Polymarket’s New Reward Program
Polymarket, a popular prediction platform, has introduced a reward program that gives users daily payouts based on the value of their positions in selected markets. The main goal is to improve accurate pricing, especially for long-term contracts.
The rewards are shown as an annual rate of 4%, but payouts are made daily. To calculate this, Polymarket randomly checks the value of users’ positions once every hour. The value comes from multiplying the number of “Yes” or “No” shares a user holds by the latest market price. That number is then used to figure out each user’s daily return.
Right now, the same rate applies to all markets in the program. However, Polymarket said this could change in the future and that payouts may have limits if needed. The rewards are funded directly from the Polymarket Treasury.
The program currently focuses on high-profile global events, such as:
- The 2028 U.S. presidential election
- Presidential nomination races
- A potential Russia–Ukraine ceasefire before 2027
These markets were chosen because they attract heavy trading and need consistent pricing over time.
Competition with Kalshi
Polymarket launched this program to strengthen its position, but competitor Kalshi is still leading in activity. In one recent week, Kalshi processed about $728 million in trades, compared to $456 million on Polymarket.
As of September 23, Kalshi also had higher open interest (the value of active contracts) at $182 million, while Polymarket had around $160 million, according to Dune Analytics.
Regulatory Approval
Earlier this month, Polymarket received approval to operate legally in the United States. The U.S. Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) gave the company a No-Action Letter, allowing it to offer event-based contracts. This marks an important step for Polymarket as it looks to expand in the U.S.
