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Polymarket is a global, blockchain-based prediction market where you trade on the outcome of real-world events using USDC. With billions in annual volume and hundreds of active markets, it's where serious prediction traders go first.
Polymarket is a decentralised prediction market built on the Polygon blockchain. Instead of betting against a bookie, you trade directly with other users, and the platform itself is just the interface. Contracts pay out $1 if the outcome you backed is correct, and $0 if it isn't.
All positions are denominated in USDC, a digital dollar pegged 1:1 to the US dollar. Because it runs on blockchain, your funds are held in a non-custodial wallet rather than on the platform's balance sheet. Resolution is handled by the UMA oracle, an independent dispute mechanism that evaluates outcomes against clearly defined criteria.
Polymarket sits outside traditional financial regulation, which means it's accessible globally, though users in the United States and a small number of other jurisdictions are restricted by its terms of service. Always check availability in your country before signing up.
A decentralised model brings some distinct advantages over traditional platforms, and a few trade-offs worth knowing.
From zero to your first trade in three steps. No prior crypto experience required if you use the email sign-up route.
Polymarket covers a wide range of categories. Political and crypto markets tend to have the highest volume and tightest spreads.
Both venues price the same way, and neither charges a percentage of your stake. The fee is Θ × contracts × price × (1 − price), so it is largest on contracts priced near 50¢ and falls away to almost nothing at the extremes. Because price × (1 − price) peaks at 0.25, the most any single contract can cost is Θ ÷ 4.
For every fee side by side, including Polymarket’s category rates and a worked example, see Kalshi vs Polymarket fees.
To compare the two venues on the same questions, with live prices and who can use each, see Kalshi vs Polymarket.
Makers are never charged on Polymarket offshore and are paid a rebate on Polymarket US once their monthly maker volume reaches $10 million; on Kalshi they pay on 101 of the 4,200 series with an open event (counted 2 October 2026) and not on the rest.
Polymarket exempts an entire category: geopolitics and world events are fee-free. Kalshi has no fee-free category; it has 11 individually fee-free series with an open event.
Correction, 2 October 2026. An earlier version of this page said Polymarket US's schedule took effect on 25 September 2026, that Kalshi charged makers on 10 of 723 open series, and that Kalshi had four fee-free series. Polymarket US's current schedule took effect on 1 October 2026. Kalshi charges makers on 101 of the 4,200 series with an open event and has 11 fee-free series, counted from Kalshi's own series data on 2 October 2026.
Polymarket's US and offshore products have different schedules, so a claim about "Polymarket's fee" that does not say which product is unanswerable rather than wrong.
Source: Polymarket fee documentation for polymarket.com and for Polymarket US, read 20 October 2026.
No platform is perfect. Here's what Polymarket does well and where it falls short.
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Start Trading on PolymarketPrediction market trading involves real financial risk. You can lose the full amount you stake. Polymarket is an unregulated platform. There is no regulatory protection for your funds. Information on this page is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always verify Polymarket's availability in your jurisdiction before signing up. iPredicta is independent of Polymarket.