Bulgaria’s Botev Plovdiv FC Scores with Bitcoin and Lightning Network Adoption

In an unprecedented move, Bitcoin, which is presently worth $34,432, has achieved yet another significant acceptance victory. The illustrious 111-year-old football team in Bulgaria, Botev Plovdiv FC, has accepted Bitcoin and the Lightning Network as payment methods and has integrated with the decentralized Nostr system.

Pioneering in Football Adoption

The decision by Botev Plovdiv FC to accept payments via Lightning Network and Bitcoin is effective right now. At the club’s fan shops and stands, supporters attending games in the highest division of Bulgaria, Parva Liga, may now make peer-to-peer purchases with Bitcoin. And that’s only the start. The football team has big aspirations to accept Bitcoin payments for online shop purchases and ticketing.

The president of Botev Plovdiv FC, Anton Zingarevich, expressed his excitement with this ground-breaking action. In a news release, he emphasized the Lightning Network’s amazing potential by saying, “We envision Bitcoin payments becoming as ubiquitous as the internet in our daily lives.” This integration gives our supporters and stakeholders unmatched ease while also being in line with our goal.

This innovative project was made possible thanks to a strategic alliance with BTCPay Server, a well-known Bitcoin payment processor famous for its open-source ethos, strong security architecture, and low merchant costs. For fans to have a flawless experience, CryptoDesk.bg and Bitcoinize.com worked together to manage the payment hardware.

BTCPay Server’s visionary creator, Nicolas Dorier, emphasized the significance of local Bitcoin adoption and reaffirmed the company’s dedication to assisting ground-breaking projects such as the Plovdiv initiative.

According to Botev Plovdiv FC’s Bitcoin director George Manolov, “Bitcoin offers a universe of technological, social, and financial opportunities.” He went on, “At Botev, we’re excited to pioneer these advancements in the sports industry and use their revolutionary potential to propel our team to previously unheard-of heights. As the oldest football club in Bulgaria, you can expect innovative goods and ideas from us.”

Botev Plovdiv FC has not only adopted Bitcoin but also had a digital makeover. The team has updated its official website, redesigned its English social media accounts, and joined Nostr, a decentralized protocol that provides an anti-censorship social media network.

This significant move to embrace Bitcoin and decentralized technologies mirrors the actions of Real Bedford, a UK-based football club that was the world’s first to adopt Bitcoin. Peter McCormack, chairman of Real Bedford, welcomed the news from Bulgaria, stating, “It is fantastic to see more football clubs adopting the Bitcoin cheat code. This move will not only bring success to their club but also contribute to raising awareness about Bitcoin.”

McCormack has been advocating Bitcoin adoption at Real Bedford since 2021 and had discussions with Plovdiv before they decided to embrace Bitcoin. According to him, the unique characteristics of Bitcoin serve as a life cheat code, and he is organizing a “Cheat Code” conference in Bedford in Spring 2024.

McCormack remarked, “There is a plague of financial irresponsibility in football, so clubs that incorporate a low-time preference Bitcoin standard into their strategy are building their club on a solid foundation. We can anticipate not only football clubs but various sports teams adopting the cheat code.”

As a special treat, Botev Plovdiv FC accepted Bitcoin and the Lightning Network payments from football supporters at the home game against Lokomotiv Plovdiv, which is now ranked second. On the day of the release of the Bitcoin white paper, the announcement was made to show support for the top cryptocurrency.