Kraken Sits Beside Traditionals as Crypto Exchange Sponsor at World Cup

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar featured Algorand-powered NFTs, but FIFA's latest partnership signals a shift towards onboarding fans directly into trading. Kraken became the first crypto exchange to secure an official sponsorship deal with FIFA as its Official Crypto Exchange Supporter.

This move represents institutional validation from outside the crypto bubble. FIFA doesn't partner with fringe companies, and having a crypto exchange alongside traditional sponsors in the World Cup ecosystem signals that the reputational gap continues to narrow.

Trading volumes on Chiliz, the dominant player in the sports fan token space, have surged during the tournament's knockout rounds. Fan tokens are utility tokens tied to specific teams, giving holders voting rights and access to exclusive experiences. Every goal, every upset, and every penalty shootout moves the needle on token trading activity.

Prediction markets have also seen increased activity in crypto, with users placing wagers on match outcomes and individual player performances using digital assets. The quarterfinal slate runs from July 9 through July 11, meaning several more days of peak activity for these platforms.