The 2026 FIFA World Cup drove $20 billion in blockchain-based prediction market quantity and $24 million in digital collectible trades, with greater than 400,000 wallets taking part in blockchain-based betting, in keeping with a report from blockchain analytics agency Chainalysis.
The $20 billion determine consists of buying and selling earlier than and in the course of the event, with bettors inserting roughly $5.7 billion in wagers over the five-week World Cup itself. World Cup-related markets accounted for about 63% of all prediction market exercise throughout that interval, the report mentioned.
In accordance with Chainalysis, customers from each continent besides Antarctica participated in World Cup prediction markets, with the US and China producing the best attributable buying and selling volumes, adopted by Canada, Thailand and the UK.
Regardless of the dimensions of betting exercise, illicit participation remained restricted. Chainalysis mentioned fewer than 1% of wallets taking part in World Cup prediction markets had ties to illicit actors, although it recognized roughly $5.4 million in flows originating from sanctioned entities and different illicit sources.
The report additionally highlighted rising adoption of blockchain-based digital collectibles. Followers traded about $24 million value of FIFA Accumulate NFTs in the course of the event, whereas greater than 100,000 match tickets have been distributed via the platform. Wallets linked to sanctioned entities accounted for lower than 0.01% of FIFA Accumulate customers, which Chainalysis attributed partially to the platform’s identification verification necessities.
Chainalysis mentioned the findings recommend blockchain will play a rising position in main world occasions and underscored the significance of compliance measures as platforms appeal to broader participation.