U.S.-Based Blockchain Kadena and Croatian Football Federation (HNS) Partner to Revolutionize Fan Engagement

The Agreement Includes Regular Season Play as Well as the 2026 FIFA World Cup 2026 and UEFA EURO 2028

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK / ACCESS Newswire / February 6, 2025 / Kadena, the industry leader in scalable blockchain technology, and the Croatian Football Federation (HNS) have announced a groundbreaking partnership to provide a seamless digital fan engagement experience to Croatian national team fans. This partnership will encompass major global football events through 2028, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 UEFA Euro Cup.

This collaboration will introduce high-visibility activations, access to VIP experiences, and the migration of the HNS ERC-20 fan token, VATRENI, from Polygon to Kadena via the Kinesis Bridge.

“The goal with the [VATRENI] token is to push the boundaries of traditional fan engagement opportunities of the past and introduce more of a future-focused fan experience. We’re looking forward to working with our partners to integrate a variety of new technology into the Croatian Football Federation ecosystem including AI tools, virtual experiences, and personalized activations, bringing an entirely new dynamic to the fan experience,” said Joel Woodman, Kadena’s Head of Partnerships.

HNS President Marijan Kustić echoed this vision, stating, “The mission of HNS is to ensure the development of Croatian football for the future, aligned with trends not only in sports but also in society as a whole, particularly among football enthusiasts and fans of the Croatian national team. The world of fan experiences is evolving as rapidly as new technologies like cryptocurrencies and artificial intelligence become part of our everyday lives, and we are keeping pace with and furthering this development through our VATRENI project.”

This partnership marks the migration of one of the first EVM-based projects to the Kadena ecosystem with the introduction of Kadena’s upcoming Chainweb EVM technology. By leveraging its scalable, secure infrastructure, Kadena is leading blockchain adoption in sports, empowering the next generation of digital fan engagement and setting an industry benchmark. To learn more about HNS, VATRENI, and this partnership, visit https://kadena.io/hns.

About Kadena

Founded in the U.S. in 2017 by Stuart Popejoy and Will Martino – creators of J.P. Morgan’s first blockchain and leaders of the SEC’s Crypto Committee – Kadena delivers industry-leading performance as the only scalable Layer 1 Proof of Work blockchain. Kadena’s innovative approach combines energy efficiency with unmatched scalability, making it an ideal infrastructure for mass adoption. With its pioneering smart contract language Pact, Kadena offers tools for building secure, efficient, and developer-friendly blockchain applications that address real-world needs.

About Croatian Football Federation

The Croatian Football Federation is the governing body for football in Croatia, dedicated to the promotion and development of the national team. Established in 1912, HNS plays a central role in the organization and management of Croatian football, supporting its participation in major international competitions. With a strong legacy of success on the world stage, the federation is committed to ensuring the continued excellence and global recognition of Croatian football.

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SOURCE: Kadena

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire