The Future of Ticketing
The Future of Ticketing
By Avalanche / 27 Minute Read
How Blockchain is Unlocking New Revenue, Security, and Fan
Introduction
Global ticketing is facing challenges. Fans get priced out. Bots and scalpers run the game. Artists and organizers lose millions in revenue to predatory resellers. Every major event—whether it’s Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, the Super Bowl, or a global music festival—follows the same pattern: instant sellouts, skyrocketing resale prices, and counterfeit tickets flooding the market.
It’s a system designed for everyone except the people who actually make live events happen—the artists, teams, and their fans.
Blockchain can fix this.
By turning tickets into verifiable digital assets, blockchain eliminates counterfeiting, regulates resales, and puts power back in the hands of event organizers. NFT-based ticketing isn’t just about stopping fraud—it’s about unlocking new revenue streams, building fan engagement, and creating digital experiences that last beyond the event itself.
But let’s be real: blockchain ticketing isn’t mainstream yet. Adoption is slow. Integration with existing platforms is clunky. Transaction fees and user experience still need work. If blockchain is going to redefine ticketing, it needs to prove it can outperform traditional systems—not just in security, but in usability, cost efficiency, and real-world value.
This report breaks down exactly how that’s happening.
We’ll explore:
How blockchain ticketing eliminates fraud and scalping
Why NFT tickets are creating new monetisation models
The challenges preventing mass adoption (and how to overcome them)
Which companies and events are already leading the charge
The future of ticketing won’t be controlled by a handful of centralized players. It will be decentralized, transparent, and designed to serve artists, teams, and their fans—not resellers and middlemen.
Let’s dive in.
Ticketing is Changing—And the Industry Must Catch Up
Ticketing has never been more digital, yet it has never been more frustrating. For fans, buying a ticket to a major concert or sporting event often feels like a war zone. While ticketing platforms have embraced digitalization, issues like fraud, price gouging, and resale market manipulation remain widespread. Events sell out within seconds, only for tickets to reappear on secondary markets at exponentially higher prices.
Scalpers and bots dominate high-demand events, locking out real fans and driving revenue away from artists, teams, and organizers. Bots buy up to 60% of high-demand tickets in seconds.
Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act and the EU Digital Service Act aims to regulate the usage of bots in ticketing.
For event organizers, managing ticket sales has become a balancing act between maximizing revenue, minimizing fraud, and ensuring tickets actually end up in the hands of real fans. On average, resale tickets are sold for 203% of their original value.
But change is happening. Physical tickets are fading into history, replaced by mobile-first experiences that are faster, smarter, and more secure. AI, dynamic pricing, and mobile-first solutions are reshaping the industry.
And the market is only getting bigger. The global online event ticketing market is projected to grow from $50.97B in 2024 to $53.43B in 2025—and expected to reach $69.25B by 2029 at a CAGR of 6.7%, fueled by a shift toward mobile-first purchasing experiences.
Today, more than 70% of all ticket transactions occur via mobile apps, with QR codes and NFC technology becoming the industry standard for entry. Consumers expect seamless, tap-and-go experiences, and digital ticketing is delivering that convenience.
But while the growth is exciting, the real game-changer isn’t just in selling more tickets—it’s in how tickets are sold, priced, and secured.
And for the first time in years, new technology is providing a real opportunity to fix ticketing’s biggest flaws.
What’s driving the shift?
AI-Powered Dynamic Pricing: Ticket prices are no longer static. AI-driven models now adjust prices in real-time based on demand, availability, and consumer behavior. This approach has been shown to increase revenue by up to 15%, while also ensuring tickets reach real fans instead of scalpers.
Customer Personalization & Data Analytics: AI-driven insights track consumer behavior, spending patterns, and engagement, allowing event organizers to target promotions and boost repeat attendance.
Contactless Ticketing & Mobile-First Solutions: Convenience is king. QR codes, NFC-enabled devices, and digital wallets make ticketing frictionless—reducing fraud and speeding up entry times. Consumers now expect a seamless, tap-and-go experience.
Mobile & Cloud Integration: Cloud-based ticketing platforms enable real-time updates, scalability, and frictionless mobile entry via QR codes and NFC, cutting admission times by up to 68%.
