First Major Sports Team to Add Bitcoin to Treasury: Europe’s Elite Football Club Paris Saint-Germain Embraces Digital Assets to Strengthen Global Brand and Fan Engagement

Paris Saint-Germain Becomes First Major Sports Club to Hold Bitcoin in Treasury

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), one of the top football clubs competing in this weekend’s Champions League final, has become the first major sports team to hold Bitcoin as part of its official treasury reserves.

At the Bitcoin Conference 2025 in Las Vegas, Pär Helgosson, head of PSG Labs, revealed that the club converted a portion of its fiat cash reserves into Bitcoin in 2024 and continues to hold the digital currency on its books.

Why Is PSG Putting Bitcoin on Its Books?

The decision to invest in Bitcoin is closely linked to PSG’s demographic makeup.

Helgosson noted that around 80% of the club’s 550 million global fans are under the age of 34.

He said,

“PSG is more than a football club, we’re a lifestyle brand. We’re about what’s next, just like Bitcoin.”

By aligning its financial strategy with the interests of a younger, tech-savvy audience, PSG is positioning itself at the intersection of sports, culture, and digital finance.

Helgosson explained the move simply:

“We took part of our fiat reserves and allocated it to Bitcoin, and we still hold it on our books.”

This makes PSG stand out in the sports world, where most crypto involvement has so far been limited to sponsorship deals, fan tokens, and NFTs, rather than direct holdings of digital assets.

PSG’s Crypto Journey Beyond Bitcoin

PSG’s engagement with cryptocurrency began back in 2018 with the launch of its own fan token via the Socios platform.

Later, in 2021, the club signed a multi-year sponsorship deal with Crypto.com, partly paid in the exchange’s native CRO token, which also featured NFT collaborations.

More recently, in February 2024, PSG became the first professional sports team to operate a validator on the Chiliz blockchain, pledging all rewards to buy back its fan tokens.

This initiative also included hosting hackathons at Parc des Princes to promote Web3 innovation.

These moves reflect PSG’s broader ambition to be a pioneer in blockchain technology within the sports sector.

How Is PSG Supporting the Wider Crypto Ecosystem?

PSG Labs, described by Helgosson as the club’s “innovation engine,” is driving efforts to accelerate Bitcoin-focused startups.

Helgosson told the conference audience,

“We will launch with you, we will list with you, we will raise with you.”

The club plans to leverage its enormous fan base—over half a billion globally—to help these ventures gain market exposure and expand internationally.

As of 24 May 2025, Paris Saint-Germain has 63.2 million Instagram followers, ranking 82nd globally for highest follower count. (Source: NoxInfluencer)

The Lab also focuses on tokenisation, decentralised autonomous organisations (DAOs), stablecoins, custody solutions, and on-chain gaming, highlighting the club’s multi-faceted approach to digital innovation.

Is PSG Leading a New Wave in Sports Finance?

PSG’s move to hold Bitcoin directly in its treasury marks a shift from typical crypto engagement in sports, which has mostly centred around sponsorship deals or fan tokens.

By treating Bitcoin as a financial asset on its balance sheet, the club sets a precedent that other teams may soon follow.

This step aligns PSG with recent trends in corporate finance, where some companies are allocating parts of their cash reserves to Bitcoin, following models popularised by figures like Michael Saylor.

Industry forecasts, such as those from Bernstein analysts, anticipate corporate Bitcoin allocations could grow to as much as $330 billion within the next five years.

Fan Token Sees Price Boost Following Bitcoin Treasury Reveal

Following the announcement, the PSG Fan Token (PSG) saw a positive market reaction.

According to CoinMarketCap, its price rose to $2.75 before a slight dip to $2.69, still marking a 5.17% increase over the past 24 hours, with the market cap reaching approximately $24.88 million.

This suggests that the club’s investment decisions may influence not only its treasury but also the crypto assets connected to its brand.

With the Champions League final looming, PSG’s decision to back Bitcoin reflects a broader ambition to merge its sporting success with forward-looking financial strategies and digital innovation.

As Helgosson puts it,

“We are the club of the new generation—just like Bitcoin represents the financial future.”