The Croatian Soccer Federation (HNS) has launched a brand new loyalty program that rewards followers with cryptocurrency by means of its official retailer app, making Croatia the primary nationwide soccer group to embed blockchain rewards immediately into its fan engagement system.
HNS launched a public assertion on Tuesday along with blockchain firm Kadena, which joined forces in February this 12 months. The multi-year collaboration extends by means of main world soccer tournaments, together with the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 UEFA Euro Cup.
The brand new characteristic went stay on Tuesday, simply two days earlier than Croatia’s World Cup qualifier in opposition to the Czech Republic on October 9 and forward of its subsequent match versus Gibraltar on October 12. In line with the federation, the timing of the product’s debut is supposed to extend fan enthusiasm as Croatia pushes towards qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
HNS Official Retailer app rewards go stay
Beneath the brand new system, followers who make purchases by means of the HNS Official Retailer app, resembling jerseys, scarves, or different merchandise, will mechanically obtain 1% of their spending again in VATRENI tokens.
The tokens, issued on Kadena’s blockchain community, are redeemable for group merchandise and VIP experiences. Future redemption choices, resembling match tickets, are anticipated to be added later, in line with the federation.
Every taking part fan may even have a digital pockets related to their app account, the place they will earn, obtain, and retailer rewards with out dealing with the technical features crypto requires at occasions.
The VATRENI token was first launched as an ERC-20 asset on the Polygon community however has since migrated to Kadena’s blockchain through the Kinesis Bridge. Kadena’s know-how, identified for its scalable Proof-of-Work structure referred to as Chainweb, boasts of offering excessive transaction throughput with minimal charges.
The blockchain platform helps each its proprietary good contract language, Pact, and Ethereum Digital Machine (EVM) compatibility that’s presently in testnet, to make growth accessible for mainstream purposes.
“The objective with the VATRENI token is to push the boundaries of conventional fan engagement and introduce a future-focused expertise,” denoted Joel Woodman, Kadena’s Head of Partnerships. “We’re working with our companions to combine new know-how into the Croatian Soccer Federation ecosystem, together with AI instruments, digital experiences, and personalised activations.”
Croatia nationwide group seeks fan engagement by means of digital tokens
Throughout the Kadena partnership announcement in February, HNS President Marijan Kustić stated the federation is responding to how fan habits is leaning in direction of cryptocurrencies.
“The mission of HNS is to make sure the event of Croatian soccer for the long run, aligned with developments not solely in sports activities but additionally in society as an entire. Cryptocurrencies and synthetic intelligence have turn into a part of on a regular basis life, so we’re preserving tempo with that growth by means of our VATRENI challenge.”
The HNS Official Retailer app is obtainable for obtain on each the Apple App Retailer and Google Play. As soon as logged in, followers can browse official merchandise and mechanically obtain crypto rewards for purchases with out further setup. Kadena’s system processes the blockchain transactions, so customers don’t want prior crypto expertise to take part.
The partnership additionally contains promotional parts resembling ticket giveaways and reward swimming pools for app customers. The federation expects the initiative to extend app downloads within the coming months, with projections of tons of of hundreds of wallets being created earlier than the subsequent World Cup is held subsequent 12 months in Canada, Mexico and the US.
In line with stats from ESPN, Croatia is main Group L of the UEFA World Cup {Qualifications}, having received all 4 of their video games in opposition to Montenegro, Faroe Islands, Czechia and Gibraltar.
Croatia is amongst a small however rising variety of soccer organizations experimenting with blockchain-based fan applications. A number of European golf equipment have launched fan tokens in recent times, though HNS is the primary nationwide group to combine crypto rewards immediately into its official commerce platform.
Paris Saint-Germain’s fan token ($PSG) caught the curiosity of soccer followers throughout the 2024–25 season, notably after the membership received a treble together with the UEFA Champions League trophy.
