The biggest sporting event on the planet is underway in the US, and the crypto markets adjacent to it are doing exactly what you’d expect: getting weird.

England captain Harry Kane has joined his squad stateside for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, gearing up for a quarter-final clash against Norway. It’s his third World Cup, he’s Bayern Munich’s striker, and he holds the record as England’s all-time leading goalscorer with over 60 international goals.

The fan token play

Tokens like $KANE and $CHK have experienced volatility fluctuating alongside match results and squad announcements. Fans buy tokens associated with players or teams, sometimes for voting rights on minor club decisions, sometimes purely for speculation. When a team advances, demand spikes. When they lose, well. You can guess.

Digital collectibles find their tournament moment

Beyond tokens, the digital collectibles space has carved out a meaningful niche around the World Cup. Platforms like Sorare, which lets users trade and manage fantasy football cards as NFTs, tend to see usage spikes during major international tournaments. Panini Prizm cards, the blockchain-enabled version of trading cards, have also gained traction.

The 2022 Qatar World Cup saw fan tokens rally and then retreat once the final whistle blew in December of that year.

Prediction markets are the quiet winner

Platforms allowing users to bet on match outcomes, tournament winners, and individual player performances using crypto have grown substantially. These markets offer real-time odds that often move faster than traditional sportsbooks, creating arbitrage opportunities for sharp traders.

Coach Thomas Tuchel announced his 26-player squad back on May 22, and the team has been in the US since early June, training first in the West Palm Beach area and now in Fort Lauderdale.