Bernstein says the 2026 FIFA World Cup could inject billions into prediction markets, with Coinbase and Robinhood positioned to capture a wave of new users. The 2026 FIFA World Cup could mark a breakout moment for prediction markets, with Coinbase emerging as one of the biggest winners, according to a new research report from Bernstein. Published Thursday, the Bernstein analysts estimate the expanded tournament will generate more than $3 billion in incremental sports betting handle and $5 billion to $10 billion in additional consumer prediction market volume, as 104 matches transform what is typically the slowest period for online sports betting. FIFA expects the month-long tournament to attract roughly 6 billion viewers worldwide, up from an estimated 5 billion during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Matches are scheduled to start today. Read more
MassPay taps Coinbase to add USDC-powered cross-border payouts, betting stablecoin rails will cut costs and speed up settlement for businesses paying globally. Cross-border payout platform MassPay and Coinbase announced a partnership on Thursday to offer stablecoin cross-border payouts. The partnership connects MassPay's network in 180 countries with the US-based exchange's crypto infrastructure, allowing customers to move between fiat, USDC and other digital assets, the companies said in a joint statement shared with Cointelegraph. MassPay CEO Ran Grushkowsky told Cointelegraph that stablecoins are still a small slice of the company's transaction volume. Still, the company expects the new rails to support nine-figure payouts in the first year. Read more
Executives from Franklin Templeton and BNP Paribas say tokenized assets and stablecoins could improve capital efficiency across Europe as Wall Street expands tokenization efforts. Large financial institutions are turning to tokenization to improve capital efficiency and liquidity, according to representatives from Franklin Templeton and BNP Paribas. Speaking at a panel at the WAIB Summit 2026 in Monaco, industry executives discussed how tokenized assets and stablecoins could modernize Europe's capital markets by streamlining settlement, improving collateral mobility and creating new opportunities for cross-border financial activity. Tokenization offers institutions more “optionality and flexibility,” a development that is driving interest from banks and large corporations to launch their own offerings, said Rafael Mastroberardino, head of digital assets partnership development at investment manager Franklin Templeton. Read more