WSOP Adds Solana Crypto Payments For Tournament Buy-Ins

The World Series of Poker is bringing crypto payments to the live tournament cage for the first time in its history.

From June 10, players at the 2026 WSOP at Paris Las Vegas and Horseshoe Las Vegas can buy tournament tickets using Solana, with payments handled through MoonPay.
According to the announcement, the new payment option comes with zero processing fees for players.

The partnership will also extend to WSOP Paradise in The Bahamas this December, where tournament winners will be able to receive payouts in stablecoins on Solana.

That is the bigger long term move. Buying in with crypto is useful, but faster settlement for international winners could solve a real pain point for players dealing with cross border banking, currency conversion and delayed access to funds.

The Solana Foundation has also been named Presenting Sponsor of the 2026 World Series of Poker and the 2026 WSOP Paradise.

Poker has never been far from financial innovation. Online players were early adopters of digital wallets, international payment processors and, later, crypto. This deal brings that same logic into the most recognisable live poker brand in the world.

For players, the immediate change is simple. Tournament tickets at the Las Vegas WSOP can now be purchased using Solana through MoonPay.

WSOP says the Solana based payment rail allows the transaction to be processed without added processing fees.

For WSOP Paradise, the integration goes further. Winners at eligible events will be able to receive stablecoin settlements on Solana, giving players near instant access to funds rather than waiting on traditional international payment rails.

That matters at a global event. The WSOP draws players from around the world, and tournament payouts can involve large sums, multiple jurisdictions and banking checks that are often slower than players would like.

WSOP CEO Ty Stewart said the Solana ecosystem “constantly challenges conventions” and compared Solana’s speed and efficiency with the pace of WSOP tournaments.

Vibhu Norby, Chief Product Officer at Solana Foundation, framed the partnership around the overlap between trading and poker, pointing to hard decisions, incomplete information and bankroll management as shared traits.

MoonPay Commerce President Jim Walker also described crypto as a natural fit for poker players, saying the payment setup is designed to make it easier for players anywhere to take their seat at the world’s biggest tables.

The poker comparison is obvious, but the more interesting part is operational. Live poker has always had friction around money movement. Players travel, swap currencies, sell pieces, buy into events, cash out, wire funds and manage bankrolls across countries.

A cleaner crypto payment layer will not fix every problem, especially where regulation and source of funds checks apply, but it gives the WSOP another tool for international player movement.

The partnership is not limited to payments. Solana Foundation is expected to sponsor a select group of poker player ambassadors during the summer series in Las Vegas.

The Solana ecosystem will also host hospitality events at Paris Las Vegas and Horseshoe Las Vegas, as well as a larger activation at WSOP Paradise in The Bahamas.

WSOP and Solana also teased future collaborative onchain poker products, although no specific launch details have been announced.