decentralised registry systems, have been used most prominently as the tool behind cryptocurrency Bitcoin, but many other possible uses from medical records to banking -- and now sports -- are emerging.