Blockchain Betting Volume Surges to $20 Billion During 2026 World Cup

The 2026 FIFA World Cup saw a massive surge in blockchain-based prediction market volume, reaching $20 billion, according to Chainalysis. This figure includes both pre-tournament trading and in-tournament wagers.

Bettors placed approximately $5.7 billion in wagers during the five-week tournament itself, with more than 400,000 wallets participating from every continent except Antarctica.

The United States and China led the way in attributable trading volumes, followed by Canada, Thailand, and the UK. This widespread geographic interest points to a growing demand for blockchain-based betting tools among fans.

Chainalysis also found that fewer than 1% of wallets tied to World Cup prediction markets had links to illicit actors, although $5.4 million in flows connected to sanctioned entities and other illicit sources were identified.