KuCoin Report: 48% of Crypto Investor Football Fans Set to Trade Fan Tokens During FIFA World Cup 2022

Victoria, Seychelles — Cryptocurrency exchange KuCoin has published the "When Crypto Meets Football" report that reveals how crypto investors engage with their favourite sports, specifically football, in the world of Web3. This report is based on surveys among 20,180 crypto investors between January and September of 2022, and 8,022 users in KuCoin communities in November of 2022. ​

The FIFA World Cup is around the corner and it is one of the most significant sports events in the world, uniting football fans globally. This year, the event is headed to the Middle East for the first time in history. However, the 2022 FIFA World Cup will also be a first for several other reasons, especially the way crypto features in it.

The key highlights from the survey reveal that football is the most popular sport among crypto investors:

-4 out of every 10 crypto investors in France, Spain, Vietnam, Germany, and Brazil identify themselves as football fans. ​

-"Teamwork," and "passion" are the top values shared among crypto and football enthusiasts. ​

-70% of crypto investors are watching the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

-48% of football fans among these crypto investors are interested in trading fan tokens for sports teams during the upcoming FIFA World Cup.

-35% of football fans among crypto investors have traded NFT in the past 6 months, and 42% of them are interested in investing in sports NFT.

Since the last major bull run in the crypto market, we have seen the sports industry adopt cryptocurrencies and blockchain-based solutions with open arms. The love for crypto in sports remains strong even when the global market goes through periods of bearishness. According to the survey, football is the most popular sport among crypto investors. 24 percent of crypto investors say that football is their favourite sport. "Community" (41%), "Teamwork" (33%), and "Passion" (30%) are considered the top values shared among crypto and football, followed by "Strategic" (27%), and "Accessibility to All" (23%).

Football is the most universal sport, attracting the interest of fans around the world. According to FIFA, there are 5 billion football fans around the world, with Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa representing the largest fan bases.

KuCoin analyzed it from another angle — the intersection of crypto and the football fan base. Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia are regions where passions for crypto and football cross paths. France, Spain, Vietnam, Germany, and Brazil feature the largest share of football fans among crypto investors. 4 out of every 10 crypto investors in these countries identify themselves as football fans.

With football being the most popular sport among crypto investors, it is no surprise that the FIFA World Cup and UEFA Champions League are at the top of the list of sports events to watch. According to the KuCoin survey, 70% of crypto investors are planning to watch the 2022 FIFA World Cup, making it the sporting event most looked forward to among crypto communities.

Fandom and community based on shared visions and passions are the core elements holding both worlds of crypto and football together, and the upcoming FIFA World Cup will be a wild celebration of them. 48% of football fans among crypto investors are interested in trading fan tokens during the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup. The ownership of fan tokens could serve several purposes: establishing membership in the community, empowering them with voting rights on topics related to the team or club they support, enjoying VIP access to exclusive merchandise and rewards, and more. The event is also expected to drive popularity for other sports tokens. 28% of football fans among crypto investors are interested in investing in general sports tokens or projects, including some of the most popular, trending ones, such as Sweatcoin, Chiliz, Stepn, Alpine, and Flow, which are available on KuCoin.

In addition to fan tokens, sports NFTs are another way for football fans to engage with their favourite teams, players, and events in the world of Web3. The survey revealed that football fans are more engaged in trading sports-related NFTs compared to average crypto investors. 35% of football fans among crypto investors claim to have traded NFTs over the past 6 months, while only 13% of average crypto investors have done so.

42% of football fans among crypto investors are interested in investing in sports NFTs. Sports NFTs are most popular in France, Turkey, Brazil, Spain, and the United States. More than a third of crypto investors in these countries are interested in investing in sports NFTs.

To celebrate the 2022 World Cup and bridge Web2 and Web3, KuCoin is partnering with high-impact Web3 companies, such as Polygon - the leading Layer 2 platform for Ethereum scaling and infrastructure development, WinGoal - a burn-to-earn and win-to-earn-more F2P World Cup DApp, and YGGSEA - the first subDAO of Yield Guild Games, to launch "Shoot to Win Goal," a 4-day event that aims to highlight the intersection of crypto and football while rewarding cryptocurrency users within the global ecosystem with a $1 million prize pool.

During the event, football enthusiasts and crypto users, including Web2 and Web3 participants, can mint their first NFTs, earn BTC and other tokens for free, win swag and merchandise rewards, such as jerseys, soccer shoes or cleats, iPhones, NFTs, such as Cryptopunk, Mutant Ape Yacht Club, and Doodles, as well as tickets to the World Cup in Qatar.

The campaign will run in three game rounds from 17th – 20th November of 2022. Users can choose any game they want. Join the event here!

>>> Read the full "When Crypto Meets Football" report here

Launched in September 2017, KuCoin is a global cryptocurrency exchange with its operational headquarters in Seychelles. As a user-oriented platform focused on inclusiveness and community action reach, it offers over 700 digital assets. Currently, it provides Spot trading, margin trading, P2P fiat trading, futures trading, staking, and lending to its 27 million users in 207 countries and regions.

In 2022, KuCoin raised over $150 million in investments through a pre-Series B Round, bringing total investments to $170 million with Round A combined, at a total valuation of $10 billion. KuCoin is currently one of the top 5 crypto exchanges, according to CoinMarketCap. In 2021 Forbes named KuCoin one of the Best Crypto Exchanges. In 2022, Ascent named KuCoin the Best Crypto App for enthusiasts.

To find out more, visit https://www.kucoin.com.

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