The 2026 FIFA World Cup is not just the largest soccer tournament in history. It is shaping up to be the most crypto-saturated sporting event ever staged.

As Spain and Belgium prepare to face off in a quarterfinal at Los Angeles Stadium on July 10, the match is taking place inside an ecosystem where a crypto exchange holds official tournament sponsorship, an L1 blockchain powers digital collectibles, and fan tokens are moving in real time based on match results.

The deals that got us here

Kraken was announced as the Official Crypto Exchange Supporter of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on June 9, 2026, making it the first crypto exchange to hold that designation at the tournament level.

Kraken has structured promotional…