FunPlus Phoenix didn’t just win a Valorant match on July 10, 2026. They also moved over $1.5 million through prediction markets on Polymarket alone, turning a routine group stage opener into one of the most-traded esports events in crypto betting history.
The team swept Trace Esports 2-0 in the opening match of VCT 2026: China Stage 2, a result that surprised approximately nobody who’d been paying attention to the head-to-head record between these two squads.
The match and the money behind it
FPX entered Group Alpha’s Best of 3 format with a commanding 6-3 historical advantage over Trace Esports. They proceeded to play exactly like a team with a 6-3 historical advantage, dropping zero maps in a clean sweep.
The roster got a notable upgrade heading into the tournament. Colin “coconut” Chung was signed as FPX’s new in-game leader on June 25, 2026, roughly two weeks before the opener.
