Partnership marks a milestone as one of the J.League’s founding clubs joins forces with the SBI-Chiliz joint venture to explore blockchain-powered fan engagement
Tokyo, 15 April 2026:— SBI Chiliz Co., Ltd., the joint venture between The Chiliz Group and SBI Holdings, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Tokyo Verdy, Inc. one of Japan’s most storied professional football clubs, and a founding member of Japan’s professional football league.
Under the MOU, SBI Chiliz and Tokyo Verdy will collaborate to explore the feasibility of domestic fan tokenization in Japan. The partnership will focus on exploring educational content and fan-facing events to introduce potential Fan Token use cases – including fan voting, digital collectibles, and engagement rewards – while preparing the operational and compliance frameworks needed for regulatory-compliant Fan Tokens in the Japanese market.
Building on the SBI-Chiliz joint venture
The MOU follows the establishment of the SBI Chiliz joint venture, announced in May 2024, which brought together SBI Digital Asset Holdings (part of the SBI Holdings group) and The Chiliz Group to introduce Fan Tokens and blockchain-powered fan engagement to the Japanese market. The Chiliz ecosystem includes Socios.com, the world’s largest Web3 fan engagement platform, with partnerships spanning more than 70 sports organizations globally, including Arsenal, FC Barcelona, AC Milan, Manchester City, Inter Milan, and Paris Saint-Germain.
Exploring new frontiers in sports
Founded in 1969, Tokyo Verdy is one of Japan’s most decorated football clubs and a founding member of the J.League, with 25 major titles including seven top-flight league championships and five Emperor’s Cups. Together, SBI Chiliz and Tokyo Verdy will evaluate fan experiences such as voting and polls, loyalty tiers, match-related quests, and real-world redemptions, while also mapping potential regulatory pathways to ensure any future initiatives meet Japan’s compliance standards.
Alexandre Dreyfus, CEO of Chiliz, said: “Japan is one of the most important markets globally for innovation and fan culture. Working through SBI Chiliz with a club like Tokyo Verdy is a meaningful step toward building a responsible framework for fan-focused Web3 experiences – starting with education, clear use cases, and a strong compliance mindset.”
Takuya Sugiyama, Board Director of SBI Chiliz, said: “Chiliz is utilized by many of the world’s leading clubs to forge new relationships with their supporters. We’re delighted to announce our partnership with Tokyo Verdy as the first initiative under SBI Chiliz in Japan. By leveraging Chiliz’s global expertise with the SBI Group’s insights in the Web3 space, we aim to further invigorate the Japanese sports market.”
Takaaki Nakamura, Representative Director of Tokyo Verdy, added: “With the new J.League season officially underway, we’re excited to partner with SBI Chiliz to explore the future of digital fan engagement. This collaboration will allow us to evaluate how Web3 technology and Fan Tokens can create richer, more interactive experiences”
