Bulgaria's Oldest Football Club Botev Plovdiv FC Adopts Bitcoin and Lightning Payments

According to Cointelegraph, Botev Plovdiv FC, Bulgaria's oldest football club, has adopted Bitcoin and Lightning for peer-to-peer payments at its fan shops and stands during matches in the Bulgarian Parva Liga. The club also plans to extend Bitcoin payments for ticketing and its online store. This initiative was made possible through a partnership with BTCPayServer, a Bitcoin payment processor, and hardware for payments was handled by CryptoDesk.bg, in collaboration with Bitcoinize.com, who provided the PoS Devices.Anton Zingarevich, the president of the 111-year-old football club, expressed enthusiasm for the move, highlighting the potential of the Lightning Network. He stated, 'We foresee Bitcoin payments becoming as ubiquitous as the internet in our daily lives. This integration not only aligns with our vision but also offers our fans and stakeholders unparalleled convenience.' George Manolov, Bitcoin Director at Botev Plovdiv FC, explained that 'Bitcoin offers a universe of technological, social, and financial opportunities.'In addition to embracing Bitcoin, Botev Plovdiv FC has revamped its online presence, updating its official website, bringing English social media channels up to speed, and creating an account on Nostr, a decentralized protocol that offers social media platforms. Fans can now keep up to date with Plovdiv on Nostr. The move to embrace Bitcoin and decentralized technologies is similar to that of Real Bedford, a UK football club that was the world's first football club to adopt Bitcoin. Peter McCormack, chairman of Real Bedford, shared his thoughts on the news from Bulgaria: 'It is so cool to see more football clubs adopt the Bitcoin cheat code. Not only will it bring more success to their club, but it will also widen the net for Bitcoin awareness.'