Polymarket seeks new funding and could reach a valuation of US$15 billion

• Polymarket negotiates round with record valuation
• Interest in prediction markets soars in 2025
• Platform plans expansion and return to the US

Polymarket, one of the largest cryptocurrency-based prediction market platforms, is in talks with investors to raise a new round of financing which could value the company between $12 billion and $15 billion. The move comes just months after the startup reached a market value of $9 billion, reflecting the rapid growth of the sector and the growing interest of venture capital funds in the segment.

Founded in 2020 by Shayne Coplan, Polymarket allows users to trade "yes or no" outcomes on political, sporting, financial, and cultural events. The company has distinguished itself by transforming market predictions into a form of investment and trend analysis, becoming a key player in the advancement of prediction tokenization within the crypto ecosystem.

In June, Polymarket raised $150 million in a round led by Peter Thiel's Founders Fund, reaching a $1,2 billion valuation. In early October, the company was valued at $9 billion after Intercontinental Exchange (ICE)—the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange—announced an investment of up to $2 billion, making Coplan one of the youngest billionaires in the sector.

Investor interest also extends to competitor Kalshi, a US-regulated platform that recently raised its own valuation to $12 billion after raising $300 million. Both have seen significant increases in trading volume as prediction markets gain traction as alternative instruments for analysis and speculation.

In September, Polymarket reached an all-time high in market creation and launched support for Bitcoin deposits, in addition to the tokens already operating on Ethereum, Polygon, Base, Arbitrum, and Solana. The company also introduced stock and index markets, allowing bets on the upward or downward movements of assets in real time.

Another recent milestone was the announcement of approval to resume operations in the United States, after suspending activities in 2022 due to regulatory uncertainty. Coplan confirmed that the project "has received the green light to operate again" and indicated that a POLY token may be launched in the future. Additionally, Polymarket has partnered with DraftKings, becoming its official clearinghouse should the sports betting giant enter the predictions industry.