Blockchain betting on the 2026 World Cup reached $20 billion across all markets, with $5.7 billion wagered during the five-week tournament itself.
Daily volumes ran around $50 million during qualifying, sometimes exceeding $100 million. Once the main matches began they climbed to $250 million a day. The Spain-Argentina final was the peak, drawing more than $300 million in blockchain bets on a single match.
Niche markets also attracted significant sums. A prediction market on whether Cristiano Ronaldo would cry at the end of his World Cup appearance drew $49 million. Chainalysis research found that 55% of users across all World Cup markets finished in profit, with 79% of those being experienced platform participants.
More than 400,000 wallets participated, with bettors estimated to have come from every continent except Antarctica. The USA and China led by trading volume, followed by Canada, Thailand, and the United Kingdom.
Bloomberg reported a higher total of $50 billion for World Cup markets and named Kalshi as the largest single platform, with $40 billion in tournament trading. Blockchain prediction platforms captured 27% of the U.S. sports betting market during the tournament, Bloomberg reported.
