Solana Foundation Named Presenting Sponsor of the World Series of Poker

The Solana SOL$73.58-2.2% Foundation is the official presenting sponsor of the 2026 World Series of Poker, the organizations announced today. Starting with the 57th annual summer series at Paris Las Vegas and Horseshoe Las Vegas, players can purchase tournament entry tickets using SOL or Solana-based stablecoins through MoonPay's payment infrastructure, with zero processing fees. It is the first time in WSOP history that players can buy in directly with crypto.

The integration expands at WSOP Paradise in The Bahamas this December, where tournament winners will have the option to receive prize settlements in stablecoins on Solana, enabling near-instant payouts and reducing the friction typically involved in cross-border tournament payments.

How the Payments Work

MoonPay is providing the underlying commerce layer for both the buy-in and payout flows. Players enter with SOL or Solana stablecoins at the cage; the zero-fee structure applies to the blockchain processing side. At WSOP Paradise, winners who opt into stablecoin settlements receive their winnings on-chain rather than waiting on wire transfers.

"Poker players have always lived at the forefront of innovation," said Jim Walker, President of MoonPay Commerce. "Crypto is a natural fit. By powering ticket purchases and settlements through MoonPay on Solana, we're meeting that demand directly: faster, borderless payments that make it simple for players anywhere to take their seat at the world's biggest tables."

Scale of the Partnership

Per the official announcement, the WSOP has distributed more than $4 billion in prize money across six decades of competition, and the 2025 flagship Las Vegas event drew 246,960 entrants and awarded more than $481 million, both all-time series records. The Solana Foundation's presenting sponsorship covers both the 57th annual summer series and WSOP Paradise, with branding across broadcast sets, table felt, and venue signage.

ESPN coverage of the Main Event begins July 2, reaching more than 130 countries and over 300 million homes via ESPN networks, along with TSN, Disney+, Groupe M6, Abema Japan, and Warner Bros. Discovery's Eurosport.

"Solana's ecosystem, like the WSOP, constantly challenges conventions and remains laser-focused on the consumer experience," said Ty Stewart, CEO of WSOP. "Solana's speed and efficiency mirror the fast-paced energy of our tournaments."

Vibhu Norby, Chief Product Officer of the Solana Foundation, framed the alignment around the overlap between trading and poker: "Trading in particular has been a huge area of growth on Solana over the last few years, generating over $4 trillion in volume. At its core, trading shares many of the same characteristics as poker: hard decisions, incomplete information, minding your bankroll."

Ambassadors, Hospitality, and On-Chain Poker Products

Beyond payments, the Solana Foundation plans to sponsor a cohort of individual poker player ambassadors at the summer series and host ecosystem hospitality events at the Las Vegas venues and at WSOP Paradise. The two organizations have also indicated they are developing collaborative on-chain poker products, though no timeline or product details were disclosed.