Liv McMahon<\/span>Expertise reporter<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n The Spanish soccer large Barcelona has informed followers it has “no connection in any way” with the digital coin provided by its new crypto companion, following criticism over the deal.<\/p>\n Golf equipment typically choose up sponsors in uncommon areas to herald more money – with Arsenal bringing in Persil as its material care companion<\/a> in 2023, and Kellogg’s turning into Manchester Metropolis’s breakfast cereal companion<\/a> that very same 12 months.<\/p>\n However far much less is thought about Zero Data Proof (ZKP), which signed a three-year sponsorship deal in mid-November with Barcelona.<\/p>\n ZKP then introduced a cryptocurrency, prompting issues Barcelona followers might be led to put money into it – main the membership to distance itself from the coin.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n “The membership has no accountability for, or involvement in, the issuance or administration of this token, nor does it use the related know-how,” the membership mentioned in an announcement on its web site<\/a>. <\/p>\n Little is thought about ZKP, which additionally introduced the same sponsorship take care of Australian rugby league workforce Dolphins in early November.<\/p>\n On its web site, it says the undertaking has been based and developed by “a pseudonymous collective” primarily based throughout “a number of jurisdictions”.<\/p>\n In different phrases, the agency shouldn’t be revealing the names or areas of these behind it.<\/p>\n College of Sussex professor Carol Alexander mentioned the Barcelona model offers monumental visibility to crypto companies like ZKP – however there’s “substantial danger for supporters who purchase the tokens”.<\/p>\n “Sponsorship creates an aura of credibility, even when the underlying undertaking is opaque,” she informed the BBC – saying this meant followers and supporters needs to be “very cautious”. <\/p>\n “Earlier than shopping for any crypto asset they need to ask who controls it, the place the documentation is, and what recourse they’ve if it fails,” she mentioned.<\/p>\n “With ZKP, none of these solutions are clear.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![](\"https:\/\/static.files.bbci.co.uk\/bbcdotcom\/web\/20251120-101800-81b2dab7dc-web-2.34.1-2\/grey-placeholder.png\")
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EPA<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n‘Substantial danger’<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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