Polymarket news
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Polymarket raises $1B led by Trump Jr.'s 1789 Capital, valuing it at $21B.
The funding boosts a prediction market facing insider-trading scrutiny before US midterms.
Background
Polymarket is a prediction market platform where users trade on event outcomes. It recently secured a $1 billion funding round led by 1789 Capital, a firm where Donald Trump Jr. is a partner, valuing the company at $21 billion. This comes as Polymarket prepares for the US midterm elections, with increased focus on market integrity and insider trading enforcement.
How it unfolded
- 2022Polymarket reached a settlement with US regulators, agreeing to block US users from its platform.
- 2025Polymarket acquired QCEX, a CFTC-regulated exchange, and later received CFTC approval to return to the US market.
- Oct 2025Intercontinental Exchange made an initial $1 billion investment in Polymarket.
- Mar 2026ICE invested an additional $600 million in Polymarket.
- Aug 31, 2026WSJ reported that 1789 Capital is investing around $300 million in a $1 billion round, valuing Polymarket at $21 billion.
- Sep 2, 2026Polymarket's head of investigations said the company is prepared to police trading as US midterms approach, with nearly 100 insider-trading referrals to law enforcement.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Polymarket says it is fully prepared to police trading and is launching a web page to explain its market integrity measures.
- Caution
- Regulators and 20 states are waging legal battles over whether prediction markets should be subject to sportsbook laws.
- Support
- 1789 Capital and Trump Jr. view Polymarket as a leading prediction market, with Trump Jr. joining its advisory board.
Still unverified
The $300 million investment from 1789 Capital and the $21 billion valuation are based on unnamed sources reported by WSJ and Bloomberg, not officially confirmed by Polymarket.