TRIESTE - Italian football and the world of cryptocurrency meet in an unprecedented transaction. U.S. Triestina Calcio 1918, one of Serie C's historic clubs, has announced the entry of House of Doge as its new main shareholder.
The news, made official on 12 September 2025, marks a momentous change: for the first time, an entity linked to a cryptocurrency is not just sponsoring, but taking on a direct corporate control role in a European professional football club.
A historic club between tradition and crisis
Founded in 1918, Triestina is one of the oldest clubs in Italian football. It has experienced glorious seasons in Serie A, but also difficult years between relegations, financial problems and corporate reconstructions.
In 2023, the club was taken over entirely by LBK Capital LLC, a deal that was supposed to bring back stability. However, management remained complex and at the beginning of September 2025, president Ben Rosenzweig resigned.
It is in this context that House of Doge, ready to turn things around with fresh capital and an innovative project, entered the scene.
Who House of Doge is and why it bets on football
House of Doge presents itself as the corporate arm of the Dogecoin Foundation, the foundation that protects and promotes the development of the famous cryptocurrency that was born as a meme in 2013.
In recent months, the company has promoted initiatives related to the creation of a 'Dogecoin Treasury', a kind of official reserve to support the digital currency ecosystem. Joining a football club represents the next step: a mix of marketing, experimentation and international visibility.
Football, in fact, offers a unique platform to reach millions of people, not only as fans but as potential new Dogecoin users.
From LBK control to a new governance
With the acquisition of the main stake, House of Doge announced the reconstitution of the Board of Directors of Triestina and the forthcoming appointment of a new president.
However, in accordance with federal regulations, the operation is not yet complete: the FIGC and the competent bodies of the Lega Pro will have to ratify the transition. Only after ratification will House of Doge be able to fully exercise its role of governance.
Objectives and possible news for fans
According to official statements, House of Doge's entry is not limited to a financial manoeuvre. Among the announced plans are:
- Payments in Dogecoin for tickets and merchandising,
- New sponsorships and commercial agreements linked to the Doge brand,
- Digital experiences
- for fans, with the use of blockchain for exclusive interactions,
- Creating a model that can be replicated at other European clubs.
If realised, these projects could turn Triestina into a sort of crypto-sports laboratory, with spin-offs not only locally but throughout Italian football.
Football and crypto: precedents and differences
In recent years, several football clubs have formed partnerships with companies in the crypto sector. Fan tokens, sponsorships and commercial agreements have made the logos of various digital platforms familiar on the shirts of Serie A teams and other European leagues.
But the Triestina case is different: it is not a simple sponsorship, but rather a direct shareholding. In other words, a crypto reality does not just appear on the shirts or in the stadiums, but sits directly at the table of corporate decision-making.
Risks and opportunities
The operation opens up fascinating scenarios but also questions:
- Opportunities:new economic resources, technological innovation, international visibility and the possibility of attracting sponsors and partners linked to the crypto sector.
- Risks: cryptocurrency market volatility, regulatory uncertainty and the need to ensure financial stability in a context such as football, which is traditionally fragile.
Much will depend on House of Doge's ability to combine the logic of digital finance with that of day-to-day sports management.
The next steps
The next few months will be decisive:
- Official ratification by the FIGC.
- Nomination of the new president and board.
- Concrete announcements on the use of Dogecoin for payments and merchandising.
If the path is completed, Triestina will become the first Italian club to experience a corporate transformation driven by a crypto project.
Conclusion
The entry of House of Doge into Triestina is not just sports or financial news: it is the symbol of a cultural change. The world of football, rooted in tradition, is thus opening up to the disruptive language of cryptocurrencies.
For Triestina, a club with a history of over a hundred years and a passionate fanbase, a new era is opening. And for Dogecoin, which began as a meme and has become a global phenomenon, it is an opportunity to demonstrate that its community can also make an impact in the real world - even in Italian football.
