Chainalysis traces $5.4M in sanctioned funds through World Cup betting markets
Blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis said in a report published July 30 that $20 billion was bet on the World Cup through on-chain prediction markets. Of that flow, the firm traced $5.4 million to sanctioned exchanges and other illicit sources.
Betting volume peaked above $300 million on final day
During the tournament, about 400,000 wallets bet on the blockchain. Chainalysis put daily volume at about $50 million during the qualifying stretch in early 2026 and more than $250 million once matches began on June 11. It pulled in more than $300 million the day Spain beat Argentina in the final.
Measured from January onwards, ~$5.7 billion of the total $20 billion was traded during the five weeks of the tournament itself. World Cup questions accounted for ~63% of all prediction market activity during that period.
“During the tournaments, FIFA World Cup markets made up approximately 63% of total prediction market volume,” the report said.
Traders in the US and China were the biggest contributors to the volume. Then came Canada, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. And the winners were the majority, with Chainalysis discovering that 55% of bettors were in profit. About 80% of them have already traded in prediction markets.
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