Biometric Verification: Facial recognition, fingerprint scanning, and iris detection tie tickets to verified identities, significantly reducing counterfeiting and fraud risks.
IoT & Smart Venues: RFID wristbands and smart sensors monitor crowd movement, manage entry points, and enable cashless transactions, improving operational efficiency and reducing wait times by up to 30%.
Eco-Friendly, Paperless Ticketing: Consumers are demanding sustainable solutions, and the industry is responding. The smart ticketing segment—which eliminates paper waste through mobile apps and smartcards—is set to grow from $17.19B in 2024 to $34.97B by 2029, at a 15.9% CAGR.
For event organizers, this shift has made real-time updates, mobile notifications, and personalized engagement possible. Fans can now receive alerts about seating upgrades, last-minute ticket availability, or exclusive event perks—creating new opportunities for monetization and engagement beyond just selling a ticket.
Despite these advancements, the ticketing industry still faces fundamental challenges—fraud, scalping, and resale market chaos continue to plague both fans and event organizers. AI and mobile-first solutions have improved efficiency, but they haven’t solved the underlying trust and security issues that allow bad actors to exploit the system.
That’s where blockchain enters the picture. Blockchain-based ticketing introduces smart contracts and NFT tickets that can cap resale prices, eliminate counterfeits, and give event organizers more control over the secondary market. Platforms using blockchain are already cutting fraud-related losses by up to 40%.
By introducing smart contracts, decentralized ticketing, and verifiable ownership, blockchain technology offers a fundamentally new approach—one that could eliminate counterfeits, enforce fair resale pricing, and give control back to event organizers and fans.
Reinventing Ticketing
In early 2024, Coldplay’s highly anticipated concert in India exposed the deep flaws of traditional ticketing. Within seconds, tickets were gone. Fans who had waited patiently were shut out, only to see the same tickets instantly reappear on resale platforms—at ten times the original price. Bots and scalpers had once again hijacked the system, profiting off artificial scarcity while genuine fans were left scrambling. Worse, many resold tickets were counterfeit, leading to chaos at the venue as buyers were denied entry.
This isn’t just a Coldplay problem—it’s an industry-wide failure. Every major concert, festival, and sporting event faces the same challenges:
Scalping & Price Inflation: Automated bots buy up tickets in bulk, driving up resale prices beyond affordability.
Counterfeits & Fraud: Buyers have no way to verify authenticity before purchasing on secondary markets.
Zero Transparency: Fans don’t know if they’re buying from a legitimate source, and organizers have little control over resale.
Lost Revenue: Artists and event organizers miss out as profits are funneled into third-party resellers.
The current system is broken—but it doesn’t have to be.
Blockchain ticketing presents an alternative by leveraging distributed ledger technology to create unique, tamper-proof digital assets (NFTs) that track the entire ticket lifecycle—from initial sale to resale—eliminating fraud, enforcing price controls, and ensuring transparency:
Stops Counterfeits & Fraud: Each ticket is uniquely recorded on a blockchain, making duplication impossible. Ownership records are public and verifiable in real time.
Secondary Market Control: By integrating blockchain, brands ensure that revenue from secondary ticket sales remains within the official channel, preventing unauthorized scalping and preserving brand integrity.
Revenue Streams: NFT tickets create a collectible market that generates additional income through resale royalties, appealing particularly to high-value fans and collectors.
Prevents Scalping & Price Gouging: Smart contracts can set maximum resale prices to stop unfair markups. Organizers can limit bulk purchases to ensure tickets reach real fans.
Lower Costs, No Middlemen: Direct peer-to-peer transactions cut out intermediaries like ticketing agencies. Automated smart contracts reduce administrative costs.
Better Data Control: Organizers own audience data instead of relying on third-party platforms. Blockchain allows multiple companies to build around tickets without monopolizing access.
While blockchain-based ticketing has clear advantages, widespread adoption has been slow, primarily due to transaction costs, regulatory uncertainty, and the learning curve for users unfamiliar with blockchain technology. To understand whether blockchain is a viable alternative, we need to break down the critical differences between the two systems in security, transparency, cost, scalability, and user experience—along with an in-depth financial analysis.
Blockchain vs. Traditional Ticketing: A Cost, Security, and Scalability Breakdown
To understand whether blockchain is a viable alternative, we need to break down the critical differences between the two systems in security, transparency, cost, scalability, and user experience—along with an in-depth financial analysis.
