World Cup Ignites Prediction Market: On-Screen Exposure Boosts Kalshi over Polymarket, Duopoly Holds Over 95% Market Share

BlockBeats News, July 21, 2026 - The 2026 FIFA World Cup has become a watershed moment for the prediction market industry. According to the data from BlockBeats, during the World Cup, Kalshi saw a total platform trading volume of $54.338 billion, approximately 2.6 times higher than Polymarket's $20.988 billion; the World Cup-related event trading volume reached $13.591 billion, surpassing Polymarket by around 31% or $10.356 billion.

In terms of user growth, Kalshi's app was downloaded 5.368 million times, far exceeding Polymarket's 2.136 million downloads. The exposure effect of on-site advertising at the venues is considered a key driver in Kalshi's lead. Although Polymarket's website traffic was 57.44 million visits, it failed to translate into an equivalent advantage in trading volume and app downloads.

On other platforms, Predict.fun had a total trading volume of $1.092 billion, with $0.886 billion related to the World Cup; Opinion had a total trading volume of $1.137 billion, with around $0.561 billion related to the World Cup; Limitless had a total trading volume of $0.446 billion, with approximately $0.22 billion related to the World Cup.

From a data perspective, Kalshi and Polymarket have formed a duopoly, jointly holding over 95% of the market share, while small and medium platforms still face a significant gap in absolute volume. The World Cup, as the "Super Bowl" of the prediction market, has had a notable impact - industry concentration has further increased during the event, and brand exposure and user acquisition efficiency are becoming key variables that will shape the next stage of the competitive landscape.