- Football club Oxford City will accept bitcoin payments for matchday tickets and other items in a new deal
- The deal with Coincorner will help prove Bitcoin’s suitability for everyday use
- Matchgoers can use Coincorner’s Lightning Network-enabled card for contactless Bitcoin purchases
A small English football side has taken a big step towards the future by announcing a deal that will allow match tickets to be paid in bitcoin. Oxford City, who play in the Vanarama National League South, has struck a multi-year deal with Bitcoin exchange Coincorner which will allow in-person tickets to be paid for using Coincorner’s Bolt card. The card is connected to a Lightning Network account and allows contactless Bitcoin payments to be made as easily as fiat currency payments.
🤝 @CoinCorner are our new back of shirt sponsors!
⚡️Supporters can now even pay for their match ticket with bitcoin at Oxford City matches.
🗞 Read more by clicking below. #OCFC
— Oxford City FC (@OxCityFC) August 3, 2022
Bitcoin Logo and Lightning Network Payments
Oxford City announced the tie-in with Coincorner yesterday, saying that the partnership allows matchgoers to buy their tickets as well as food and drink in the stadium “using digital currency as an alternative to traditional cash and card methods.” The deal will also see the Bitcoin and Coincorner logos prominently placed on the rear of the players’ shirts.
Coincorner’s contactless Bitcoin card is the first contactless Bitcoin payment card in the world, making use of the instant payments offered by the Lightning Network. Bolt card holders will be able to enjoy the experience ahead of the club’s opening league fixture at home to Eastbourne Borough, with Coincorner representatives on hand to explain more about how it works.
First Step of a Long Journey
The move is of course not going to make global headlines, but it is a great first step towards the road of Bitcoin adoption for everyday use, which is only possible thanks to the Lightning Network.
Even with the Lightning Network, payments have to date been a little difficult to navigate, and it is hoped that a simple contactless payment that is as easy as a regular contactless payment could be the start of a journey towards acceptance.
