Croatia’s national team becomes first to reward fans in crypto

Croatia’s HNS integrates a Kadena-based crypto token into its official app ahead of the 2026 World Cup

Croatia’s national football team became the first to reward its fans in crypto. On Tuesday, Oct. 7, Kadena announced its collaboration with the Croatian Football Federation (HNS), leveraging its blockchain for fan rewards. The team’s VATRENI token, named after the squad’s nickname, will enable exclusive rewards for fans.

With each merchandise purchase made through the app, fans of the Croatian national team will earn 1% back in VATRENI (VATRENI) tokens. Token holders will gain access to exclusive rewards, including VIP experiences, limited-edition merchandise, and other perks. The federation also announced that the tokens will be redeemable for match tickets in the future.

Blockchain gives sports teams unique benefits

With the Kadena collaboration, the VATRENI token will migrate from Polygon, where it launched in 2023, to the Kadena blockchain. According to Joel Woodman, head of partnerships at Kadena, blockchain enables football teams to unite fragmented solutions for ticketing, merchandise, and membership into one system.

“From the fan’s perspective, the underlying blockchain technology is invisible by design. Our priority is to deliver value through a seamless and familiar user experience, allowing fans to interact naturally without a learning curve. The key benefit, both for the fan and the club, is the ability to offer more relevant, personalized experiences and rewards—powered by superior data and real-time insights—while removing friction from the digital experience.” said Joel Woodman, Kadena.

The VATRENI token is tradable on exchanges, including Binance. Despite this, trading volumes are low. On Oct. 7, 24-hour centralized-exchange volumes were about $17,000, while the token’s market cap was roughly $4.8 million.