Polymarket hits all-time high for new markets created as platform eyes US return

As Polymarket gears up for a return to the United States, the predictions markets platform hit a milestone last month.

The number of new markets on a monthly basis reached 13,800 in August, blowing past the previous record from July by about 2,000 markets. Markets represent individual events that users can wager on.

Polymarket is a decentralized prediction market platform that allows users to place bets on world events. Users buy and sell shares using cryptocurrency to bet on the likelihood of future events taking place. The platform gained significant prominence around the presidential election in November 2024.

Earlier this week, Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan said the platform has the "green light" to re-launch in the U.S. after the Commodity Futures Trading Commission said they have taken a no-action position regarding swap data reporting and recordkeeping regulations for event contracts in response to a request from QCX. After a federal investigation was dropped in July, Polymarket said it planned to re-enter the U.S. for the first time since January 2022 with the acquisition of derivatives exchange QCEX.

The platform has its share of high-profile supporters. Donald Trump Jr. invested in Polymarket and joined the advisory board last month, and in June, Elon Musk’s X said it was “ joining forces ” with the prediction platform.

Despite hitting a record high for new markets created, overall volume on Polymarket has slowed throughout the year. Active traders hit their lowest level (around 227,00) since last October, according to The Block's data dashboard . Notably, overall volume has treaded water around the $1 billion level for the past several months after crossing $2.6 billion during the election.