Turkish amateur football player paid in Bitcoin

By Onur Orhan

SAKARYA, Turkey (AA) - An amateur Turkish football club has acquired a player by paying in Bitcoin.

Harunustaspor said it had signed 22-year-old Omer Faruk Kiroglu by paying in cryptocurrency, a first in the world of football, according to the club.

"We decided to do it to be mentioned in Turkey and the world. Our club is playing for the title. I hope this 'Bitcoin signing' will bring us the title," said the club's chairman Haldun Sehit at the signing ceremony late Tuesday.

Kiroglu was offered 0.0524 in Bitcoin, about $530.4 at 1045GMT, and 2,500 Turkish liras ($666) for the rest of the season.

Based in the northwestern province of Sakarya, Harunustaspor plays in the first Amateur Division Group B.

Created in 2009 by an unidentified person under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin's value of bitcoin increased more than 1,200 percent last year, rising to $13,800 on Dec. 31 after beginning the year at $999.

Bitcoin's value climbed to its highest level of $19,900 on Dec. 17, and then lost 50 percent of its value in a month to fall below $1,000 on Jan. 16.