Team Heretics swept MIBR 2-0 on July 5 to punch their ticket deeper into the Esports World Cup 2026 VALORANT bracket. This is the first year crypto firms are officially allowed to sponsor the EWC, and they’re not just slapping logos on jerseys.
Coinbase and Bitget have entered the tournament as sponsors, rolling out prediction markets tied to match outcomes. Crypto exchanges are turning competitive gaming into a live trading event.
The match and the money behind it
The VALORANT segment of EWC 2026 features 16 teams competing in Paris from July 2 through July 12. The prize pool for the VALORANT portion alone sits at $2 million.
The total prize pool across all EWC 2026 events clocks in at $75 million, with $30 million earmarked for the Club Championship.
