CHICAGO, June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A first-of-its-kind survey, commissioned by zerohash, the leading on-chain infrastructure provider, and conducted by Centiment, of 500 U.S.-based fantasy sports players, reveals that 46% of participants have missed time-sensitive contests because of the speed and availability of bank transfers. The independent study demonstrates that, as fantasy sports have grown into a $10 billion industry in the U.S., traditional payment systems are falling short, frustrating players and causing them to miss time-sensitive contests.

With nearly half of all players already holding stablecoins, demand is increasing for faster and more efficient payment options. Survey results found that 69% of players want stablecoin payments, highlighting a clear opportunity for fantasy platforms to boost loyalty and unlock new revenue streams.

Marquee fantasy sports events including the NFL playoffs and March Madness typically occur during non-banking hours, causing funding delays that translate to potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in lost player engagement. Fantasy players are already crypto and stablecoin enabled - 56% of fantasy sport app users already hold crypto or stablecoins, according to the study.

"Sunday NFL Football kicks off at 1:00 PM. Banks close at 5 PM on Friday. That's why stablecoins provide a critical unlock for over 50 million fantasy sports users in the United States," said Edward Woodford, Founder and CEO of zerohash. "We're seeing rising demand from fantasy sports operators to add stablecoins, as more players want to fund accounts in real time and join contests instantly using assets they already hold.”

The Speed Economy Reshapes Gaming Priorities
The study upends conventional wisdom about fantasy player motivations. While operators have historically competed on bonuses and odds, instant deposits and payouts now rank as the number one deciding factor.

This shift reflects the evolution of fantasy sports from a weekend hobby to a real-time 24/7 experience. With the North American fantasy sports market expected to reach over $27 billion in the next five years, every hour of deposit lag represents a massive opportunity cost.

Key findings include:

• 76% would switch platforms for instant payouts during peak events.
• Crypto-native players deposit 2.4x more frequently and in larger amounts.
• 61% more likely to recommend platforms offering stablecoin funding.
  

Grow Faster with Crypto-Native Users
Crypto-native users represent the best opportunity to increase deposit volume and frequency. Twenty-four percent deposit more than $1,000 monthly (v.s. 10% for non-crypto holders) and 59% deposit funds at least once a week (v.s. 45% for non-crypto holders).

Early movers may gain significant competitive advantages as players increasingly prioritize seamless funding over traditional incentives.

The complete study, Fantasy Sports Players & the Future of Funding, is available at: https://hubs.ly/Q03v9kyb0 

About zerohash
zerohash is the leading infrastructure provider for crypto, stablecoin, and tokenized assets. Its API and embeddable dev-kit enables innovators to easily launch solutions across cross-border payments, commerce, trading, remittance, payroll, tokenization and on/off-ramps.

zerohash powers solutions for some of the largest and innovative companies including Interactive Brokers, Stripe, Shift4, Franklin Templeton, Felix Pago, Kalshi and LightSpark. Zerohash Holdings is backed by investors, including Point72 Ventures, Bain Capital Ventures, and NYCA.

In the United States, Zero Hash LLC is a FinCen-registered Money Service Business and a regulated Money Transmitter that can operate in 51 U.S. jurisdictions. Zero Hash LLC and Zero Hash Liquidity Services LLC are licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the New York State Department of Financial Services. Zero Hash Trust Company LLC has been approved by the North Carolina Commissioner of Banks as a non-depository trust company. For information about our global regulatory footprint, including our Argentinian registrations, see here.

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Shaun O’Keeffe
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media@zerohash.com