Table: 1
Aspect | Blockchain Ticketing | Traditional Ticketing | Verdict |
Security | High (immutable ledger, unique NFTs) | Medium (vulnerable to fraud) | Blockchain |
Transparency | High (all transactions recorded) | Low (opaque resale markets) | Blockchain |
Cost | Potential for lower long-term costs, but current high transaction fees | High service fees, predictable | Mixed |
User Experience | Lower (requires understanding of blockchain and digital wallets) | Higher (familiar purchasing processes) | Traditional |
Scalability | Limited (especially on public blockchains) | High (established infrastructure) | Traditional |
Security: Reducing Fraud & Counterfeits
Traditional Ticketing: Counterfeiting remains a persistent problem. Buyers often have no way to verify if a ticket purchased from a secondary seller is legitimate, leading to financial losses and security risks at events. Even large-scale events struggle with this issue—UEFA EURO 2020, for example, saw ticket fraud despite centralized control.
Blockchain Ticketing: Each ticket is recorded as an NFT on a blockchain, ensuring authenticity and preventing duplication. At UEFA EURO 2020, blockchain-based ticketing eliminated fraud by ensuring that all transactions were verifiable and secure. Over 1M tickets were distributed using this system across all 51 matches. The system utilized QR codes that were activated via Bluetooth when fans were near the stadium, preventing unauthorized resale, stopping scalpers from exploiting demand.
Beyond the Ticket: How Blockchain Unlocks Next-Level Fan Experiences
Blockchain ticketing isn’t just about stopping fraud or fixing resale markets—it’s about rethinking what a ticket can be. In traditional systems, a ticket is a pass for entry, nothing more. Once scanned, it loses all value. But with blockchain, tickets become interactive, evolving assets that connect fans and artists beyond the event itself.
By embedding additional features into blockchain-based tickets, event organizers can create new engagement models that extend before, during, and after the event, turning passive attendees into active participants in the fan experience.
NFT Tickets as Digital Collectibles
One of the simplest yet most powerful applications of blockchain in ticketing is turning tickets into collectibles. Instead of a disposable barcode, each ticket can be designed as a unique NFT—featuring exclusive artwork, artist signatures, or even multimedia content that fans can keep, trade, or showcase.
For example, sports teams are already experimenting with limited-edition NFT tickets that include highlights of key plays, signed digital memorabilia, or behind-the-scenes footage. Concerts can issue NFT tickets featuring exclusive soundchecks, setlists, or meet-and-greet footage, making the ticket itself part of the experience.
Token-Gated Access & Personalized Event Experiences
Blockchain allows for token-gated experiences, where ticket holders gain access to exclusive perks, VIP zones, or digital content based on the ticket they own. Unlike traditional ticketing systems that rely on static VIP tiers, blockchain enables a more fluid, personalized access model.
Consider a festival where NFT ticket holders unlock different perks based on their past engagement:
A fan who has attended five past events might get automatic backstage access.
A ticket holder who also owns a certain NFT from the artist’s collection could receive a signed piece of merchandise.
Superfans who engage in pre-event activities—like listening to an artist’s new album or sharing event content—could receive upgraded seats or free drinks.
This programmable access transforms ticketing from a rigid system into a dynamic, personalized engagement tool, rewarding fan loyalty in real-time.
Post-Event Utility: The Ticket That Keeps Giving
A major limitation of traditional tickets is that they expire the moment an event ends. Blockchain tickets, on the other hand, can continue to deliver value long after the event is over.
Future Discounts & Presales: NFT ticket holders could receive discounts for future events or early access to ticket sales.
Exclusive Digital Content: After a concert, ticket holders might unlock unreleased tracks, behind-the-scenes footage, or a thank-you message from the artist.
Access to Virtual Extensions of the Event: Sports teams and festivals are experimenting with NFT ticket holders getting exclusive access to post-event livestreams, interactive Q&As, or even metaverse versions of the event.
Instead of a ticket being a single-use purchase, it becomes an ongoing engagement tool that strengthens the connection between fans and organizers.
A New Era of Fan Ownership
Perhaps the most transformative shift that blockchain introduces to ticketing is giving fans actual ownership of their experiences. Instead of buying a ticket from a centralized entity that controls every aspect of access, pricing, and resale, blockchain makes tickets programmable, personalized, and persistent assets.
