FC Barcelona sold the first non-fungible token (NFT) in its history for $693,000, giving the winner of the auction that took place in the United States of America various advantages.
Barcelona announced the launch of the symbol to commemorate the legend Johan Cruyff, and it bore the name "In a way... Immortal", and it represented an audio-visual digital artwork that revived Cruyff's goal against Atletico Madrid on December 22, 1973.
The work was offered at an auction in cooperation with the American company "Sotheby's", in conjunction with the presence of the Catalan club on a preparatory tour in the United States of America.
FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta said, "We are pleased to present Johan Cruyff in the first masterpiece of FC Barcelona. He had a great impact on the club, and on modern football, and this symbol is a tribute to his career."
Here in Times Square for the launch of the first Barça NFT!
🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/YhBOzKDLwO
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 28, 2022
The club announced in a statement that the auction was held yesterday in New York, and closed at 550,000 dollars, bringing the total value of the sale after adding the auction fees to 693,000 dollars.
The statement added that the buyer will receive several additional benefits, such as access to the team's training, attendance among the VIPs at the Camp Nou stadium, in addition to being named "Barca's digital ambassador".
The club confirmed that Cruyff's shot is the first among 10 works that will be presented - work after work - in the coming months, each of which presents the club's famous moments and personalities, and aims to educate and inspire young generations about the club's history.
Barcelona's announcement of the sale of the symbol received a wide interaction across the platforms, as tweeters considered it an affirmation of the value and legacy of the club and its ability to attract money, despite the recent absence of the coronations.
Commentators considered that what Barcelona is doing will help the club out of its crisis, as the club is taking many innovative ways to obtain funds to meet its needs.
On the other hand, followers mocked Barcelona's resort to this method of attracting money, as cryptocurrencies and tokens surround some doubts about their value and suitability for investment, and some considered that the buyer did so in order to help Barcelona and not to invest.
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are based on blockchain technology, and art products are presented as unique, proprietary items with only one copy sold and circulated among users.