NYSE parent invests $2B in Polymarket at $9B valuation

Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), has invested $2 billion in cryptocurrency-based prediction market Polymarket.

According to a Tuesday Polymarket X post, the ICE invested $2 billion in the prediction market. The deal values Polymarket at a $9 billion post-money valuation.

Source: PolymarketICE’s NYSE is the world’s largest stock exchange by market capitalization, exceeding $25 trillion as of July 2024. Its interest is the latest move that fuses the United States’ traditional financial landscape with the cryptocurrency industry.

Polymarket is a crypto-powered prediction market where people buy and sell “shares” in real-world event outcomes (elections, sports, crypto prices), with market prices reflecting the crowd’s implied probabilities. Trades typically settle in stablecoins, and markets are resolved against predefined, verifiable sources, with access for US users restricted due to regulatory reasons.

Polymarket’s homepage. Source: PolymarketRelated: US Justice Department, CFTC end Polymarket investigations — Report

Polymarket prepares US relaunch

The news also follows recent reports that Polymarket is reportedly preparing a US launch that could value the company as high as $10 billion. In early September, the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) issued a no-action letter to QCX granting Polymarket relief from certain federal reporting and record-keeping requirements.

That stance marks a notable shift from prior years. In mid-November 2024, the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) went as far as to raid the home of Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan, seizing his phone and electronics. The CFTC also issued a cease-and-desist order against Polymarket in early 2022.

Related: Polymarket faces scrutiny over $7M Ukraine mineral deal bet

This followed Polymarket’s July acquisition of the US-licensed derivatives exchange and clearinghouse QCEX for $112 million in preparation for its re-entry into the US market. In recent times, the prediction market has undergone significant leadership changes.

In late August, Polymarket added Donald Trump Jr., the son of US President Donald Trump, to its advisory board after receiving a strategic investment from self-described politically aligned vehicle 1789 Capital. The financial details are unclear, but according to some estimates, the investment was worth “double-digit millions of dollars."

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