According to foreign sources, Kraken became a supporter of the FIFA World Cup Official Encryption Exchange in 2026, which was the first time that an encrypted exchange had entered the official cooperation system for this event. According to the article, the focus of this collaboration is not just on exposure, but rather on promoting user education, account opening and branding through the flow of global events.

Partnership covers the entire World Cup

According to information published by FIFA on 9 June, Kraken has acquired the status of an “official encryption exchange supporter” through the parent company Payward. Cooperation covers the entire 2026 World Cup, not a single team, field or rebroadcaster.

This means that other exchanges will not be able to acquire the same official identity during the current cycle. According to the article, this type of exclusive arrangement allows Kraken to enter the FIFA official cooperation list directly and no longer at the level of club sponsorship or curatorship.

The World Cup will be co-organized by the United States, Canada and Mexico and will be expanded to 48 teams, with 104 games. Kraken's brand shows and activity windows will run through the entire period from 11 June to 19 July.

Focus on rehabilitation and opening of accounts

According to the article, this cooperation was not just a side ad. FIFA and Kraken have publicly focused their cooperation on fan interaction, user education and account opening guidance.

  • Tickets for Underline Interactive Event
  • Encryption education for fans
  • Lead design around opening accounts and product experience

According to the article, Kraken wants to use the super-flow of the World Cup to turn the one-time viewers into long-term users. This time, more emphasis is placed on transformational efficiency and user retention than the “money-sharp-for-exposure” common in the last round of industry.

Support level below top sponsorship Business

The article also notes that Kraken's “Supporter” is not the highest level of FIFA cooperation. The FIFA business cooperation is usually sold in layers, at the top of which are global partners that cover multiple cycles, under the single World Cup sponsors, and below.

Kraken ' s hierarchy usually corresponds to more limited regional interests. According to the article, its focus is on North America and Europe, largely corresponding to the host region and the main growth market of Kraken.

Although the parties did not disclose the amount, the article mentions that the cost of cooperation at this level is generally significantly lower than the top global sponsorship. In other words, Kraken may trade relatively low inputs for the symbolic value of the “first official encryption exchange in the history of the World Cup”.

Industry is revising the old sports sponsorship model.

It was recalled that between 2021 and 2022, the encryption industry had made a major influx into sports marketing. Crypto.com, FTX, Coinbase, Binance, and others signed the title of the stadium, the league cooperation, the team sponsorship and the star's voice.

But as the market went down and the FTX went bankrupt, this round of sponsorship quickly subsided. Part of the cooperation was terminated earlier and part of the brand exposure rapidly contracted. It was argued that the lessons learned later from the industry were not that sports marketing was not effective per se, but rather that high cost, heavy volume and light transformation patterns were unsustainable.

Against this background, Kraken's collaboration with FIFA this time was seen as a more cautious attempt: to keep the world's top entry, but to focus on user acquisition and brand credibility, rather than simply seeking maximum volume.

Additional information:The article also mentioned that Kraken had previously cooperated with sports bodies such as Tottenham, the Madrid competition, RB Leipzig and Williams Racing, and that this FIFA collaboration was seen as further upgrading its sports marketing from club level to international level.