For fans, this means more control over their tickets, more rewards for loyalty, and deeper connections with the events they love. For organizers, it means stronger retention, direct engagement, and entirely new revenue streams beyond just selling tickets.
As blockchain ticketing matures, event organizers who embrace these new engagement models will move beyond just selling access—they will be creating a fully integrated fan experience that lives far beyond the event itself.
Ticketing Industry MM
User / Customer Layer
Ticket Distribution Channels Layer
SI Tickets
Resale Marketplaces
Platform & Frontend Layer
Ticketing Engine & Backend Layer
Blockchain / Web3 Integration Layer
Ethereum
Avalanche
Polygon
Sui
Solana
Data & Analytics Layer
Infrastructure
Core Technical Stack
Layer | Components | Benefit |
Data | NFT tickets (ERC-721/ERC-1155), IPFS metadata | Provable ticket scarcity & authenticity |
Logic | Smart contracts for: | Automated royalty payments |
| Dynamic pricing | Anti-scalping rules |
| Loyalty rewards | Community voting execution |
| Easy partner integration | Interoperable system |
Network | Appchain like Tixchain | Low fees ($0.01 transactions) |
|
| Cross-chain interoperability |
Blockchain’s Advantages & Challenges: A Reality Check
Blockchain ticketing is more than just a security upgrade—it’s an opportunity to reimagine fan engagement, ownership, and post-event utility. While blockchain has proven its ability to reduce fraud, prevent scalping, and improve transparency, its most transformative potential lies in how it extends the value of tickets beyond the event itself.
Advantages
Fraud Reduction: Immutable blockchain records cut fraud losses by up to 50%, ensuring that each ticket is verifiable and cannot be duplicated.
Fairer Distribution & Access: Blockchain enables verified fan registrations, randomized lotteries, and tiered presales, ensuring that tickets reach real fans—not bots. High-demand events can prioritize loyal customers or fan club members, creating a more equitable ticketing ecosystem.
Resale Control: Smart contracts allow organizers to set resale price limits, enforce royalties, and keep revenue within the ecosystem rather than losing it to scalpers.
Transparency & Trust: Every ticket transaction is recorded on-chain, eliminating the opacity of traditional resale markets and increasing fan confidence.
New Revenue Streams: NFT-based tickets enable ongoing monetization, allowing organizers to capture value from resale royalties, digital collectibles, and token-gated perks.
Lower Per-Ticket Costs at Scale: While blockchain introduces some upfront costs, transaction fees decrease as ticket volume grows, making it cost-effective for large-scale events.
Persistent Fan Engagement: Unlike traditional tickets that expire after use, blockchain tickets can provide long-term benefits, such as exclusive content, loyalty rewards, and access to future events.
Challenges
High Upfront Costs: Developing a blockchain ticketing system requires an initial investment of $100,000+, making it a tougher sell for smaller events.
User Adoption & Complexity: Fans unfamiliar with crypto wallets may face a learning curve, requiring event organizers to simplify onboarding.
Network Congestion & Fees: High gas fees on Ethereum can be prohibitive, though Layer 2 solutions (Polygon, Base) offer faster, cheaper alternatives.
Mainstream Integration: Blockchain-based ticketing is still in its early stages, meaning event organizers must often integrate with existing platforms like Ticketmaster or Eventbrite to ensure mainstream adoption.
The Bottom Line: When Does Blockchain Make Sense?
Blockchain ticketing isn’t a silver bullet, but for large-scale concerts, festivals, and sports events, it provides clear advantages in security, resale control, and long-term fan engagement.
For events selling 40,000+ tickets, blockchain can significantly reduce fraud, capture resale revenue, and strengthen loyalty programs. But to fully capitalize on its potential, organizers must go beyond just security and resale protections—leveraging blockchain for exclusive fan experiences, collectibles, and ongoing rewards.
The biggest barrier isn't technology—it’s adoption. Artists, teams, and event organizers must weigh the short-term complexity of implementation against the long-term revenue and engagement benefits.
The industry is at a tipping point. The question is no longer if blockchain will disrupt ticketing—but when. The real opportunity isn’t just in selling tickets securely, but in redefining what tickets can do.
