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Polymarket cleared an important hurdle in its push to restart full operations in the U S. A new move from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission gives the company the green light to move forward with a regulated intermediated exchange model, something it has been chasing since stepping away from the American market in 2022.
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The CFTC issued an amended order of designation that puts Polymarket back on a path toward operating a federally supervised prediction market platform inside the U S. The company has served global users as one of the largest prediction markets worldwide, yet it has not been able to legally operate for Americans since a 2022 dispute with regulators.
The new designation, announced Tuesday, allows Polymarket to connect directly with brokerages and customers and give traders the option to access markets through FCMs. That step aligns Polymarket with the structure used by regulated derivatives venues and marks the clearest signal yet that its return is close.
CEO and founder Shayne Coplan described the moment with clear optimism. He said:
“People rely on Polymarket because we provide clarity where there is confusion and accountability where these is ambiguity. This approval allows us to operate in a way that reflects the maturity and transparency that the U S regulatory framework demands. We are grateful for the constructive engagement with the CFTC and look forward to continuing to demonstrate leadership as a regulated U S exchange.”
Polymarket has spent all of 2025 rebuilding bridges with federal agencies and crafting a path back. PrizePicks, a sports entertainment operator registered as an FCM with the National Futures Association, struck a multi year partnership with Polymarket earlier this month. The deal positions PrizePicks as a key access point for regulated customer onboarding once the exchange reopens.
Polymarket also benefited from a friendlier posture from the current administration, which has shown interest in softening restrictions around cryptocurrency markets and prediction market platforms. That shift helped Polymarket land several milestones in rapid succession.
In July, both the CFTC and the U S Department of Justice dropped their investigations of Polymarket. Only days later, the company purchased QCX LLC and QC Clearing LLC (known together as QCEX) for $112 million, giving Polymarket a licensed exchange and clearing operation already under CFTC supervision.
Momentum continued in August when Donald Trump Jr. joined Polymarket’s advisory board. His venture capital firm, 1789 Capital, had already taken a major financial stake in the company.
Last month, QCEX submitted self certification filings to the CFTC outlining plans to offer sports moneyline and point spread markets along with election winner contracts. Self certification is the mechanism derivatives venues use to notify the CFTC of new contract listings, and it often signals that launch plans are in motion.
Those filings line up with Polymarket’s broader push to create a regulated suite of prediction contracts that can match what its offshore competitors offer without running afoul of federal law.
A surprising number of sports entities are already leaning in. The NHL signed agreements with both Polymarket and its competitor Kalshi, bringing prediction-driven engagement into league content and broadcasts. The UFC went even further, naming Polymarket its official and exclusive prediction market.