The 2026 FIFA World Cup generated $20 billion in blockchain-based prediction market volume across 400,000+ wallets, according to Chainalysis, the blockchain analytics firm. Wagers placed during the five-week tournament itself totaled $5.7 billion.
World Cup-related markets accounted for 63% of all prediction market activity during the period, Chainalysis found. Bettors from every continent except Antarctica participated. The United States and China generated the highest attributable trading volumes, followed by Canada, Thailand, and the United Kingdom.
Digital collectible trades tied to the tournament reached $24 million. FIFA Collect, the platform distributing match tickets as NFTs, issued 100,000+ tickets through blockchain. Less than 0.01% of FIFA Collect users had ties to sanctioned entities, Chainalysis reported.
Illicit activity remained minimal across prediction markets. Fewer than 1% of wallets showed connections to illicit actors. Flows from sanctioned entities and illicit sources totaled $5.4 million. Chainalysis attributed the low illicit participation partly to FIFA Collect’s identity verification requirements.
The report suggests blockchain will play a growing role in major global events. Chainalysis did not specify which individual prediction market platforms accounted for the $20 billion volume or detail the methodology used to attribute trading volumes by country.
