An independent beginner's guide to Polymarket — the world's largest prediction market platform. Sign up, fund your account, place your first trade, and cash out, explained in plain language.
A prediction market lets you buy and sell shares in the outcome of real-world events — elections, sports results, economic data, even weather. If your prediction is right, your shares pay out. Because prices move with supply and demand, the current price doubles as the crowd's best guess at the probability of the event happening.
Every market has two sides. "Yes" shares pay $1 if the event happens; "No" shares pay $1 if it doesn't. You buy whichever side you believe in.
A "Yes" price of 62¢ means the market believes there's a 62% chance the event happens. Prices move as traders react to news.
You don't have to wait for the outcome. Sell your shares early to lock in profit, or cut losses if the odds turn against you.
When the event concludes, the market resolves and winning shares redeem at $1.00 each. Losing shares expire worthless.
From zero to your first trade — the full journey, simplified.
Sign up with an email address — no identity verification is required. Your account is ready immediately.
Signup guide →Deposit with crypto. Deposits convert into the platform's dollar-pegged balance, so 1 unit = $1 of buying power.
Deposit guide →Pick a market, choose Yes or No, enter an amount, and confirm. Many markets accept trades under $5.
Trading guide →Sell positions or wait for resolution, then withdraw your balance back to your own wallet.
Withdraw guide →The most-traded Polymarket markets right now, each with live prices for every outcome.
Browse live odds →Every contested Senate race with live odds — Texas, Ohio, Michigan, Maine and the rest, updated daily into Election Day.
See all Senate races →The monthly leaderboard with a profile for each trader: rank, realized profit and volume, straight from the public board.
Meet the top traders →Who banked the most in the last 24 hours — overall and by category — with a permanent daily archive.
Today's winners →Tonight's pro slate — NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB and soccer — with live moneyline odds, spreads, totals and what the market is saying, game by game.
See today's games →The day's biggest single positions and the wallets behind them, tracked daily.
Whale Watch →The biggest 24-hour price swings across Polymarket — the markets moving right now.
Market movers →Where Senate race prices disagree between markets — potential arbitrage gaps, updated daily.
Arb scanner →Every 2026 midterm market in one place: Senate, House, and the road to Election Day, November 3.
Midterms hub →Traders by category: Sports · Crypto · Politics · Culture · Economics · Tech · Finance · Weather
Odds by category: Soccer · NBA · Basketball · Tennis · Esports · Crypto · Politics · Elections
Each topic covered in plain language — no trading background assumed.
The complete beginner guide: sign up, deposit, first trade, fees and withdrawing — in order, step by step.
Start here →Email-based signup with no KYC. How to secure your account and what to do if you lose access.
Read guide →Which networks and tokens are accepted, how conversion works, and what deposit fees to expect.
Read guide →Limit vs. market orders, reading the order book, and what spread and liquidity mean for your fill price.
Read guide →The real 2026 fee table: takers pay by category, makers pay $0, geopolitics is free — plus how to pay nothing.
Read guide →How to get money out, typical timelines, minimums, and mistakes that delay withdrawals.
Read guide →Position sizing, why most short-term traders lose money, and how to keep this entertainment, not income.
Read guide →The beginner's guide: how prediction markets work, what Yes/No shares mean, and why prices move.
Read guide →The two big prediction market platforms compared: markets, fees, availability, and which suits you.
Read guide →An honest review: company background, fund safety, market resolution, and red flags to watch for.
Read guide →Practical approaches for new traders — plus position sizing and when not to trade.
Read guide →Perpetual futures with up to 20x leverage on crypto, stocks, indices, and commodities — explained.
Read guide →Each market category works a little differently. Learn how to read them before you trade.
Electoral markets, reading polls vs prices, and trading around debates and election night.
Read guide →BTC and ETH price-target markets, hedging your portfolio, and how settlement works.
Read guide →How prediction exchanges differ from sportsbooks, championship futures, and in-season trading.
Read guide →Awards shows, box office, and viral moments — fun markets with thin-liquidity warnings.
Read guide →Our free calculator shows shares, max payout, implied probability — and now the real taker fee — for any trade.
Availability spans 100+ countries. Check the quick reference for your region.
Check availability →Join millions of users trading on real-world events. No KYC required — fund your account and start in minutes.
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