The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off with the kind of drama screenwriters would reject for being too on-the-nose. The Netherlands and Japan played to a 2-2 draw on June 14 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with Daichi Kamada burying an equalizer in the 88th minute to deny the Dutch what looked like a comfortable win.

Japanese fans were euphoric. Dutch supporters, who watched a two-minute collapse erase what should have been three points, were decidedly less so. But the real subplot of this tournament’s opening chapter isn’t happening on the pitch. It’s happening on the blockchain.

Crypto scores its first World Cup sponsorship

Five days before kickoff, Kraken was named the Official Crypto Exchange Supporter of…