Polymarket protocol
Overview
Polymarket is a decentralized prediction market platform built on the Polygon sidechain, enabling users to trade on the outcomes of real-world events using the USDC stablecoin. It resolves markets using a decentralized oracle system and allows permissionless creation of new markets. Following a January 2022 CFTC settlement that barred US users, Polymarket acquired CFTC-licensed exchange and clearinghouse QCEX in July 2025 and returned to the US market under CFTC oversight; the related CFTC and DOJ investigations were closed and Polymarket remains active as of 2026-07-15.
Within the DeFi Intel graph, Polymarket connects to 70 tracked entities, most strongly to Polygon, CFTC, Kalshi.
Relations
Top connections in the DeFi Intel knowledge graph (confidence-weighted, 9 of 70 total).
| Relation | Connected entity | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
deployed_on | Polygon | 95% |
regulated_by | CFTC | 95% |
investigated_by | CFTC | 95% |
competitor_of | Kalshi | 95% |
investigated_by | US Department of Justice | 95% |
integrates | UMA Protocol | 95% |
founded_by | Shayne Coplan | 95% |
integrates | UMA Optimistic Oracle V3 | 95% |
funded_by | Founders Fund | 95% |
In-depth guides on Polymarket
Frequently asked questions
What chain is Polymarket deployed on?
Polymarket is deployed on the Polygon sidechain.
Who founded Polymarket?
Polymarket was founded by Shayne Coplan.
What oracle protocol does Polymarket integrate?
Polymarket integrates the UMA Protocol and the UMA Optimistic Oracle V3.
More on Polymarket
Sources
Live news feed, full graph, and search.