Polymarket Re-enters U.S. Market with $112M Acquisition of CFTC-Licensed QCEX

Polymarket is making a strategic return to the U.S. after acquiring QCEX, a CFTC-regulated derivatives exchange, for $112 million. The deal provides a fully compliant pathway for the prediction market platform to operate domestically after a two-year absence due to regulatory clashes.

The Boca Raton-based QCEX brings critical infrastructure with its dual licenses as a designated contract market and derivatives clearing organization. This acquisition marks a pivotal shift for Polymarket, which had been serving U.S. users only through VPN workarounds since its 2022 CFTC settlement over unregistered swaps offerings.

Despite its U.S. challenges, Polymarket has emerged as the global leader in prediction markets, processing nearly $15 billion in wagers on political events and crypto outcomes. The platform's odds-based forecasting, particularly for the 2024 U.S. election cycle, has attracted substantial attention from traders.