Italian soccer club SS Lazio goes crypto with StormGain exchange

Another major soccer club is entering the cryptocurrency industry by tapping a partnership with a cryptocurrency exchange.

SS Lazio, an Italian professional sports club, signed a multiyear deal with crypto trading platform StormGain.

Announcing the news on Wednesday, StormGain said that it is now the “official crypto trading partner” of SS Lazio. According to the firm, the newly announced deal will enable StormGain and Lazio to boost fan engagement through unique giveaways like exclusive VIP suite hospitality at Lazio home matches.

As part of the initiative, StormGain will be providing access to private tours and events at the Stadio Olimpico, the main and largest sports facility of Rome, which is the home stadium of Associazione Sportiva Roma and Lazio.

While the announcement provides little information on how exactly crypto is expected to be used within the partnership, StormGain CEO Alex Althausen hinted that it is a big part of the collaboration:

“Through this sponsorship, we're thrilled to join the worlds of crypto trading and football together and offer many exciting benefits for our clients, who can win exclusive access to the Roman superstars and unique prizes thanks to StormGain.”

Marco Canigiani, event director at SS Lazio, outlined that the partnership will reinforce the club’s “innovative positioning” and bring more fan projects, as well as help it expand internationally.

A spokesperson for StormGain told Cointelegraph that the partnership will feature promotions in cryptocurrencies including the opportunity to win crypto bonuses. 

According to data from CoinMarketCap, StormGain was launched in July 2019 and is a centralized exchange registered in Seychelles. The exchange facilitates the trading of major cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), XRP, Bitcoin Cash (BCH), and Litecoin (LTC).

SS Lazio’s partnership is not the club’s first foray into blockchain and crypto. In March, the soccer team partnered with Sorare, a blockchain soccer game provider, to launch tokenized player cards on the Ethereum blockchain.