What is Polymarket?

Polymarket is a prediction market: a website and app where people buy and sell shares that pay $1 if a real-world event happens and $0 if it does not, so each share's price reads as the crowd's estimate of the chance. Founded in 2020 by Shayne Coplan, it is the largest crypto-based prediction market; trades settle on the Polygon blockchain in pUSD, a dollar token, and you keep your funds in your own wallet. Nimb is an independent map of Polymarket and is not affiliated with it.

How does Polymarket work?

• Shares, not odds. Every question has Yes and No shares priced between $0 and $1. If Yes trades at $0.65, traders as a whole put the chance at about 65%. Polymarket odds explained.
• An order book, not a bookmaker. You trade with other users through Polymarket's central limit order book (CLOB); there is no house taking the other side. Polymarket 101.
• Fully backed. $1 of pUSD creates one Yes and one No share, so every winning share can be paid out. Winning shares are redeemed for $1 after resolution; you can also sell any time before.
• Self-custody. Your pUSD and shares sit in a wallet you control. Polymarket's docs state that it never takes possession of your funds.
• Fees. Takers pay a fee of shares × rate × p × (1 − p), with rates from 0 to 0.07 by category; makers pay none, and geopolitics markets have no fee. Fees and all-in pricing.

What can you trade on Polymarket?

Elections and politics, wars and diplomacy, central banks and company events, crypto prices, AI and technology, sport, culture and weather. As of 8 November 2026, 18:00 UTC, Nimb's map showed the 313 most active events, with $161.6M traded on them in 7 days; Polymarket lists thousands more. Browse by category: politics, geopolitics, finance, crypto, AI & tech. Size of the whole platform: prediction market statistics.

Who owns Polymarket?

Polymarket is a private company founded and led by Shayne Coplan. Its investors include Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the owner of the New York Stock Exchange, which announced a strategic investment of up to $2B in October 2025 and completed further investment in 2026. Funding rounds reported in 2026 valued Polymarket at around $15B and later around $21B. These are private valuations, not a market price.

Is Polymarket available in the US?

There are two Polymarket venues. The international platform, the one Nimb maps, does not let users in the United States, the United Kingdom, France and about 35 other countries open positions. A separate CFTC-regulated US exchange, Polymarket US, operates through QCEX, which Polymarket acquired in 2025, and opened to US users through an app during 2026, not in every state. Is Polymarket legal in the US?

Timeline

How do you use Polymarket with Nimb?

Read first: open any circle on the map for the chance, the move, the money and the largest holders. If you are in a country where trading is allowed, you can send an order to Polymarket from your own wallet through Nimb's ticket; Nimb never holds your money. Get started · Is Polymarket safe?

Frequently asked questions

Is Polymarket gambling?

It depends on the law where you live. You trade with other people at market prices, not against a bookmaker, but many regulators treat event contracts on sport as gambling. Are prediction markets gambling?

How does Polymarket make money?

Mainly from taker fees on trades in markets that charge them. Third-party apps such as Nimb can add a builder fee on orders they route.

What currency does Polymarket use?

pUSD, a token backed by USDC, on Polygon. Deposits in other tokens and chains are converted automatically. Fund your wallet.

Does Polymarket have a token?

Polymarket executives said in 2025 that a token and airdrop would come; check Polymarket's official channels for its status. Polymarket airdrop and token.

Last reviewed 8 November 2026 · Data from Polymarket · Not financial advice · Nimb is not affiliated with Polymarket.