The 2026 FIFA World Cup generated $20 billion in blockchain-based prediction market volume and $24 million in digital collectible trades, with more than 400,000 wallets participating in blockchain-based betting, according to a report from blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis.

Chainalysis, a leading blockchain data and analytics company headquartered in New York, provides cryptocurrency investigation and compliance tools used by governments, exchanges, and financial institutions worldwide.

The $20 billion figure encompasses trading both before and during the tournament, with bettors placing approximately $5.7 billion in wagers over the five-week World Cup itself. World Cup-related markets accounted for about 63% of all prediction market activity during that period, the report stated.

Blockchain-based prediction markets allow users to wager on the outcomes of real-world events using cryptocurrency. These platforms have grown significantly in recent years, attracting users who value the transparency of on-chain settlement and the ability to trade on a wide range of topics including sports, politics, and finance. Prediction markets gained wider mainstream visibility during the 2024 US presidential election cycle, when platforms like Polymarket recorded billions in trading volume, helping establish on-chain event markets as a recognizable category beyond crypto-native communities.

According to Chainalysis, users from every continent except Antarctica participated in World Cup prediction markets. The United States and China generated the highest attributable trading volumes, followed by Canada, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. The 2026 tournament was co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the first World Cup to be hosted across three nations.

Despite the scale of betting activity, illicit participation remained limited. Chainalysis reported that fewer than 1% of wallets participating in World Cup prediction markets had ties to illicit actors, though it identified roughly $5.4 million in flows originating from sanctioned entities and other illicit sources.

The report also highlighted growing adoption of blockchain-based digital collectibles. Fans traded approximately $24 million worth of FIFA Collect NFTs during the tournament, while more than 100,000 match tickets were distributed through the platform. Wallets linked to sanctioned entities accounted for less than 0.01% of FIFA Collect users, a figure Chainalysis attributed in part to the platform's identity verification requirements.

FIFA Collect is part of a broader trend of sports organizations issuing NFT-based digital collectibles, allowing fans to own and trade officially licensed digital memorabilia on blockchain networks. The ticketing distribution also reflects a push by event organizers toward blockchain-based credentialing, which can reduce fraud and enable secondary-market controls through verifiable digital ownership.

Chainalysis said the findings suggest blockchain technology will play a growing role in major global events and underscored the importance of compliance measures as platforms attract broader participation.

Source: CryptoNews