World Cup emerges as one of prediction markets' biggest events

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World Cup drives $20 billion

Highlights

World Cup prediction markets generated $20 billion.
Nearly 400,000 crypto wallets participated.
FIFA Collect processed $24 million in trades.

Chainalysis reported that World Cup prediction markets generated about $20 billion in volume from January through the end of the tournament. Nearly 400,000 wallets participated, producing $5.7 billion in transactions during the five-week competition itself, while FIFA-linked digital collectibles added another $24 million in stablecoin-powered activity.

Prediction markets dominate crypto activity

On-chain betting began months before the opening match. Daily World Cup prediction market volume was already close to $50 million in January, covering qualification results, group placements, and potential tournament winners. During the busiest periods before the competition, activity exceeded $100 million a day.

Volume accelerated after the tournament began on June 11, climbing to roughly $250 million a day. More than $300 million was traded around the final between Spain and Argentina, while World Cup-related markets accounted for approximately 63% of all prediction market volume during the competition.

The largest markets focused on match outcomes and the eventual champion, but traders also backed less conventional questions. A market on whether Cristiano Ronaldo would cry at the end of his final World Cup campaign generated $49 million in volume. Overall, 55% of participants finished with a profit, and most successful traders had previous prediction market experience.

Digital collectibles offered access to tickets

FIFA Collect, built on the Avalanche blockchain, allowed supporters to trade digital football collectibles and use some assets to obtain the right to buy match tickets. More than 100,000 fans secured tickets through the platform, according to FIFA Collect.

Chainalysis identified $24 million in payments to the platform between May 2025 and the tournament final. Its analysis indicated that FIFA received at least $6 million from secondary-market transactions, which carried a 5% fee. Most funds came from wallets with an established history of blockchain use rather than first-time crypto participants.

Compliance becomes part of the sports economy

The World Cup showed two different models of on-chain activity. Open prediction markets attracted enormous global liquidity but also some questionable flows: about 3,700 participating wallets, fewer than 1% of the total, had identifiable links to illicit actors. FIFA Collect recorded negligible direct exposure, which Chainalysis linked to identity checks, source-of-funds declarations, and manual account reviews.

The contrast matters as sports organizations experiment with blockchain payments, tickets, and fan assets. Large events can bring crypto to mainstream audiences, but their success will increasingly depend on whether platforms can combine global access with effective transaction monitoring.

We also reported where World Cup 2026 stars invest.

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