Key Facts
- WhiteBIT and FC Barcelona announced a five-year partnership extension on 24 April 2026, running through 2030.
- WhiteBIT remains Official Cryptocurrency Exchange Partner of the club, with expanded coverage across the men’s first team, women’s team, and basketball team, plus the Barça Innovation Hub.
- The deal extends an existing partnership in place since 2022 and builds on three years of joint fan-engagement and Web3 activations.
- A co-branded FC Barcelona skin will be introduced for the WhiteBIT Nova debit card, offering crypto-funded payments alongside club-themed design and partner benefits.
- Quoted executives are Manel del Río, CEO of FC Barcelona, and Volodymyr Nosov, President and Founder of W Group, the parent group of WhiteBIT.
WhiteBIT and FC Barcelona have signed a five-year partnership extension running through 2030, the European cryptocurrency exchange announced from Barcelona on 24 April 2026. WhiteBIT remains the club’s Official Cryptocurrency Exchange Partner, with an expanded remit across the men’s first team, women’s team, and basketball team, alongside collaboration with the Barça Innovation Hub.
What the renewed deal covers
The agreement extends a relationship in place since 2022 and broadens the scope from sponsorship visibility into joint product development. WhiteBIT and FC Barcelona say they will work together on real-world crypto applications designed to scale across the sports industry, with priority workstreams in fan engagement, digital education, and interactive experiences.
The exchange describes itself as the largest European cryptocurrency exchange by traffic and operates the WhiteBIT Nova debit card, a Visa-network product launched in 2024 that allows users to spend crypto-converted balances at point of sale.
Co-branded WhiteBIT Nova card
A central deliverable of the extension is a co-branded FC Barcelona skin for the WhiteBIT Nova card. The product combines the existing Nova card functionality with the club’s visual identity and adds club-linked benefits, which WhiteBIT has flagged as including special features and future partner advantages tied to the collaboration. Specific cashback or reward terms have not yet been disclosed.
The card route fits a wider trend among centralised exchanges, where partnership-branded payment cards have become a standard channel for moving from sponsorship visibility into recurring user utility. KuCoin launched its Mastercard-branded KuCard in Australia on 24 April 2026, while Crypto.com continues to operate the most established exchange-led card programme.
Executive comments
Commenting on the partnership, Manel del Río, CEO of FC Barcelona, said:
“Continuing to count on WhiteBIT as a partner over the next five years reinforces FC Barcelona’s commitment to strategic alliances with globally leading companies. This renewal highlights the strength and appeal of our brand, as well as our ability to connect with innovative sectors. In this case, the cryptocurrency sector, a growing field with significant strategic potential for the coming years.”
Volodymyr Nosov, President and Founder of W Group, which includes WhiteBIT:
“Our mission is to support the mass adoption of crypto by bringing technology to everyone, everywhere. Together with Barça, we are taking crypto beyond the industry and into everyday life—creating experiences that millions of fans can actually use. This is how adoption happens.”
Sport sponsorship as a crypto distribution channel
The renewal continues a recovery in football-sector crypto sponsorship deals after a sharp pull-back in 2022 and 2023, when several high-profile partnerships unwound following exchange failures. WhiteBIT has retained its FC Barcelona partnership through that cycle and signalled long-term intent by extending into a five-year term rather than a one-season renewal.
The expanded scope across men’s, women’s and basketball teams broadens WhiteBIT’s brand surface area within the club ecosystem and aligns the partnership with the Barça Innovation Hub, the club’s research and commercial arm focused on sports technology and applied innovation.
FAQ
What is the WhiteBIT and FC Barcelona partnership?
WhiteBIT is the Official Cryptocurrency Exchange Partner of FC Barcelona under a five-year extension announced on 24 April 2026 and running through 2030. The renewed agreement covers the men’s first team, women’s team and basketball team, alongside collaboration with the Barça Innovation Hub on fan engagement, digital education and crypto-linked interactive experiences.
What does the co-branded WhiteBIT Nova card offer?
WhiteBIT and FC Barcelona will introduce an FC Barcelona-themed design for the WhiteBIT Nova debit card, allowing fans to personalise their card with the club’s visual identity while using it for everyday crypto-funded payments. The card pairs Nova’s existing functionality with club-themed design and additional benefits linked to the partnership, though specific reward terms have not been disclosed.
How long has WhiteBIT been partnered with FC Barcelona?
WhiteBIT has been an FC Barcelona partner since 2022, with the 24 April 2026 announcement marking a five-year extension that takes the relationship through 2030. The new agreement builds on three years of joint fan-engagement and Web3 activations.
The extension positions WhiteBIT as one of the longer-running active crypto sponsors in elite European football. Whether the deal converts brand visibility into measurable card adoption among Barça’s fan base will be the practical test — and the metric most likely to determine whether other top-tier clubs follow with similarly long-dated crypto partnerships.
