Alexandre Dreyfus is a veteran technologist and entrepreneur specializing in the esports and entertainment industry. Dreyfus has spearheaded numerous business ventures since the mid-1990s, primarily targeted at online poker, casinos and gambling. He stepped into the world of blockchain in 2012 as the CEO of Chiliz, a global sports and entertainment organization backed by some of the biggest crypto exchanges including Binance and OK Blockchain Capital.
Alongside Chiliz, Dreyfus also serves as the CEO of Socios.com, a blockchain-based fan engagement and monetization platform dedicated to mainstream sports. Socios.com partners with professional sports teams and players and allows fan participation through fan tokens such as Chiliz (CHZ).
Dreyfus also established the Chiliz Blockchain Campus in Malta to foster stronger connections within the blockchain industry across Asia and Europe. The campus is not only home to crypto exchanges and crypto-friendly European banks but also serves as a collaborative space for small to large blockchain companies.
Chiliz blockchain’s year started off with onboarding its 20th pro-soccer fan token for European team AC Milan, which joined other clubs including FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Atletico Madrid. Chiliz’s CHZ token along with other fan tokens surged substantially throughout the year, owing to major sporting organizations such as UFC, Formula 1, NBA and National Hockey League adopting crypto and blockchain initiatives.
Along with securing extensive partnerships with a variety of sports teams and personalities, Dreyfus cemented a deal with crypto exchange FTX to list fan tokens for open trades. He also reinvested $50 million toward setting up a new Chiliz headquarters in New York.
With Socios.com, Paris Saint-Germain’s superstar Lionel Messi became the first professional soccer player to receive a part of his salary in crypto. Moreover, a sponsorship deal with Chiliz resulted in the rebranding of Argentina’s top pro-soccer league, Argentina Football Association, to Torneo Socios.com.
Dreyfus started off the year by announcing plans to launch the Socios app in the United States by Q2. His companies, Socios.com and Chiliz, are expected to expand their portfolio of partnerships with pro athletes, teams from different types of sports.
This year will also be crucial for Dreyfus in building new reforms for his companies to overcome the incoming regulatory hurdles that they will likely face on the path to mainstream adoption of fan tokens. The United Kingdom’s Advertising Standards Authority has previously banned Arsenal Foot Club from advertising fan tokens to inexperienced consumers.
While maintaining a stronghold in the European and U.S. markets, Dreyfus is expected to seek out partnerships with leading sporting franchises in South American and Asian markets as well. Moreover, fan tokens are now being viewed as a new source of revenue for all sports and esports events.
In an effort to attract sports fans and enthusiasts, Socios.com is also expected to announce strategic partnerships all year round, with its main focus on fan-token engagement. The platform will also continue to help clubs mint and list new fan tokens for trading on crypto exchanges. Dreyfus envisions further strengthening global presence for Socios.com and Chiliz by increasing employee headcount to 300 by year end.
Adoption, Founder
Lycee Jean Perrin