Spotlight: Tixbase
Tixbase is a comprehensive, blockchain-powered ticketing platform for both B2C and C2C applications built on their own Avalanche Layer1, Tixchain. It empowers event businesses—big and small—to own their ecosystem, manage every sale securely, and deliver an exceptional fan experience.
Tixbase ensures every ticket is uniquely recorded, preventing counterfeiting, and allowing organizers to maintain full control over primary and resale markets. By integrating dynamic pricing, loyalty rewards, and real-time analytics, the platform enables businesses to optimize revenue, enhance fan engagement, and streamline operations.
Breaking the Traditional Model: Why Tixbase Stands Out
Traditional ticketing platforms—whether giants like Ticketmaster or emerging digital marketplaces—have structural inefficiencies that limit both event organizers and fans. Businesses face a trade-off:
• Lose control to ticketing giants (relinquishing data, branding, and revenue).
• Build their own system (expensive, resource-intensive).
• Use outdated tech (inflexible and hard to integrate).
Tixbase solves these problems by providing an end-to-end, white-label platform, giving ticketing businesses complete control over their ecosystem. Unlike resale platforms like StubHub or primary marketplaces like Eventim, Tixbase allows organizers to:
• Own their ticketing storefront, instead of relying on third-party platforms.
• Monetize secondary markets, capturing revenue from resales.
• Leverage blockchain security, eliminating fraud and unauthorized reselling.
Tixbase functions as both a ticketing solution and infrastructure provider, akin to how Shopify empowers merchants to manage their online stores.
Key Features & Benefits
Secure & Fraud-Proof Ticketing
Blockchain Technology (TixChain): Every ticket is uniquely recorded to prevent counterfeiting and fraud.
Digital Identity (TixID): Uses quick selfie verification and government ID matching to secure user identity.
Scalable, High-Speed Processing
Current Capacity: 2,000 transactions per second (TPS).
Planned Upgrades: Scaling to 10,000 TPS using custom queues, partner mini-chains, and parallel processing.
Enhanced Fan Engagement & Loyalty
$TIX Rewards: Fans and sellers earn tokens redeemable for perks like skipping queues, pre-sales access, and VIP experiences.
Customizable Solutions: Fully white-label options and API integrations empower brands to maintain their identity and control over data.
Event Management & Data Analytics
Smart Ticketing: Dynamic QR codes, NFC capabilities, and mobile apps streamline entry and reduce fraud.
Actionable Insights: Real-time analytics for ticket sales, attendance, and in-event behavior to optimize marketing and operations.
Tixbase’s tokenomics model plays a critical role in incentivizing engagement, reducing costs, and driving long-term sustainability. Unlike traditional ticketing platforms that extract value through high fees, Tixbase leverages its native $TIX token to create a self-sustaining ecosystem where event organizers, ticket sellers, and fans all benefit.
Use Cases & Case Studies
Tixbase acts as a:
Ticketing Platform | And, also offers: Infrastructure to build loyalty programs Better security Integrated resale marketplace Automated revenue management |
Ticketing Marketplace | And, also allows companies to own their: Tickets Brand Data |
Enterprises' Internal Systems | With: Offload maintenance Modern/flexible architecture Access to new features yearl |
Case Study #1: EXIT Festival
EXIT Festival, a two-time winner of the Best Major European Festival award, partnered with NFT-TiX (now Tixbase), and became the first major festival to sell NFT-based tickets at scale. With NFT-based tickets, it cut out scalpers while offering premium VIP experiences.
Premium Play:
VIP Gold Ticket – Priority access to exclusive zones.
VIP Infinite Experience – Backstage entry, artist meet-and-greets.
€10,000 “Beyond Infinite” Ticket – Ultra-premium festival journey
Impact:
Eliminated scalpers—fans bought directly from the source.
Guaranteed authenticity—blockchain-backed tickets.
New revenue streams—VIP perks, resale royalties, and digital collectibles.
"We partnered with Tixbase because their technology not only enhances ticket security and transparency but also ensures a secure secondary market with royalties. Together, winning the 2022 Best Innovation Award at UK Festival Awards speaks volumes.”
– Franja Santo, PM at EXIT
EXIT & Tixbase won Best Innovation Award at UK Festival Awards 2022.
