- CryptoGeneral
- October 12, 2025
- 3 minutes read
NYSE Owner ICE Invests $2B In Prediction Site Polymarket
Intercontinental Exchange Inc. (ICE), owner of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), has struck a deal to become a significant…
Intercontinental Exchange Inc. (ICE), owner of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), has struck a deal to become a significant investor in prediction site Polymarket. ICE will invest up to $2bn in Polymarket at a $8bn valuation, indicating a 25% stake if it puts in the full amount.
- Founded in 2020 by entrepreneur Shayne Coplan, Polymarket is a prediction market where users bet on various events spanning sports, geopolitics, and pop culture. Users can bet on everything from election outcomes to football matches and weather patterns. Polymarket’s main rival is Kalshi, a prediction market launched in 2021.
In 2022, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), which oversees the country’s derivatives markets, sued Polymarket for offering event-based options trading contracts without proper registration. Polymarket agreed to pay $1.4mn to settle the lawsuit and to block U.S.-based users from its platform.
In September 2025, the CFTC permitted Polymarket to reopen to U.S.-based users. The decision came shortly after Polymarket acquired QCEX, a CFTC-licensed derivatives exchange and clearinghouse, in a $112mn deal.
- Prediction markets have surged in popularity in recent years, with Polymarket and its rival, Kalshi, leading the industry. Both firms are positioned to rapidly expand their user base, partly by taking market share from the sports gambling industry.
- Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), now Polymarket’s biggest investor, owns various global financial exchanges, including the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). By market capitalization, the NYSE is the largest stock exchange in the U.S. A $2bn investment in Polymarket gives ICE a foothold in the fast-growing prediction markets industry.
Other prominent Polymarket investors include Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia, Zynga co-founder Mark Pincus, Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick, and hedge fund tycoon Glenn Dubin. Before ICE’s investment, the New York City-based company had raised $205mn from private investors.
