Chiliz has shared the key moments of a record-breaking 2023 that saw new benchmarks for fan interaction and industry growth reached. While many blockchain sectors have found H1 to be difficult, SportFi, which operates at the nexus of web3 and real-world sports, has thrived.
Chiliz celebrated its fifth anniversary and unveiled Chiliz Chain, its native Layer 1, in 2023. On February 8, the genesis block was validated, launching a platform that has grown to be essential for developers building SportFi apps. The launch of Chiliz Chain enhances Chiliz’s current Socios.com app, which is used by international sports organizations to increase fan interaction.
A year of unparalleled expansion for SportFi has begun with the introduction of Chiliz Chain, as an increasing number of international sporting associations embrace web3 and its potential for fan loyalty and community development. Chiliz Chain facilitates a variety of SportFi use cases, including web3-ready ticketing, Fan Tokens, NFT minting, DeFi products, and creative games.
Other noteworthy events for Chiliz and the SportFi industry in 2023 include as follows:
- The inception of a $50 million incubator and accelerator program by Chiliz Labs to support sports-related blockchain startups.
- Purchasing a 20% share in MatchWornShirt in order to assist the use of blockchain technology to improve sports memorabilia’ authenticity.
- Approximately 25 significant collaborations to establish a broad and varied SportFi ecosystem, including initiatives like Blockasset, FanFest, LiveLike, Football @ AlphaVerse, TopGoal Footballcraft, and Lillius.
- One Shirt Pledge will promote the use of blockchain technology for philanthropy in collaboration with the sports organization Common Goal. Athletes combine their love of sports with social responsibility by donating match-worn shirts verified by Chiliz Chain to charitable auctions.
In 2023, the Socios.com app achieved significant milestones as well, announcing a 30% rise in users across 160 countries and the addition of prominent English Premier League teams including Tottenham Hotspur. Launching over 3,000 Fan Polls where fans voted on kit designs, squad numbers for new signings, celebration songs, and more, the app gave fans access to Locker Room, a feature that allows them to lock their tokens to obtain unique digital collectibles. Fifty thousand fans were also rewarded with signed merchandise, match tickets, and once-in-a-lifetime VIP experiences.
More than 3 million transactions were registered by Chiliz Chain in 2023, boosting the company’s revenue for the sports sector to $437 million. For the benefit of both teams and fans, Chiliz hopes to build on these successes in 2024 and step up its efforts to mainstream SportsFi.
