When the eSports industry was first taking off at the beginning of the last decade, the idea that Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies could potentially bring it to a brand new market would’ve been an unlikely connection to make. Back then, Bitcoin had been around for a few years, but it was operating in the corners of online markets, lacked the financial backing of large institutions, and eSports betting hadn’t yet showcased its full potential.
However, once eSports started to sell out stadiums and social media influencers were being paid astonishing fees to stream themselves playing these games with some of the world’s best players, it quickly became apparent to betting companies that there was a market to explore.
The Rise of Betting on eSports
Now that this market has exploded, placing a bet on eSports matches is something that thousands of fans do, and dozens of games now have underlying betting markets for eSports fans to explore. This rise hasn’t happened by accident. Just as professional video gaming has soared to new heights due to incredible developments in cutting-edge smartphone and mobile technology, eSports betting has also benefited from this fertile breeding ground in sports betting innovation. 
The rise of digital betting has enabled niche betting markets, such as eSports matches, to capitalize on the wave of popularity. Many of the biggest eSports tournaments now have extensive markets, and as they delve further into conventional professional markets, looking to incorporate established in-play selections, can cryptocurrency give them the final push they need to challenge some of the more well-established sports betting markets?
Can Crypto Build The Bridge?
If traditional sports betting markets weren’t creating such a vast global demand at the moment, then perhaps the rise of eSports betting would be taking up a lot more of the conversation within betting communities.
Although, it’s fair to say that since the early 2010s, it’s hard to find a professional sport or event which doesn’t have some sort of underlying betting market. Counter-Strike 2 is one of the leading lights in eSports, alongside Valorant and PUBG, comprising an underlying market that is growing in size and scope year after year.
Given the nature of their design and the fact that they have only emerged as such a massive market due to the speed and convenience of the internet, the fact that they have been able to leverage cryptocurrency within the underlying betting markets is a logical combination.
As the world of sports betting becomes more open to the idea of cryptocurrency as a viable payment option, niche markets like eSports betting have allowed it to showcase its potential in the broader gambling industry. Crypto will be able to build this bridge, but it also needs to happen alongside broader mass adoption and cryptocurrency becoming a more significant part of traditional finance.
Milestones To Look Out For
Bitcoin continues to explore new, uncharted price discovery ranges in 2025, surpassing the $100,000 mark and breaking through several all-time highs in quick succession. Some milestones will help it find its full potential in the sports betting world, too. Since 2024, cryptocurrency betting platforms have used the peer-to-peer nature of cryptocurrency to create organic markets for a whole range of outcomes and eventualities.
Ultimately, these sites do not fall into the same frameworks and jurisdictions as sports betting sites that have been using cryptocurrency for the last few years. Still, they offer valuable insights into how the industry could be reshaped over the next decade.
Cryptocurrency isn’t just known for its direct payment system, which bypasses the need for any financial institution to handle the transaction on either end. It’s also the fact that it breaks down traditional barriers, including cross-border payment delays and fees, which means it has every chance to break into the mainstream and utilize niche betting markets, such as eSports, as a springboard to advertise itself to a much larger market.
The Importance Of Mass Adoption
Ultimately, the final say lies with the consumer masses. Suppose they begin to flock to cryptocurrency in droves, as many people have with generative AI over the last couple of years, and start using it as their primary asset for betting. In that case, it will inevitably reach the mainstream. It won’t be a case of if, it’ll be a case of when.
The challenge for cryptocurrency betting companies, and those who enjoy placing bets on this market, is how to showcase to bettors who may not have a firm grasp of cryptocurrency the advantages of using it for betting.
As is the case with any form of finance or investment, you should not buy or invest in cryptocurrency if you have not done any research and don’t have a basic understanding of how it works. 
Prices can fluctuate significantly, and if you don’t understand the basics of transactions and cryptocurrency wallets, it’s best to avoid them until you do ample research. If we were to bet on this outcome, though, we’d expect crypto to be playing a much bigger role in sports betting between now and the end of the decade.