Case Study #2: Passo (Turkey)
Turkey’s top ticketing company, Passo, teamed up with Tixbase, an Avalanche blockchain-powered platform, in a five-year deal that redefined event ticketing. The goal? To eliminate fraud, improve transparency, and create a seamless experience for both fans and organizers.
Impact:
25M+ tickets annually – fraud-proof & verifiable.
Blockchain-backed tickets – every transaction is recorded on-chain.
Fair resale system – prevents scalping & fake listings.
Loyalty rewards – fans earn perks for event attendance.
"Tixbase complements our commitment to a state-of-the-art ticketing platform that protects fans and delivers exceptional results." – Atil Aykar, GM at Passo
Standalone quote:
“United Music worked with Tixbase for our events, including Transmission, Techmission, and Hardmission, because their dedication to innovation and improving the fan experience is outstanding. I’m really excited to work with such a forward-thinking company.”
– Anco van der Kolk, CEO at United Music
Architecture
AWS-powered cloud -> TixChain -> mini-chains
Tixbase enables brands to:
Own their ecosystem: Maintain full control over tickets, branding, and customer data.
Drive revenue: Reduce third-party fees and create new revenue streams via secure primary and resale channels.
Enhance operational efficiency: Benefit from automated revenue management, real-time data analytics, and scalable infrastructure.
By combining customizable user experiences, actionable insights, additional revenue channels, and operational efficiencies, Tixbase empowered brands to not only enhance their ticketing operations but also drive strategic marketing decisions and long-term growth.
Paper tickets are becoming obsolete. As consumer expectations shift, ticketing businesses will need smarter, more secure, and flexible solutions to stay competitive. Tixbase modernizes event ticketing with a secure, scalable, and rewards-driven system—empowering organizers like Shopify did for merchants.
Example #2: SI Tickets
Sports Illustrated is a name synonymous with sports history, credibility, and fan culture. With a 70-year legacy, the brand has been at the center of the biggest sporting moments, giving fans access to sports, concerts and theater events around the world. Now, with Sports Illustrated Tickets (SI Tickets), the company is extending that influence into the ticketing space—bringing a fairer, more transparent, and innovative solution to sports, concerts, and theater events.
SI Tickets isn’t just another ticketing platform—it’s a direct response to fan frustration with hidden fees, lack of control, and outdated engagement models. Leveraging blockchain technology on Avalanche, SI Tickets is eliminating price gouging, turning tickets into dynamic digital assets, and unlocking new revenue opportunities for brands and venues.
From Tech to Impact
While SI Tickets differentiates itself through transparent pricing and enterprise-grade infrastructure, its real game-changer is blockchain —while cutting fees by up to 50% compared to traditional platforms:
With instant finality and ultra-low transaction fees, Avalanche enables seamless ticket purchases, transfers, and resales, ensuring that each ticket’s provenance is immutable and fraud-proof.
Smart contract automation allows event organizers to control resale pricing, enforce royalty distributions, and eliminate scalping, ensuring that revenue stays within the official ecosystem. For the first time, event organizers can earn on every resale, turning the secondary market from a liability into a revenue stream.
Fans can receive exclusive content, loyalty rewards, and long-term engagement opportunities tied to their event attendance.
By embedding blockchain into its ticketing infrastructure, SI Tickets is redefining what it means to own a ticket.
Case Study #1: New York Red Bull
Sports Illustrated Tickets and the New York Red Bulls announced a 13-year partnership that transformed the iconic Red Bull Arena into Sports Illustrated Stadium. This historic rebranding marks the first stadium naming rights deal in Sports Illustrated’s 70-year legacy and sets a new benchmark for fan engagement.
Official partnership: From 2026, SI Tickets becomes the official ticketing partner for a range of events.
Blockchain ticketing: Powered by Box Office, transforming tickets into dynamic digital assets with exclusive perks.
“Events and venues around the world are constantly trying to improve their value to the fans and the overall experience. Sports Illustrated Tickets, part of the Sports Illustrated Family, brings 70 years of experience, and now with a global live event platform to help its partners achieve that goal.”
