The World Series of Poker (WSOP), the longest-running and most prestigious poker tournament series in the world, announced a first-of-its-kind collaboration with the Solana Foundation to bring cryptocurrency directly into the global poker experience.

This will be the first time in WSOP history where players can purchase tickets to tournaments directly with cryptocurrency, and by leveraging Solana’s technology, this payment method will have zero processing fees.

The integration will expand further at the 2026 WSOP Paradise in The Bahamas this December, where tournament winners can receive settlements in stablecoins on Solana, enabling near-instant access to payments and reducing the friction traditionally associated with international tournament settlements.

As part of this collaboration, Solana Foundation will also serve as the official Presenting Sponsor of the 2026 World Series of Poker and 2026 World Series of Poker Paradise.

The World Series of Poker, Dealt by Solana

The poker community has long been at the forefront of cryptocurrency adoption, with players embracing decentralized technology, like Solana, for its efficiency and transparency. As a high-performance blockchain, Solana is celebrated for its industry-leading transaction speeds – capable of processing thousands of transactions per second – and ultra-low costs, with average fees remaining below $0.001. By enabling players to make purchases through Moonpay, and cashout in stablecoins on Solana, these initiatives allow:

• Faster settlement and streamlined payment processing for eligible events

• Greater accessibility for international players traveling to WSOP events

• Near-instant global settlement, with reduced friction for users

• Expanded payment flexibility for players participating in marquee tournaments worldwide

Introducing Solana-powered purchases and settlements modernizes how money moves through the poker ecosystem and reduces friction for players around the world.

Where Poker and Cryptocurrency Converge

This initiative bridges the digital space and the poker world, reinforcing the growing demand among players for faster financial tools that simplify participation in global events. Beyond payments, the collaboration brings together communities that are closely aligned.

“We are incredibly proud to bring such an innovative and passionate community into the fold. Solana’s ecosystem, like the WSOP, constantly challenges conventions and remains laser-focused on the consumer experience. Solana’s speed and efficiency mirror the fast-paced energy of our tournaments, and we are excited to showcase their technology to our global audience,” said Ty Stewart, Chief Executive Officer of WSOP.

“Solana is a digital economy where people can own and trade millions of assets, make payments, earn on their money, and more. 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. We’re incredibly excited to grow the game of poker with the WSOP and bring these two worlds together,” said Vibhu Norby, Chief Product Officer, Solana Foundation.

“Poker players have always lived at the forefront of innovation. They think in probabilities, move fast, and adopt the tools that give them an edge. Cryptocurrency is a natural fit. By powering 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,” said Jim Walker, President of MoonPay Commerce.

Beyond the Felt: Ambassadors and Hospitality

The Solana Foundation is set to sponsor a select group of individual poker player ambassadors who will represent the ecosystem at this summer’s WSOP event. Additionally, the Solana ecosystem will host exclusive hospitality events at the Paris and Horseshoe venues in Las Vegas, as well as a premier experience during WSOP Paradise in The Bahamas this winter. Solana users can also look forward to collaborative onchain poker products, developed with WSOP, to follow.

Jackbit, the fast-growing crypto gaming destination, has officially completed its transition to Jack.com, unveiling a new brand identity and simultaneously launching Volume 2.0 — a comprehensive platform overhaul designed to power its next stage of international growth.

The rebrand comes after years of building a loyal user base on the back of lightning-fast crypto withdrawals, transparent operations, and a player-first philosophy. Securing the Jack.com domain signals the company’s commitment to becoming a major global player in the crypto gaming space.

“Jack.com represents the beginning of a much larger global expansion strategy. We will continue introducing new features, community tools, and strategic partnerships as the ecosystem evolves,” the company said.

Volume 2.0 brings sweeping changes to the platform. Wallet 2.0, a rebuilt payment infrastructure, now features cleaner transaction tracking, improved deposit and withdrawal flows, and expanded visibility across all payment activity. Navigation has been redesigned for speed, and security enhancements have been applied across the board.

