Football and crypto are two things that attract millions of people around the world. Some people are fans of Real Madrid or Man City, while others are fans of Bitcoin or Ethereum. But if you take a closer look, they both have a lot in common: high volatility, legendary ‘stars’, loyal fans who do not forgive fails, and incredible comebacks that make your heart rate rise.Now let’s imagine for a moment that footballers are financial assets, and each match affects their ‘value’ in the same way that news affects the cryptocurrency rate. Who will bring more ‘goals’ — that is, profit — to your investment portfolio?PlayerTokenValue — What’s Messi’s Market Cap in Web3?Having recently come across the concept of Tokenized Attention — the idea that human attention can not only be measured, but also digitized and monetized — I wondered what if we applied it to football? Football players compete for the attention of millions of fans, sponsors, and media around the world every day, so why not try to measure their “tokenized value”?So, inspired by this concept, I imagined each player as a conditional token. Its value — let’s call it PlayerTokenValue — can be formed not only based on sports results, but also on popularity and screen time. For calculations, I decided to develop the following formula:PlayerTokenValue = (Market Value × Performance Index × Popularity Score) / Active Career MinutesWhere:

• Market Value — current market value of the player according to Transfermarkt
• Performance Index — performance in the season (goals + assists) per 90 minutes for this season
• Popularity Score — a conditional popularity rating from 1 to 10, which takes into account social networks, advertising contracts and media presence
• Active Career Minutes — the total number of minutes played in a career

Here, I decided to go further and compare these notional “token players” with specific crypto assets. In this parallel, the asset data is taken from CoinGecko:

• PlayerTokenValue = Current price of the asset at the time of writing;
• Market Value = Market Cap;
• Performance Index = 24H Volume;
• Popularity Score = Ranking by Market Cap;

BTC, ETH or SOL — Who Would You Buy If They Were Footballers?Erling Haaland is a Norwegian striker who has been breaking through opponents’ defenses time and time again in the ‘Man City’ shirt, a club that has already plunged into the crypto world thanks to its partnership with OKX.

• Market Value: €180M → $195.3M
• Performance Index: (39 ÷ 4,041) × 90 = 0.869 G+A per 90
• Career Minutes: ~ 23,847
• Popularity Score: 8

If you imagine Erling Haaland as a token and take into account all the indicators, we will get an asset with a “price” of approximately $56,934. By way of analogy, the footballer can be equated to Bitcoin, the flagship crypto market with a market capitalization of over $2.1 trillion, a daily trading volume of $20 billion, and a price of $108, 210. Although the asset does not play soccer, score or celebrate goals, it has a daily impact on the global economy. If Haaland is a Premier League star who flashes on the field, Bitcoin is one in the financial universe that has been shining continuously for more than a decade.Cristiano Ronaldo is a Portuguese forward and captain of the Al-Nassr and the Portugal national team. His exclusivity goes far beyond the football field. Ronaldo is actively immersed in the world of cryptocurrencies: he has collaborated with the Sorare platform, issued his own NFT cards, and creates exclusive collections with Binance, making him one of the few footballers with real experience in the crypto sphere.

• Market Value: €12M → $13.02M
• Performance Index: (39 ÷ 3,547) × 90 = 0.990 G+A per 90
• Career Minutes: ~ 86,541
• Popularity Score: 10

If we consider him as a digital asset, the “value of his token” is estimated at about $1,489. By analogy with cryptocurrencies, Ronaldo can be compared to BNB, the fifth-largest crypto asset by capitalization with a market value of over $96.4 billion, a daily trading volume of about $679.3 million, and a price of $663.15. Just like BNB, Ronaldo is a globally recognized brand, well known and popular, but at the same time gradually fading into the shadow of new trends.Dušan Vlahović is a Serbian striker for Juventus, a club that is actively integrating into the crypto world through a partnership with WhiteBIT, becoming the Official Cryptocurrency Exchange Partner and Official Sleeve Partner of the club.

• Market Value: €35M → $37.98M
• Performance Index: (22 ÷ 2,695) × 90 = 0.735 G+A per 90
• Career Minutes: 19,388
• Popularity Score: 6

If you imagine Vlahović as a crypto token, his “price” is about $8,639 according to the formula. In the crypto industry, the footballer’s “value” is reflected by Solana, an asset with a market capitalization of $81.8 billion and the 6th place in the CoinGecko ranking with a price of $152.66. Just as Vlahović is rapidly gaining form and has great potential for growth in the industry, Solana is showing rapid development and still has a lot of room to climb in the crypto rankings. They are both stars in their respective fields, with prospects that appeal to fans and investors alike.Lionel Messi is an Argentine forward, captain of Inter Miami and the Argentine national team, who, like Ronaldo, has not stayed away from the cryptocurrency world. Messi is an official partner of the Bitget exchange and supports the Planet eco-project, as well as has his own Messi Coin token that represents his football achievements.

• Market Value: €18M → $19.53M
• Performance Index: (22 ÷ 2,031) × 90 = 0.975 G+A per 90
• Career Minutes: ~ 77,044
• Popularity Score: 9

If we imagine Messi as a crypto asset, its “value” will be about $2,224. In this respect, it resembles Ethereum, the second-largest cryptocurrency by capitalization with a market value of over $307.2B and a daily trading volume of $13.6B. Just as Messi plays with finesse and stability, Ethereum remains a major player, even if its popularity has already passed its peak. They are both high-end symbols that continue to influence their respective industries, whether it be soccer or blockchain technology.Antoine Griezmann is a French footballer who plays in the attacking line for Atlético de Madrid, a club that has also joined the crypto industry through a partnership with the Kraken exchange.

