SBI Digital Asset Holdings Co., Ltd. (SBI DAH), part of the SBI Holdings group with a market cap over $7 billion, partners with Chiliz to launch Fan Tokens in Japan, enhancing fan engagement with top football clubs. This collaboration will transform the sporting experience for Japanese fans with all-new rewards such as game-day activations and voting rights on fan-related decisions
SBI DAH will also become the first Japanese business leader to serve as a node validator on the Chiliz Chain, increasing trust and confidence among stakeholders in Japan. This role underpins their continued strategic investment into crypto by acquiring a stake in Chiliz Japan Joint Venture.
The collaboration signifies a significant milestone in the broader adoption of the Chiliz Chain, promising innovative blockchain solutions for the sports and entertainment sectors.
Tokyo, 09 May, 2024: — SBI Digital Asset Holdings Co., Ltd. (SBI DAH), the digital asset arm of SBI Holdings, and Chiliz, a leading blockchain provider for sports and entertainment, plan to establish a Joint Venture (JV) in Japan. The partnership will transform the sport enthusiast experience in Japan as fans will now gain access to tokens from top football clubs including Arsenal, AC Milan, Manchester City, FC Barcelona, Inter Milan, and Paris Saint-Germain.
The Chiliz Group includes Socios.com, the world’s largest web3 wallet and fan engagement platform with more than two million users, over 70 Fan Tokens launched so far for global sports organization partners, and more than 250,000 unique daily engagements.
Leveraging blockchain technology to transform fan communities
This strategic partnership marks a milestone in the convergence of blockchain technology and fan communities. Through the JV, fans in Japan will gain unprecedented access to purchase and trade fan tokens of their favorite clubs. These tokens provide unique engagement opportunities for sporting fans to participate in fan-focused decisions, access exclusive rewards and connect with fellow supporters in the global community.
With the establishment of the new JV, Chiliz will integrate the entity into its global operations and network to allow Japanese fans to start participating in the global fan communities, with the support of the SBI group, which has a network of over 50 million clients across all its services.
Technology as an enabler in the new world
In addition to the planned JV, SBI DAH is also expected to join as a node operator of the Chiliz Chain to play an important role in the governance of the Chiliz Web3 ecosystem. The Chiliz Chain is a leading blockchain protocol for sports and entertainment where communities can develop Web3-based products, services, and experiences for sports fans and entertainment brands. SBI DAH and Chiliz will work together to make the Chiliz Chain the leading blockchain solution for developers and companies in Japan looking to build Web3 products and experiences for sports and entertainment brands.
Fernando Luis Vázquez Cao, CEO of SBI DAH, commented: “We are thrilled to announce our collaboration with Chiliz as partners who share our perspectives on blockchain technology: at SBI DAH, we prioritize the utility and underlying value which technology brings to communities. Technology is an enabler in the new world, and we are pleased to bring new experiences to the Japanese audience by working with strong players like Chiliz. The partnership between SBI DAH and Chiliz will bring together the best-in-class capabilities of both traditional finance and Web3, leveraging fintech innovations to transform the sports and entertainment experiences for communities.”
Alexandre Dreyfus, CEO of Chiliz, remarked: “We’re proud to collaborate with SBI Digital Asset Holdings to make the Chiliz Chain the premier blockchain for sports and entertainment within Japan and expand our Fan Token offering through registered and authorized platforms. Japan has one of the most advanced and exciting developer communities in the world and we are proud to be working with SBI to help provide the Web3 infrastructure and tools for these developers to lead the next generation of experiences for sports entertainment brands. Together with the team at SBI DAH, we look forward to curating new experiences for Japanese fans and clubs worldwide.”
Chiliz’s Fan Tokens, which are listed for sale on 21 third party exchanges including some of the world’s largest platforms, have recorded high-end daily trading volumes above US$300 million in 24 hours.
The JV between SBI DAH and Chiliz promises to redefine the sporting landscape in Japan, connecting fans to the communities of top sports teams globally.
