Winklevoss Capital, an investment firm founded by twin brothers Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss has invested $4.5 million in a non-league football club which is owned by crypto podcaster Peter McCormack.
In an announcement, the UK-based football club Real Bedford (RBFC) said, following the investment both of the Winklevoss brothers will assume the role of co-owners of RBFC alongside McCormack.
“We share in Peter’s deep conviction in Bitcoin and its ability to supercharge RBFC’s quest to make it into the Premier League,” said Tyler Winklevoss in a press release. “Since our first conversation more than two years ago, Peter has proven he knows how to build a successful club and we’re excited to work alongside him as co-owners,” added Tyler.
Supporting the Underdog Team in Football
Real Bedford is a non-league football club based in Bedford, UK. The football team was acquired by McCormack back in 2021, he set the ambitious goal of getting the team into the football league.
So far, Real Bedford has won a league and cup double in their first season and has been promoted to the Spartan South Midlands Premier League. The Premier League is the highest level of the English football league system.
“Seeing the progress Peter has made with Real Bedford and his community-building approach has truly been inspiring,” said Cameron Winklevoss.
“His ability to translate vision into action is exactly why we believe in this project. We’re not just investing in a football club, we’re investing in a dream to bring Premier League football to Bedford. We firmly believe Peter is the right leader to make this dream a reality,” adds Cameron.
Football Teams Backed By Crypto Firms
Over the years, an increasing number of football clubs have received investments or sponsorships from crypto companies or individuals.
Paris Saint-Germain partnered with Socios.com, a blockchain-based fan engagement platform, allowing fans to interact with the club through digital tokens called “Fan Tokens.”
FC Bayern Munich solidified its presence in the crypto space by sealing a multi-year partnership with Austrian firm Bitpanda.
Southampton Football Club signed a sponsorship deal with Coingaming Group, a cryptocurrency sports betting platform. AC Milan partnered with the cryptocurrency exchange BitMex. Watford FC has a sponsorship deal with Stake.com, a cryptocurrency sports betting platform.