Björn Borg helps couples walk down aisle on blockchain

Swedish sportswear brand Björn Borg is aiming to reinvent marriage with blockchain technology.

The thinking here is that this area is controlled by governments and religions and, as a result, same-sex marriages are forbidden in 87% of all countries in the world. Enter Marriage Unblocked – a digital platform built by Superblocks where everyone can propose, exchange vows and get married on blockchain. They can choose to keep the record anonymous or show a certificate proudly in public, although they won't get any equal or legal rights.

The initiative ties into Björn Borg's long-running brand promise Love For All, asserting that sport is love and love is equal. The first couple to get married on Marriage Unblocked is Sybille and Alexandra from Switzerland, a country where same-sex marriages are not recognised by law. “We can now call each other wife and wife. This feels absolutely fantastic! Our blockchain marriage won't give us any equal and legal rights yet, but feeling more accepted is a big step forward. We thoroughly hope marriage unblocked helps push societies to recognise a basic human right – marriage equality,” they say.

“Blockchain is not just a technological revolution, it is primarily a socioeconomic revolution. Through its permissionless nature, blockchain can provide new perspectives and solutions to many of the new challenges that societies face today. Marriage Unblocked is a great example of how we can use technology to question how marriage is controlled and set up,” says Thomas Backlund, Founder of Superblocks.