Japanese Soccer Star
Connects with Fans Via Cryptocurrency
Soccer star Keisuke Honda is the latest person involved with the sport to recognize the value of utilizing cryptocurrency as a method to connect to and interact with his many supporters.
The Japanese international midfielder who currently captains Brazilian side Botafogo recently launched his own crypto token in order to build a further relationship with his many fans.
Soccer was among the first of the major sports to truly recognize the value of Bitcoin and other forms of cryptocurrency. Online sports betting sites were also early subscribers to the positive future that connecting via cryptocurrency could bring. There are many sportsbooks that accept Bitcoin for both payment and withdrawal to customer accounts.
Several prominent soccer clubs have moved to cryptocurrency tokens as a way of engaging their fanbases. Recently, Zenit St. Petersburg of the Russian Premier League introduced collectible and tradable digital cards created and designed by the blockchain-based gaming platform Sorare. Italian giants SS Lazio entered into a multi-year agreement with crypto trading platform StormGain to help create a unique coin that fans can use to earn perks from the club. It’s all seen as a method to develop stronger connections with supporters through cryptocurrency.
Honda Goes with Rally
Honda is among the first players to recognize the value of this move. His KSK Honda Coin was launched by Rally.io. Rally designs creator coins, which are actual cryptocurrencies that live on Rally’s private Ethereum sidechain. Creator coins are not mined, but instead are minted and backed by the fiat or cryptocurrency used to purchase them on Rally.io.
All creator coins are supported by real value in the form of community pools, and users will have some visibility into the estimated value of their creator coin based on an algorithmically determined price in accordance with the bonding curve. Creator coins can be purchased with credit or debit cards, and also with select cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Dai, Ether, Litecoin, and USDC.
They can also be purchased with $RLY, the ERC-20 governance token on the Ethereum mainnet. Users simply send crypto to a designated address using their own Ethereum wallet.
Making Connections
Honda intends to make use of his coin to enable fans to interact with him.
“I decided to create my social token to build new connections with my most loyal fans,” Honda said in a statement released by Rally. “This is a new type of innovative ‘fan club’ that I will be experimenting with Rally so that my fans can benefit and be connected anywhere in the world.
“Although much of this project is still undecided, I’ll make one promise: any money that is made from this project will be used towards positive impact and I will be 100 percent transparent with my token holders about how it will be spent.”
The Japanese star believes that his token will allow him to connect with fans in a more open manner, because it provides 100 percent transparency in terms of knowing who holds the coins within the fan community.
Among the perks that ownership of the coin will bring are exclusive video updates. Holders will receive regular video reports about Honda’s pursuits both on and off the pitch as he travels the world. As well, holders will have access to private Discord chats with the soccer star. He will also offer social recognition to his most ardent supporters. Honda will give shoutouts to his biggest KSK Honda coin fans with special posts on his social media sites.
A Japanese Legend
Honda, 34, is among the most famous athletes ever to come out of Japan. He represented his country internationally 98 times, scoring 37 goals. Honda appeared in three FIFA World Cups, in 2010, 2014 and 2018. He was also part of the Japanese side that won the 2011 Asian Cup, where he was named player of the tournament.
Used primarily as an attacking midfielder, he is appreciated worldwide for his innate ability to accurately connect for goals on bending free kicks, often from distance.
Honda was named Japanese footballer of the year in 2010. In 2018, he was selected to the all-time XI in Asian Cup history. Along with playing for Botafogo, Honda also serves as general manager of the Cambodian national team.
