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Esports Bets Top $945K: Crypto Meets Gaming
29 Jun
Summary
- MSI 2026 Play-Ins saw record viewership for T1 vs. Team Liquid.
- Nearly $945K was wagered on the T1 vs. Team Liquid match via Polymarket.
- Faker achieved a historic 100 career MSI wins during the series.
The initial day of MSI 2026 Play-Ins set new viewership benchmarks, with T1's encounter against Team Liquid attracting 1,390,926 peak concurrent viewers. This marked the most-watched Day 1 Play-Ins match in MSI history. Concurrently, prediction markets experienced significant activity, with approximately $945K wagered on the series through Polymarket alone.
In a dominant performance, T1 swept Team Liquid 3-0. The match also celebrated a personal milestone for T1's legendary mid-laner, Faker, who became the first player ever to secure 100 career MSI wins. Team Liquid's participation is notable due to their ongoing multiyear collaboration with the Sui blockchain, announced in February 2024.
The substantial volume on Polymarket highlights the increasing overlap between esports enthusiasts and crypto users. This trend suggests a larger addressable market for crypto-native sports betting than previously estimated. Tokens and protocols associated with prediction markets, such as those on Polygon, are poised to benefit from this expanding use case, though regulatory uncertainties remain a significant risk.
