FC Barcelona Terminates Two Weeks Old Contract with NFT Marketplace Ownix

Following the arrest of Israeli crypto entrepreneur Moshe Hogeg — a consultant for the NFT marketplace — FC Barcelona, one of the most profitable football teams in the world, has opted to withdraw a partnership signed earlier this month with non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace Ownix. The club announced the termination in a brief statement on its website, two days before the club's maiden NFT collection sale was set to take place on the platform.

FC Barcelona alleges that connections with Ownix have been severed with immediate effect. Moshe Hogeg, who is rumored to have links to Ownix, was detained on suspicion of being involved in a large cryptocurrency scam. He was detained along with seven other individuals. Hogeg is the co-founder of Sirin Labs, the firm behind the much-hyped blockchain smartphone that was released in 2019, as well as the owner of Israeli football team Beitar Jerusalem. "In light of information obtained that goes against the club's ideals," FC Barcelona said in a statement, "FC Barcelona now notifies the cancellation of the contract to generate and distribute NFT digital assets with Ownix with immediate effect."