– David Lane, CEO, Sports Illustrated Tickets
Other Examples
Event | Year | Adoption Level | Details |
UEFA EURO 2020 | 2021 | Full (Mobile App for 1M+ Tickets) | Blockchain for distribution, security, and sustainability. |
Monaco Grand Prix (F1) | 2023 | Partial (NFT Tickets) | NFT tickets on Polygon, collectible value, unclear full integration. |
FIFA World Cup 2018 (VIP) | 2018 | Partial (VIP Tickets Only) | Blockchain for VIP sales, limited to specific tickets. |
Coachella | 2022 | Partial (NFT Lifetime Passes) | NFTs for additional perks, not the main ticketing system. |
Kings of Leon Concerts | 2021 | Partial (NFT Tickets) | NFTs for VIP experiences, not general entry. |
Mastercard Web3 UEFA Champions League Trivia Competition | 2024 (2023/24 season) | Early Innovator | A real-time, Web3-based trivia contest for UEFA Champions League fans. Participants unlock quizzes via NFT digital passes from the "pass to priceless" platform, with rewards including match tickets and a grand prize for the final at Wembley Stadium. |
UEFA Euro 2020
The tournament distributed close to 1M tickets through the UEFA EURO 2020 Mobile Tickets app, developed in partnership with SecuTix Solutions. This system used QR codes activated via Bluetooth near stadiums, preventing copying and ensuring security.
Aspect | Details |
Event Name | UEFA EURO 2020 |
Dates | June 11 - July 11, 2021 |
Blockchain Technology | Hyperledger Fabric |
Ticket Format | Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on blockchain |
Distribution Channel | Mobile app (UEFA EURO 2020 Mobile Tickets) |
Verification Method | QR codes activated via Bluetooth |
Security Features | Each ticket unique and tamper-proof |
Fan Experience | Convenient ticket management and entry |
Sustainability | Reduced paper waste |
Partner | SecuTix Solutions |
Tickets Distributed | Over 1M |
Notable Achievements | First major international tournament to use blockchain ticketing on such a large scale |
Challenges | Multi-venue coordination, pandemic adaptations |
Formula 1’s Monaco Grand Prix
While not fully adopted, the Monaco Grand Prix in Formula 1 issued NFT tickets on the Polygon blockchain for the event held May 26-28, 2023. Platinium Group, a primary ticket provider for Formula 1, partnered with Elemint and Bary to issue these tickets, which served as both entry passes and collectibles.
Aspect | Details |
Event | Monaco Grand Prix |
Dates | May 26-28, 2023 |
Blockchain Platform | Polygon |
Partners | Platinium Group, Elemint, Bary |
Ticket Type | NFT (Non-Fungible Token) |
Primary Functions | Secure entry, prevent counterfeiting, digital collectibles |
Additional Perks | Hospitality benefits, future race discounts, exclusive party access |
User Experience | Seamless, QR code or digital wallet for entry, no reported issues |
Future Plans | Potential expansion to other Grand Prix, loyalty benefits |
Coachella
In 2022, Coachella partnered with FTX to sell lifetime passes as NFTs on the Solana blockchain, providing perpetual festival access. After FTX's collapse, they shifted to OpenSea, using the Avalanche blockchain for 2024 NFT drops, which include VIP passes and perks like access to exclusive areas.
Aspect | Details |
Event | Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival |
Dates | 2022-2024 |
Blockchain Platforms | Solana (2022, FTX partnership), Avalanche (2024, OpenSea partnership) |
NFT Offerings | Lifetime passes (2022), VIP passes, exclusive area access, merchandise |
General Ticketing System | Traditional, via AXS, wristband registration through Coachella Mobile App |
User Verification | Likely via digital wallet or app for NFT benefits |
Additional Features | On-chain games, quests, and rewards on Avalanche |
Challenges | User technical barriers, transaction costs |
FIFA World Cup 2018 (VIP)
The 2018 FIFA World Cup, adopted blockchain technology for VIP ticket sales. Shankai Sports, a Chinese sports marketing company, collaborated with AlphaWallet to tokenize VIP tickets.
