A VAR review overturning a penalty decision during England’s Round of 16 match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Mexico City made headlines for football fans. But for anyone watching the crypto industry’s slow march into mainstream culture, the more interesting replay was happening off the pitch.

Kraken was named the Official Crypto Exchange Supporter of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on June 9, putting a major exchange’s branding in front of billions of viewers at the most-watched sporting event on the planet.

Crypto scores a front-row seat at the World Cup

FIFA has been building blockchain infrastructure with Algorand, which powers the organization’s blockchain-based ticketing system. The idea is straightforward:…