The 2026 FIFA World Cup has produced 11 stoppage-time winning goals so far, the most decisive last-gasp strikes in any single edition of the tournament.
How crypto became a co-star at the World Cup
Kraken was named the Official Crypto Exchange Supporter of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on June 9, 2026, a partnership that includes Bitcoin giveaways tied to trading volume on the platform.
Then there’s FIFA Collect, the governing body’s blockchain-powered digital collectibles platform. FIFA migrated the platform to an EVM-compatible Avalanche blockchain, allowing fans to trade match-specific digital collectibles and even access ticketing features through the chain. The platform is built to handle a tournament spanning 104 matches across three countries.
EVM compatibility means developers and users already familiar with Ethereum’s tooling can interact with FIFA Collect without learning a new tech stack. Lower transaction fees compared to Ethereum mainnet don’t hurt either when you’re processing millions of potential microtransactions from fans around the world.
