On June 1, Arielle Pennington, Avalanche’s Growth Senior Vice President, disclosed that trading volume for FIFA World Cup tickets on the Avalanche platform has surpassed 60,000 transactions in the past few days. Trading volume has increased 24 times compared with normal levels, while the number of active addresses has grown by about 10 times; and these figures were recorded before the World Cup matches had officially started, including the data from before the official opening of the 2026 World Cup on June 11.
Pennington’s Direct Quotes and Assessment
Pennington said: “Only in the past few days, the trading volume for FIFA football tickets on the Avalanche platform has exceeded 60,000 transactions. Trading volume has grown 24 times compared with normal levels, and the number of active addresses has increased by about 10 times.” She emphasized: “At this point, the matches haven’t even started.”
She also assessed that this shows blockchain technology can be applied in the background to different use cases, and users don’t need to understand the underlying technology of the application: “If blockchain can implement speed, reliability, security, transparency, and global accessibility better than existing systems, people will use blockchain-driven products without considering their underlying technology.” She added: “Millions of football fans from around the world are using the ticketing system provided by Avalanche. Most of them will never know or care about the underlying blockchain technology—honestly, that’s a good thing.”
Reported Status of Regulatory Scrutiny
In October 2025, Switzerland’s gambling regulator Gespa filed a lawsuit, claiming that these RTB tokens may constitute an illegal gambling service. New York Attorney General Letitia James and New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport have also recently launched investigations into FIFA’s ticketing operations.
FAQ
What are RTB tokens on FIFA Connect?
RTB (Right to Buy) are digital assets that FIFA allows fans to purchase on the FIFA Connect platform. Holders can ensure they are eligible to buy tickets for any World Cup match. FIFA Connect is a digital platform built on the Avalanche blockchain.
Why are regulators investigating FIFA’s RTB tokens?
In October 2025, the Swiss gambling regulator Gespa filed a lawsuit, arguing that RTB tokens may constitute an illegal gambling service; the attorneys general of New York and New Jersey are also investigating FIFA’s related ticketing operations.
Are the 60,000 transactions pre-match or post-match data?
According to Pennington, more than 60,000 transactions were recorded in the “past few days,” and “at this point, the matches haven’t even started yet,” meaning the data is from before the official opening of the 2026 World Cup on June 11.
