Polymarket Wins CFTC Greenlight for Intermediated US Market Access

Polymarket received formal approval from the CFTC to operate in the US with full regulatory oversight, allowing the platform to work with brokerages and offer intermediated access to American users. 

The approval brings an on-chain prediction market into the US regulatory system for the first time, opening the door to larger institutions and deeper liquidity.

A New Era After CFTC Approval

Polymarket announced today that the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) approved a revised designation order. The decision enables the platform to offer intermediated access nationwide. 

The prediction market can now work with regulated intermediaries and onboard US customers in full compliance. It can also operate a marketplace that meets the standards of federally supervised exchanges. 

To reach this stage, the company enhanced its surveillance tools, oversight policies, clearing procedures, and reporting systems to support the transition. These upgrades move Polymarket from a crypto-native platform into a fully regulated exchange operating under CFTC rules.

This approval also marks a broader shift in the regulatory landscape. 

For years, prediction markets operated in a legal gray area. US regulators often took a cautious or even hostile stance toward event-based trading. The CFTC’s decision signals a more open approach. 

The move also unlocks institutional participation. Brokers, futures commission merchants (FCMs), trading firms, and liquidity providers can now access Polymarket’s markets legally. This greatly expands the platform’s potential scale and liquidity. 

The ruling also positions prediction markets as a legitimate financial instrument. They can serve as tools for forecasting elections, geopolitics, policy changes, sports outcomes, and macro events. They may even emerge as a new asset class.

The news comes at a moment when Polymarket is performing strongly and securing a clear position in an increasingly competitive industry.

Polymarket’s Momentum Builds

Polymarket’s recent growth has been driven by rising user activity, strong institutional backing, and speculation about what the prediction market will do next.

Last week, BeInCrypto reported that the prediction market is now seeking new capital at a $12 billion valuation, representing a sharp increase from its previous funding round. The move has also fueled speculation about a potential initial public offering (IPO), with many drawing parallels to Kraken’s recent fundraising efforts and confidential filing.

Institutional support has played a significant role in Polymarket’s rise. Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) invested $2 billion in the platform, giving prediction markets serious credibility. Meanwhile, user engagement has climbed just as quickly. 

Polymarket now has more than 1.3 million traders and over $18 billion in total volume. Daily active users jumped from 20,000 to almost 58,000. Much of the excitement stems from the confirmation of the POLY token and an airdrop that could rank among the largest in cryptocurrency history. 

With regulatory clarity, institutional backing, and rapid user growth converging at once, Polymarket now appears poised to enter its most ambitious phase yet.