Barça's blockchain sponsor ZKP fights back after contract termination

Barcelona’s latest commercial partnership has gone Pete Tong with blockchain technology firm ZKP hitting back at the Catalan club’s decision to terminate their sponsorship agreement.

Sponsor vs Club: The breakdown

Before the new year’s champagne had even gone flat, Barcelona released a statement announcing they’d binned off ZKP due to alleged contract breaches. The club claimed their compliance and legal departments had uncovered “actions that do not conform to the terms and conditions established in the sponsorship agreement.”

Now ZKP has come out swinging with their own version of events.

The Andrew Tate connection

One of the more eyebrow-raising elements of this saga involves controversial figure Andrew Tate. The former kickboxer, who faces 21 charges in the UK including rape allegations, human trafficking, and prostitution control, was reportedly linked to ZKP, which is based in the same tax haven as Tate.

ZKP has categorically denied any connection, stating:

1. Andrew Tate is not an owner, director, or controlling shareholder of ZKP
2. Any suggestion otherwise is incorrect

The blockchain firm’s defence

ZKP has presented several key points in their defence:

• Information about their token and pre-sale was publicly accessible before signing the agreement (backed by Internet Archive evidence from October 10, 2025)
• They made repeated attempts to communicate with Barcelona
• They offered to resolve the situation privately
• They provided all requested legal and compliance information before Barcelona terminated the deal

Money matters

The blockchain company is now seeking clarification on the financial and contractual situation, including amounts already paid and rights that weren’t delivered or enabled by the club.

This represents another commercial headache for Barcelona, who’ve had their fair share of sponsor drama in recent years as they’ve desperately tried to boost revenue streams amid their ongoing financial troubles.