FIFA Prediction Market Partner ADI Predictstreet Faces Questions Over $108M in Trades

ADI Predictstreet, the official prediction market partner of FIFA for the 2026 World Cup, is under scrutiny after blockchain analysis raised questions about whether much of its reported trading volume came from genuine customers. For PSPs and acquiring teams, the issue is not the sports angle; it is the old one: reported volume, wallet concentration, and whether the market is actually being used or just made to look busy.

1. According to a Wall Street Journal investigation, roughly $108 million of the $167 million traded on the platform through late September came from cryptocurrency wallets that appear to be tied to the company. The report says that points to a large share of activity not being initiated by independent customers.
2. The analysis found that 99% of trading activity from late August came from 795 wallets. Those wallets were allegedly funded by a single cryptocurrency address that also collected the platform’s transaction fees, and the accounts were trading almost exclusively among themselves.
3. The pattern was first identified by three Harvard University students reviewing public blockchain records. Solidus Labs, a cryptocurrency analytics firm, said it corroborated the findings, while academics who study anomalous trading patterns also questioned whether the reported volume reflected real market demand.
4. The activity first surfaced in July during the World Cup, when two wallets processed more than $81 million in transactions across hundreds of markets, according to the report. After the tournament, trading slowed sharply, with the 795-wallet network making up almost all of the activity.
5. The findings point to possible wash trading, where linked accounts trade with each other to create the impression of deeper liquidity. The evidence described so far does not prove intentional manipulation or identify who owns the wallets.

ADI Predictstreet is licensed in Gibraltar for gambling. Andrew Lyman, the territory’s gambling commissioner, said a preliminary review found no breach of local rules against self-trading and no harm to consumers. The platform also drew scrutiny earlier this year after reports said it paid more than $150 million for exclusive advertising rights tied to the 2026 World Cup.

The company launched in April and in June introduced a soccer-focused service using historical FIFA data, live match information, and interactive predictions during the tournament. It has also been reported as linked to International Holding Company (IHC), a conglomerate chaired by Sheik Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, though IHC has denied controlling Predictstreet.