• Market Value: €18M → $19.53M
• Performance Index: (26 ÷ 3,709) × 90 = 0.631 G+A per 90
• Career Minutes: 56,516
• Popularity Score: 6

If we imagine Griezmann as a token, its “value” is approximately $1,308. In the world of cryptocurrencies, the footballer can be compared to Litecoin, which has a price of $86.61, a capitalization of over $6.5 billion, and a daily trading volume of $328 million. LTC is not as large as BTC, but it is still one of the leading players in the crypto market, just as Griezmann is one of the key figures in European football. Both combine stability and significant influence in their respective fields while remaining recognizable and effective.So, who scores more goals for your portfolio?While Bitcoin might outshine on the global financial stage and Messi still works his magic on the pitch, both markets — football and crypto — are driven by performance, hype, and narrative. In the end, whether you’re holding tokens or jerseys, the game is the same: attention is the currency, and value follows the crowd.Choose your players wisely — both in football and in your crypto wallet.Footballers as Coins: If Haaland Were Bitcoin and Messi Were Ethereum was originally published in Coinmonks on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The integration of crypto business into the sports industry has become one of the most powerful trends in recent years. According to a recent report by SportQuake, crypto brands’ investments in sports sponsorship have increased by 20% over the year and have already exceeded $565 million. From supporting leading clubs to launching fan tokens, crypto companies are increasingly entering the world of leading sports leagues. But what makes sports and crypto such natural partners?Global Synergy: How Sports Open Doors for Crypto BrandsSports is one of the most powerful and large-scale industries that unites billions of fans around the world. That is why crypto businesses seeking rapid growth and entry into new markets are increasingly choosing sports as an ideal platform to promote their products and services. The global audience of sporting events opens the door to millions of potential users who are ready to learn and implement innovations in their lives.The combination of sports and cryptocurrencies is not accidental, as these two industries naturally complement each other.

1. The scale and reach of sports can hardly be overestimated — billions of people follow their favourite teams, players, and events, creating a powerful platform for promoting crypto assets among different age and social groups;
2. The sports industry is characterised by high media exposure — regular broadcasts, social media activity — all of which help to increase the awareness of crypto brands among the fan base.
3. The emotional component is equally important. Fans often perceive sports as another part of their lives, which creates ideal conditions for the integration of crypto. Emotions support the desire to participate, collect, interact with brands, and create a deeper connection between crypto businesses and their audiences.

Therefore, sports not only attracts crypto businesses, but also provides a unique platform for development, innovation, and engagement of billions of people around the world.In particular, there are several main formats of cooperation that demonstrate how crypto and sports can mutually reinforce each other.Crypto Exchanges and Major Clubs: Cases, Figures, and Market ImpactPartnerships between crypto exchanges and leading sports clubs have long ceased to be just a marketing ploy — they are a powerful tool for strengthening the brand, expanding the audience, and creating new forms of interaction with fans. Such collaborations not only increase the awareness of the platforms but also have a positive impact on the reputation of the exchanges, which, in turn, is often reflected in the value of their native tokens and overall capitalization.A striking example is the cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com, which is actively expanding in the sports sector: from partnerships with the NBA and Formula 1 to sponsorship of AC Milan. In 2021, the company obtained the rights to brand the Los Angeles Kings arena, which is now called Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Centre). Following this high-profile news, the number of active addresses of holders of the exchange’s native token, CRO, increased from 2,000 to almost 10,000, which indicates a growing interest and engagement of the community. In August 2024, Crypto.com became the first global crypto partner of the UEFA Champions League, gaining the opportunity to integrate the brand into match broadcasts and organise unique fan activations at stadiums. The company’s total sports investments are estimated at $213 million and its capitalization is $78 billion.Another case is WhiteBIT, which has been the official crypto partner of FC Barcelona since 2022. Since then, the company’s logo has appeared at the team’s official events, been placed on various sports platforms of the club, and adorned LED lines during El Clásico in honour of the winner of the first global trading tournament — ICTC. In addition, in cooperation with the Barça Innovation Hub, an educational project on blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies was launched. WhiteBIT’s total investment in sports is about $13 million, and its capitalization is $38.9 billion. In particular, the company demonstrated a new level of partnership on 16 June 2025 by signing a three-year contract with Juventus Football Club. Following the announcement of this agreement, the price of the exchange’s native token, WhiteBIT Coin (WBT), increased by 35%, reaching a new all-time high of $52.27, and the exchange’s capitalization approached $40 billion.OKX is no less ambitious, as it became the official crypto partner of Manchester City back in 2022. This cooperation immediately gave a noticeable boost to the OKB token, whose price began to rise on the back of this news. In 2023, OKX introduced the OKX Collective virtual fan space, where fans could join exclusive activities with the club’s stars. In the same year, the company sponsored the sleeves of the men’s and women’s teams. And in April 2024, Manchester City launched the NFT collection with unique T-shirts and activities for fans, further strengthening the brand’s position in the market. OKX’s total investment in sports reached $71 million, and the company’s capitalization exceeded $45.9 billion.To summarise,the integration of crypto business into sports is not just a marketing but a strategic step that increases the capitalization of companies, expands their audience and strengthens their market positions. Sports with its massive popularity, emotions, and media activity becomes an ideal platform for new web3 solutions. Therefore, we can expect that this trend will only intensify in the coming years, and the capitalization of crypto companies that competently integrate into the sports ecosystem will grow along with the popularity of their favourite teams.The Billion-Dollar Kickoff: How Sports Boost Crypto Capitalization was originally published in Coinmonks on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.