Alipay Top Scorer trophy unveiled for UEFA EURO 2020

Alipay’s distinctive trophy will be awarded to the top scorer at UEFA EURO 2020, with the winner’s data being uploaded to blockchain for permanent storage for the first time.

The trophy will be awarded to the top scorer at UEFA EURO 2020@UEFA

Sculpted in the shape of the Chinese character “支” (pronounced zhi, and meaning ‘payment’ as well as ‘support’), the barefooted player on the trophy reflects the egalitarian footballing ideal that success on the pitch comes regardless of background or status. The hash code on the base of the trophy, meanwhile, underlines Alipay’s commitment to upload the trophy data to blockchain to ensure a permanent, incorruptible record of the top scorer’s achievements.

AntChain, the blockchain business of Ant Group, has announced a new five-year global partnership around blockchain technologies with UEFA. According to the agreement, AntChain will become the official global blockchain partner of UEFA EURO 2020.

Blockchain technology is a method of recording data to ensure that there is a permanent, widely-distributed record of every update, ensuring that transactions cannot be hacked or retrospectively tampered with. Usually used in digital money, blockchain is being deployed by Alipay to store top scorer data too, not just for UEFA EURO 2020, but also for youth football in its native China via the company’s Campus Top Scorer Incentive Programme.

In 2004, Alipay was established as an escrow service to address a lack of trust between online buyers and sellers in China's budding e-commerce market. Today, Alipay has transformed into a leading payment and lifestyle platform. As the world’s most-used mobile app outside of social apps, Alipay remains committed to building trust and supporting commerce both online and offline.