Coming off its recently announced partnership with the World Series of Poker, Solana hosted the inaugural WSOP: Solana Showdown, bringing top crypto personalities to the poker table for an invitational tournament that drew more than 38,000 viewers on X.
The event follows Solana Foundation becoming presenting sponsor of both the 2026 World Series of Poker and WSOP Paradise in The Bahamas. As part of the partnership, eligible WSOP players can now purchase tournament entries using SOL, USDC, and USDT through MoonPay Commerce, with no processing fees charged by WSOP.
Jaden Parsons
The competition featured nine players: Banks, Solomon, Bangerz, MINHxDYNASTY, Wendy O, Rasmr, AshleyDCan, Gabriel Haines, and Ansem. Rasmr ultimately claimed the inaugural Solana Showdown title and bracelet.
Ahead of the tournament, participants trained with 2006 WSOP Main Event champion Jamie Gold before taking their seats at Solana-branded tables.
Watch the full stream:
Solana
Solana Foundation Chief Product Officer Vibhu Norby also spoke during the event about where the partnership is headed next.
"we're looking to bring in not only stablecoin buy ins but also stablecoin payouts. thats going to be life changing for players."
Stablecoin payouts are already part of the partnership's roadmap. Beginning with WSOP Paradise in The Bahamas later this year, eligible tournament winners are expected to have the option to receive prize settlements in stablecoins on Solana.
The Showdown also offered an early look at the promotional side of Solana's WSOP partnership. Solana Foundation is only the third presenting sponsor in the tournament's history, following Milwaukee's Best Light in 2006 and Jack Link's Beef Jerky in 2009.
That sponsorship gives Solana exposure well beyond the crypto audience. The 2026 WSOP Main Event is set to be distributed across more than 130 countries and 300 million homes through networks and platforms including ESPN, TSN, Disney+, Groupe M6, Abema Japan, and Warner Bros. Discovery's Eurosport.
The final competition winnings shook out to be:
| Place | Player | Winnings |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rasmr | $50,000 |
| 2 | MINHxDYNASTY | $25,000 |
| 3 | Gabriel Haines | $10,000 |
| 4 | Ansem | $2,500 |
| 5 | Bangerz | $2,500 |
| 6 | Wendy O | $2,500 |
| 7 | Banks | $2,500 |
| 8 | King Solomon | $2,500 |
| 9 | AshleyDCan | $2,500 |