Aspect | Details |
Event | FIFA World Cup 2018, VIP Tickets |
Company | Shankai Sports (China-based sports marketing) |
Technology Partner | AlphaWallet |
Blockchain Platform | Ethereum, using ERC875 token standard |
Ticket Type | NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) |
Functionality | Secure sales, distribution, fulfillment; redeemable for entry; transferable/sellable |
Innovation | First use of blockchain for ticket distribution in major international event |
Additional Feature | MagicLink for URL-based token sales, no receiver info needed |
Strategic Actionable Insights & Recommendations
The future of ticketing is already unfolding, but successful adoption requires smart, phased implementation. Blockchain ticketing presents an opportunity to eliminate fraud, capture resale revenue, and deepen fan engagement—but jumping in blindly is not the answer. Business leaders must test, refine, and scale their approach to maximize ROI. Here’s how to do it:
Start with a Controlled Pilot Program
Rather than overhauling your entire ticketing infrastructure, begin with a limited-use case to test blockchain’s impact. Focus on VIP experiences, exclusive presales, or premium ticket tiers—segments where security, authenticity, and engagement drive the most value.
Why? A targeted pilot minimizes risk, allows for controlled data collection, and generates early PR buzz without disrupting existing sales operations.
Example: Issue NFT-based VIP tickets for backstage access, premium seating, meet-and-greets, or exclusive merchandise.
Execution: Partner with an existing blockchain ticketing platform (like Tixbase or SI TIckets) to avoid high development costs while testing adoption and fan response.
Go Mobile-First & Cloud-Native
Today, 70%+ of ticket purchases happen on mobile—and that number is growing. A seamless, app-driven experience is essential for blockchain ticketing adoption.
Build Mobile-First Ticketing: Ensure fans can buy, store, and transfer blockchain-based tickets through an intuitive mobile app with QR codes, NFC compatibility, and wallet integrations.
Leverage Cloud-Based Infrastructure: Use scalable, AWS-powered solutions to handle peak sales demand, ensuring real-time updates, smooth ticket delivery, and fraud prevention.
Monetize & Protect the Secondary Market
The resale market is an untapped revenue stream for organizers, while scalpers continue to profit at fans’ expense. Blockchain reshapes secondary ticketing by enabling price controls, royalties, and fraud-proof transactions.
Set Smart Resale Rules: Implement resale price caps, whitelisting for verified resellers, and automated royalty payments to capture revenue from secondary sales while maintaining fair pricing.
Enhance Transparency: Give fans full visibility into resale history, pricing, and authenticity—increasing trust and reducing disputes.
Leverage Data to Drive Engagement & Loyalty
Blockchain-based ticketing creates a wealth of first-party data that traditional platforms hoard for themselves. Event organizers can own and analyze audience insights, leading to smarter marketing and better fan experiences.
Target High-Value Fans: Use on-chain data to segment VIP buyers, repeat attendees, and top spenders, then deliver exclusive presale offers, discounts, or loyalty perks via email, push notifications, or NFTs.
Create Long-Term Fan Relationships: Reward engagement through blockchain-based loyalty programs, where fans earn points for attendance, purchases, or interactions, redeemable for discounts, exclusive content, or VIP access.
Optimize Pricing & Demand with AI
Dynamic pricing has boosted revenue by up to 30% for ticketing platforms using AI. Combining AI with blockchain’s transparency can optimize demand-based pricing while ensuring fairness.
Real-Time Price Adjustments: Deploy AI-driven models that adjust ticket prices based on demand, historical trends, and competitor benchmarks.
Prevent Price Gouging: Use smart contracts to limit resale markups, ensuring fair market value for fans and organizers alike.
Scale with Web3-Ready Infrastructure
For blockchain ticketing to succeed long-term, it must be as seamless as traditional solutions—but with added security and engagement benefits.
Simplify Web3 Onboarding: Reduce friction by integrating with existing ticketing systems (e.g., Ticketmaster, Eventbrite) while educating users through built-in, non-technical blockchain wallets.
Leverage existing Infrastructure like Tixchain, or build your own custom ticketing stack using an Avalanche L1 : High Ethereum fees are a barrier—use chains like Avalanche to ensure low-cost, high-speed transactions.
The Web3 Tech Stack
The Bottom Line
Blockchain won’t replace traditional ticketing overnight—but businesses that start now, test early, and refine their strategy will lead the next era of fan engagement. The real value isn’t just in stopping scalpers or preventing fraud—it’s in monetizing engagement, deepening fan relationships, and controlling the ticketing economy.
The winners in this space won’t be those who simply sell tickets. They’ll be the ones who own their ticketing ecosystem, capture resale profits, and turn one-time buyers into lifelong fans