The social fabric of the platform has also been strengthened. New community features including a Live Bets Feed, Recent Big Wins display, and High Rollers leaderboard allow players to engage with live platform activity. A new Tips Function enables peer-to-peer tipping directly within the platform — a first-of-its-kind feature in the crypto gaming sector.

On the loyalty side, Jack.com has launched a fully redesigned VIP program offering Instant Rakeback, Weekly and Monthly Bonuses, Level-Up Rewards, and dedicated VIP managers for top-tier members.

Jack.com offers thousands of casino games, live dealer experiences, original titles, esports betting, sportsbook markets, and tournaments — all accessible with seamless crypto payment options.

Existing Jackbit users will experience no disruption to their accounts during the transition. Jack.com operates under a Curaçao gaming license and was founded in 2022.

About 83% of U.S. bettors are keen to use cryptocurrency to fund wagers with online sportsbooks, when permitted, according to research issued by leading payments platform Paysafe. The company’s All the Ways Players Pay: Crypto Edition report also suggests that when a state permits crypto payments, sportsbooks supporting deposits by digital assets and even payouts will gain a competitive edge in player acquisition and retention.

As well as bettors in states where crypto deposits aren’t yet permitted – Florida, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania – Paysafe surveyed Illinois and Virginia, which have the regulatory latitude to give operators specific permission for crypto-to-cash funding products. Importantly, the study included the two states which explicitly permit crypto deposits, Colorado and Wyoming, where 59% and 45% of bettors, respectively, have already funded a bet with a digital asset.

With 64% of active U.S. bettors owning cryptocurrency, deposits using digital assets would almost certainly trend even higher in other states when permitted. In New York, 92% of players have appetite for crypto deposits, with demand in Illinois and Florida almost as high (88% in both).

When permitted, crypto would be a top-3 payment method for funding wagers, with 45% of players listing crypto as a preference after digital wallets (favored by 55%) and debit cards (50%). In New York, crypto would be second only to wallets (54% versus 59%), with a similar dynamic evident in Illinois, where 52% list crypto as a preference compared to 58% digital wallets.

Despite crypto’s potential to rival wallets and bank cards, other payment methods would remain relevant. Even if digital assets were permitted, credit cards (a preference for 37%) and pay-by-bank solutions and bank transfers (also 37%) would still be relatively popular. And even niche payment options would not be completely overshadowed if crypto were thrown into the transactional mix, with almost a quarter of bettors (23%) still listing local payment methods like peer-to-peer apps and 14% eCash solutions like PaysafeCash.

Players also have interest in cashing-out their winnings in crypto, which is not yet permitted by any state. Well over eight out of 10 bettors (85%) are keen for crypto withdrawals.

Given bettor appetite for cashing-out and crypto funding, it’s unsurprising that digital assets would play an influential role in their selection of a new sportsbook. While brand trust dominates sportsbook choice (prioritized by 36%), crypto payment factors are almost as important, including seamless crypto withdrawals (prioritized by 29%), ability to transact with crypto or other preferred payment methods (28%), and seamless crypto deposits (26%).

Crypto payments’ value extends to player retention. Seven out of 10 players (71%) feel that transacting using digital assets would improve their overall betting experience, with just 18% disagreeing and the remaining 11% unsure.

While crypto will invariably enhance customer stickiness, operators need to carefully evaluate crypto payment products as a poor transactional experience will risk churn, with 71% likely to abandon a sportsbook as a result. Players in some states are even less forgiving, especially New York (80% would switch brands), but also Florida and Illinois (75% in both).

Zak Cutler, President of Global Gaming at Paysafe, said: “While crypto payments are only currently permitted in a relatively modest cohort of U.S. states, our latest research indicates that there’s strong player appetite for crypto at the cashier in not just these jurisdictions but across the broader market. As regulation evolves and as more iGaming markets embrace digital assets’ impressive value at the cashier, we’re confident that crypto will not just become an important payment method, but arguably pivotal to the industry’s transactional future.”