Solana Sponsors the World Series of Poker, Enabling Crypto Entry Fees and Payouts

The Solana Foundation is anteing up. 

The Swiss-based nonprofit tasked with promoting the layer-1 network and its native token announced a collaboration with poker’s most notable tournament series, the World Series of Poker (WSOP), enabling players to buy into WSOP events using crypto and eventually receive tournament payouts in stablecoins. 

The collaboration will make use of the payments infrastructure of crypto firm MoonPay, providing entrants with zero processing fees when entering with Solana (SOL) or Solana-based stablecoins. Tournament stablecoin payouts will be available starting in December at the WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas. (Disclaimer: MoonPay Ventures is an investor in Dastan, parent company of an editorially independent Decrypt.)

“Introducing Solana-powered buy-ins and payouts modernizes how money moves through the poker ecosystem and reduces friction for players around the world,” Solana Foundation Chief Product Officer Vibhu Norby told Decrypt.

“Poker players like to optimize their funds, and gravitate towards seamless, faster experiences. With Solana, players are able to buy-in with zero fees, and receive their winnings instantaneously, so we expect to see strong adoption of these offerings,” he added. 

The adoption of crypto buy-ins and stablecoin payouts will be a key part of how the Foundation characterizes the success of the collaboration, as well as the long-term growth of both the WSOP and Solana communities, according to Norby. 

“There is a huge opportunity to tap into this audience, and we look to grow both the Solana community and game of poker,” he said. 

The organizations highlighted faster payment processing and greater accessibility—particularly for international players—as benefits of the collaboration. 

“Crypto is a natural fit,” said MoonPay Commerce President Jim Walker in a statement. “By powering buy-ins and payouts through MoonPay on Solana, we’re meeting that demand directly: faster, borderless payments that make it simple for players anywhere to take their seat at the world’s biggest tables.”

In addition to the payments engagement, the Solana Foundation will be the official presenting sponsor of the 2026 World Series of Poker and World Series of Poker Paradise. Solana branding will be shown across the broadcast set and at events, including on the felt of the table. The pair will also collaborate on on-chain poker products for a later release. 

The World Series of Poker hosts approximately 50 events worldwide and has paid out more than $4 billion in prize money. Its famed “Main Event,” which commands a $10,000 entry fee, will start television coverage on July 2.