Team Liquid Alienware kicked off the MSI 2026 campaign against Deep Cross Gaming on June 28 in Daejeon, South Korea. Prediction markets and blockchain-based betting platforms have seen an increase in activity as the Play-In phase begins.
The best-of-three series pits the second-seeded North American LCS team against the second seed from the LCP region.
What’s at stake in Daejeon
MSI 2026, League of Legends’ mid-season invitational, runs until July 12, 2026. The Play-In stage takes place for the first four days, from June 28 to July 1.
Team Liquid earned their spot by clearing the lower bracket of the LCS and finishing second in the region.
Deep Cross Gaming qualified as the second representative of the LCP/APAC region. They consist of Flauren in the top lane, Pop9 in the jungle, HongSuo in the mid lane, Feng in the ADC role and ShiauC in the support role.
The tournament has consequences beyond the immediate trophy. MSI results influence World Championship qualifying, meaning every series win or loss carries over into the second half of the competitive season.
Cryptocurrency betting platforms have found their moment
Cryptocurrency betting activity increased noticeably in the early days of MSI 2026. The T1 match against Team Liquid peaked at 1.39 million concurrent viewers.
No specific crypto tokens are directly associated with Team Liquid, Deep Cross Gaming, or the MSI event itself. Interaction occurs through betting and prediction markets, not through fan tokens or game mechanics to earn money.
What does this mean for crypto investors watching esports?
The spikes in betting volume coinciding with MSI suggest that crypto platforms are successfully capturing some of the esports betting that might otherwise go to traditional bookmakers.
The risk, as always, is regulatory. Cryptocurrency betting exists in a patchwork of laws around the world, and esports betting in particular has drawn scrutiny in several jurisdictions concerned about match-fixing and underage gambling.
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