CoinDesk
The World Series of Poker is adding Solana-powered crypto payments to its global tournament circuit, allowing players to buy in with digital assets through MoonPay starting at this year's WSOP in Las Vegas. The integration is built in partnership with the Solana Foundation and carries no processing fees for players. The rollout then expands to WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas this December, where winners will have the option to receive payouts in Solana-based stablecoins — the first time the series will settle prize money on a public blockchain.
Why it matters
The WSOP is the world's largest and most prestigious live poker tournament series, drawing an international field that has historically wrestled with cross-border payment friction. Bringing $SOL rails into the mix — and crucially, the option to settle winnings in stablecoins at the Bahamas stop — addresses the two pain points tournament players actually feel: getting money in, and getting money out. WSOP CEO Ty Stewart framed the move as a consumer-experience play, telling the Solana Foundation that the two ecosystems share a "constantly challenges conventions" ethos. For Solana, a high-profile live-event integration cuts against the network's memecoin-heavy reputation and pushes the brand toward payments, settlement, and real-world transactional use cases.
Market impact
MoonPay sits in the middle as the fiat on-ramp, absorbing the regulatory and KYC weight that a gaming operator cannot take on directly — a structure that lets WSOP stay compliant while still offering crypto-native payment optionality. The December stablecoin payout mechanism is the more structural beat: stablecoin-denominated prize money at a marquee live event is a use case the payments side of crypto has been chasing for years, and a successful first cycle at WSOP Paradise would create a template other tournament operators can copy. Watch for stablecoin volume and corridor usage out of the Bahamas stop as the cleanest read on whether the model holds.
Frequently asked questions
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When does WSOP start accepting Solana payments?
Solana-powered crypto payments go live for the WSOP in Las Vegas this year, with the rollout expanding to WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas in December.
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How are players paying with Solana at WSOP?
Players will use Solana-based payments processed through MoonPay to buy into tournaments, with no processing fees charged to players.
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Can WSOP winners get paid in stablecoins?
Yes. At WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas this December, winners will have the option to receive their payouts in Solana-based stablecoins — the first time the series settles prize money on a public blockchain.
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Why is MoonPay involved in the WSOP Solana integration?
MoonPay operates as the fiat on-ramp, handling the KYC and regulatory workload that a gaming operator cannot take on directly, which lets WSOP offer crypto payment optionality while staying compliant.
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Why does this matter for Solana's reputation?
A marquee live-event payments integration cuts against Solana's memecoin-heavy brand and pushes the network toward real-world settlement and payments use cases, an area the ecosystem has been actively trying to grow.
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