Chainalysis research finds the 2026 World Cup generated $20 billion in prediction market volume and $24 million in digital collectible trades.
Chainalysis has published research showing the 2026 FIFA World Cup generated $20 billion in prediction market volume from January 2026 onward and $24 million in digital collectible trading volume since May 2025. Around 400,000 wallets interacted with blockchain-based prediction markets during the tournament, generating $5.7 billion in volume.
Daily prediction market activity ran at roughly $50 million in the qualification run-up, jumped to around $250 million once matches began on 11 June, and peaked above $300 million during the final, when Spain beat Argentina. World Cup markets accounted for approximately 63% of total prediction market volume during the tournament, with the US, China, Canada, Thailand, and the UK leading participation; 55% of bettors finished ahead, and 79% of those winners were experienced prediction market users.
Around 3,700 wallets, which accounted for less than 1% of the total, had ties to illicit activity. These wallets saw $5.4 million in flows from sanctioned exchange Huobi/HTX, alongside smaller volumes tied to scams, stolen funds, and OTC desks. By contrast, FIFA’s official “FIFA Collect” platform, which let fans buy and sell digital collectibles and convert them into World Cup tickets, saw negligible exposure to illicit funds.
Built on Avalanche, the platform’s central wallet took in $24 million in payments from May 2025 through the end of the tournament, with FIFA collecting an estimated $6 million from secondary-market transactions after its 5% cut, and more than 100,000 fans used the platform to secure match tickets.
Chainalysis attributes the low illicit exposure to FIFA Collect’s strict KYC checks, which required identity verification and a declared source of funds before ticket access.
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