Polymarket Charges Back Into U.S. With App Launch After CFTC Green Light

The prediction market just got its passport stamped. Polymarket—the crypto-powered platform where users bet on everything from elections to Elon's next tweet—is officially back on American soil.

Regulatory Hurdle Cleared

This isn't a stealthy comeback. It's a full-throttle, CFTC-approved re-entry. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission gave the nod, clearing a path that many thought was permanently blocked for decentralized prediction markets. The agency's blessing effectively draws a new regulatory line in the sand—one that separates permissible event-based trading from forbidden financial derivatives.

The App Is the Attack Vector

Polymarket isn't just reopening a website. It's launching a dedicated mobile app, a direct pipeline to Main Street. The move bypasses traditional app store gatekeepers and delivers speculative trading straight to smartphones. Think Robinhood, but for the probability of a Trump 2024 run or the next Marvel movie's opening weekend box office.

Why This Move Matters

This is more than an app rollout. It's a legitimacy play. The CFTC's approval acts as a de facto seal, signaling to a skeptical public that crypto-based prediction isn't just a fringe gambling experiment. It reframes the entire platform as a tool for hedging real-world risk and aggregating collective intelligence—Wall Street's favorite buzzwords, now powered by blockchain.

A New Arena for Crypto Utility

For the crypto-native crowd, Polymarket's return is a validation of DeFi's core promise: building parallel financial systems that are open, global, and resistant to censorship. Its model turns idle crypto assets into instruments for speculating on real-world outcomes, creating a potent new use case beyond simple hodling or yield farming.

The platform's resurgence throws a wrench into the traditional betting and forecasting industry. It offers a transparent, on-chain alternative to opaque political punditry and the sportsbooks that still treat your data like a proprietary asset. One cynical finance jab? It's about time someone found a way to monetize the collective anxiety of the 24-hour news cycle.

Polymarket is back. And this time, it's playing by the rules—just enough of them to win.

US launch begins with waitlisted users

In an announcement on X, Polymarket said its U.S. app is now being rolled out to users who joined its waitlist, giving them first access to the relaunched platform. 

The initial version includes sports prediction markets, with everything market, including politics, crypto, tech, and global events, set to follow.

Against all odds.

Polymarket’s U.S app is now being rolled out to those on the waitlist.

We’re launching with sports — followed by markets on everything. pic.twitter.com/WOoVMszrqc

The phased launch comes shortly after the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) issued a no-action letter to the crypto derivatives exchange and clearinghouse Polymarket recently acquired. 

The ruling effectively allowed Polymarket to operate an intermediated, regulated trading platform in the U.S., clearing the way for its return.

A return after regulatory turbulence

Polymarket originally exited the United States in 2022 after the CFTC charged it for offering unregistered event-based contracts, resulting in a $1.4 million settlement. 

The platform also came under scrutiny from the Department of Justice (DOJ) during the former President Joe Biden administration, including an FBI raid on CEO Shayne Coplan’s residence during the 2024 election cycle. The DOJ dropped its investigation in July.

The company’s comeback now places it on equal regulatory footing with Kalshi, which has operated as a CFTC-approved exchange since 2021. Kalshi’s regulatory advantage had long positioned it as the frontrunner in the U.S. market.

Prediction markets enter a new phase of competition

Polymarket’s re-entry comes at a time when prediction markets are experiencing explosive growth. The platform hit an all-time high trading volume of $3.73 billion and nearly half a million active traders in November. 

In November, @Polymarket once again hit new records

– ATH of $3.73B volume
– ATH of 494.69K active traders

This was without yet being live in US markets

Now we’re seeing the app rollout + more

/accelerate https://t.co/yHcrmvDNeu pic.twitter.com/pePaolrUz7

It also raised $2 billion in October, valuing the company at $8 billion. Analysts expect the return to U.S. operations to push Polymarket toward a valuation between $10–15 billion.

Kalshi, meanwhile, recently secured a massive $1 billion funding round at an $11 billion valuation. It has also expanded into blockchain-native markets by launching tokenized prediction markets on Solana, a strategic move aimed at crypto-savvy users. 

Both companies now stand as the world’s largest prediction platforms, with Kalshi recording approximately $3.6 billion in monthly volume and Polymarket just over $3.7 billion, according to Token Terminal.

Broader industry momentum: Trust Wallet adds predictions

The larger ecosystem is also growing. On December 2, Trust Wallet released a native Predictions product to its 220 million users, enabling wallet-based trading of real-life events in sports, politics, entertainment, and crypto.

Introducing Predictions in Trust Wallet 🔮

The first major wallet with native predictions.

Trade sports, crypto, politics & more. All in one place & self-custodial.

Powered by @MyriadMarkets (live). @Polymarket & @Kalshi coming soon.

Update now: https://t.co/VHh3snlsip pic.twitter.com/LCOu9BbjTH

The feature is powered by Myriad Markets, with integrations for Kalshi and Polymarket integrations are planned. The shift is an indicator of the growing popularity of prediction markets as mainstream crypto products.

Why this matters

Polymarket’s U.S. return marks one of the largest changes in prediction markets since the CFTC started to regulate the industry.

With both Polymarket and Kalshi now operating under U.S. oversight, and major apps like Trust Wallet entering the field, the industry is moving toward mainstream adoption. 

For traders, investors, and policymakers, this marks the beginning of a new competitive era shaped by regulation, technology, and surging public interest.

Also Read: CNN Partners with Kalshi for Real-Time Prediction Data