The FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 is in the books, and while France, Argentina, Spain, and Morocco are among the teams punching their quarterfinal tickets, a parallel tournament is playing out on the blockchain.
Kraken, FIFA Collect, and the crypto infrastructure behind the cup
The headline partnership came on June 9, 2026, just two days before the tournament kicked off across Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Kraken was named FIFA’s first Official Crypto Exchange Supporter for North America and Europe. The deal included ticket giveaways and promotional campaigns designed to pull sports fans into the crypto funnel.
Then there’s FIFA Collect, which launched in May 2026 with dynamic NFTs and limited “Right-to-Buy” collectible assets. One collection raised approximately $115,000 in just 24 minutes, selling out almost immediately.
FIFA Collect also made a significant technical move, migrating its infrastructure from Algorand to an Avalanche-based blockchain. The switch was aimed at improving performance under load.
