London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Oct 19, 2025

Spanish side become first team ever to buy a player with BITCOIN

Spanish side become first team ever to buy a player with BITCOIN

The striker was unveiled by Spanish third division side DUX Internacional de Madrid, also known as Inter Madrid, after they teamed up with their new cryptocurrency sponsors to make a unique move.

Former Real Madrid B striker David Barral has made transfer history after he became the first professional player ever to be signed exclusively by Bitcoin.

The striker was unveiled by Spanish third division side DUX Internacional de Madrid, also known as Inter Madrid, after they teamed up with their new sponsors to make a splash in the transfer market with nothing but cryptocurrency.

No transfer fee has been disclosed and the deal has not yet been acknowledged by authorities, leaving some doubts about the validity of deals in Bitcoin moving forward.


Third tier Spanish side Inter Madrid signed ex-Real Madrid B striker David Barral with Bitcoin


After announcing the veteran striker while he posed with Internacional's shirt, a statement read: 'David Barral new player of DUX Internacional de Madrid, welcome to the infinite club!'

'He becomes the first signing in history in cryptocurrencies. Thanks to Criptan, our new sponsor, for making it possible.'

The club shared the statement on its social media pages.

Barral added: 'Glad to join the project of @interdemadrid with the ambition and responsibility to continue competing and achieve important challenges in my sports career.'

The decision to press on with Bitcoin has emerged from their links to their sponsors Criptan, which is a local platform to buy and sell cryptocurrencies, as per CryptoAdventure.

It is a landmark moment in football history and could signal a shift in the way some clubs operate moving forward.

While this is viewed as the first professional transfer made via Bitcoin, there was an amateur side in Turkey in 2018 who made headlines dealing in cryptocurrency.


Barral (left) is now 37 but is still making moves and this is the most unique of his entire career


Omer Faruk Kıroğlu joined Harunustaspor at the cost of £1,226 worth of Bitcoin.

Harunustaspor paid 0.0524 Bitcoin (£385) plus 2,500 Turkish Lira in cash (£841) to his services and it generated lots of media attention.

Barral, now 37, made more than 50 appearances for the Real Madrid's reserve side, before going on to have spells with Sporting Gijon, Levante and Racing Santander.

Inter Madrid are generating lots of attention with Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois among the ownership group.

The Belgian teamed up with friends Borja Iglesias and DJ Mariio to buy the third-tier side last year.


In 2018, Omer Faruk Kiroglu (left) was signed by amateur side Harunustaspor using Bitcoin


Q&A: INS AND OUTS OF BITCOIN


WHAT IS BITCOIN?


You'll often hear it described as a cryptocurrency, which isn't very enlightening. In simple terms, it is virtual money, with no physical notes or coins. It was invented by someone claiming to be called Satoshi Nakamoto and to be Japanese, but his or her real identity is unknown. In its early days it was often used for illicit activity but bitcoin has become attractive to ordinary investors.

HOW DOES IT WORK?


Bitcoins are stored in a digital wallet on smartphones or computers. Transactions are recorded on Blockchain, the giant online ledger behind the currency. You can in theory use bitcoin to pay for goods and services, though they are not accepted everywhere. Or you can buy it in the hope of a profit.

WHERE CAN YOU BUY IT?


Anyone with access to a computer or smartphone can buy bitcoin through an exchange. You will have to pay trading fees on top of the cost of the bitcoin itself.

WHAT IS IT WORTH?


Bitcoin is not backed by any tangible asset or underlying commodity such as gold, so it has no intrinsic value. It is 'worth' what people are prepared to pay – and that has been extremely volatile. Last March, one bitcoin was worth round $5,000. After a spectacular rally around Christmas, it surpassed $41,000 in the first week of January. It is at $38,000.

SHOULD I BUY?


It depends on whether you believe bitcoin will rise in value. It's a huge risk. City watchdog the FCA recently reminded savers that they should be prepared to lose all the money they put into bitcoin, so only invest cash you can afford to lose. If things do go wrong, dealings in bitcoin are largely outside the regulators' safety nets.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
Ex-Microsoft Engineer Confirms Famous Windows XP Key Was Leaked Corporate License, Not a Hack
China’s lesson for the US: it takes more than chips to win the AI race
Australia Faces Demographic Risk as Fertility Falls to Record Low
California County Reinstates Mask Mandate in Health Facilities as Respiratory Illness Risk Rises
Israel and Hamas Agree to First Phase of Trump-Brokered Gaza Truce, Hostages to Be Freed
French Political Turmoil Elevates Marine Le Pen as Rassemblement National Poised for Power
China Unveils Sweeping Rare Earth Export Controls to Shield ‘National Security’
×