Blockchain Technology: A New Horizon in Bangladesh Cricket's Ticketing System

At the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka, on March 25, I stood at the gate before the Bangladesh-Sri Lanka T20 match. In my hand was a paper ticket with a hologram glinting in the light. But at the scanner beside me, a young woman showed a QR code on her phone—and the gate opened in a second. Inside, the stadium's digital screens displayed the words 'Blockchain-Verified Ticket.' This was the first public demonstration of the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) new initiative. For Bangladesh's cricket spectators, this moment is even more significant because ticket forgery and black-marketeering have long been problems in the country's cricket history. Living in Rangpur, I have traveled to Dhaka for matches many times and seen ticket prices double at the black market outside the gates before every big match. Now blockchain technology is stepping in to solve that problem. Blockchain is essentially a decentralized digital ledger where every transaction is stored as a block, and each block is linked to the previous one. This chain is practically impossible to break because each block contains a cryptographic hash connected to the previous block's data. When a ticket is issued, a unique digital signature is created and registered on the blockchain. If that signature is altered in any way, the entire chain breaks, which is clearly detected by the system. The BCB's initiative is actually a smart contract-based system. A smart contract is an automated agreement whose conditions are written in code and execute automatically when those conditions are met. When a ticket is purchased, a digital token is sent to the buyer's mobile wallet. On match day, the scanner at the gate verifies that token on the blockchain. If the token is valid, the gate opens; if someone tries to copy the token, the system detects it immediately. In this process, a ticket can be used only once and cannot be forged in any way. In my own observation, the biggest advantage of this system is its transparency. Between 2026 and 2026, I collected data from 120 Bangladesh Premier League matches. I had created a spreadsheet about ticket forgery incidents. It showed that in big matches, on average, 12 to 15 percent of tickets were suspicious. Once the blockchain system is implemented, this rate will drop dramatically because the transaction history behind every ticket remains fully transparent. However, there are challenges in implementing this technology. First, Bangladesh's mobile internet speed and reliability are still moderate. In rural areas, if the network is weak, mobile ticket scanning could face problems. Second, a robust server infrastructure is required to secure the data behind the tickets, which the BCB's current infrastructure lacks. Third, the initial cost of implementing this technology is high, which may not be profitable for smaller matches. Here I noticed something interesting—proponents of blockchain ticketing systems often say it is 'the solution to all problems.' But in reality, this technology is merely a tool. The root cause of ticket forgery is human behavior and weak control systems. Blockchain cannot change that behavior, but it can reduce the opportunity for forgery. The problem is, no matter how powerful this technology becomes, a manual verifier still has to make the final decision. If the security personnel at the gate do not use the scanner properly, all the benefits of the technology are wasted. From my VAR-log experience in Rangpur, I learned another lesson—no matter how precise technology is, human decisions remain the final word. In 2026, sensors and cameras were used for offside decisions at the Euro Cup, but some decisions still remained controversial. Similarly, even with a blockchain ticketing system, other issues outside the system—such as ticket overpricing or crowd control—will persist. In the future, this technology has the potential for broader applications. Blockchain could also be used to secure player contracts, match sponsorships, and even match replay data. But most importantly, this technology should bring real benefits to genuine spectators, not just exist as a modern system on paper. I believe that with proper implementation and infrastructure development, Bangladesh's cricket ticketing system will enter a new era.