From FBI raids to unicorn status: Inside Polymarket’s explosive new $1 billion valuation
Peter Thiel’s venture firm is leading a nine‑figure Series C that values the on‑chain prediction market at $1 billion, even as U.S. regulators still block the platform from its largest potential audience.
Polymarket, the blockchain‑based prediction platform that lets traders bet on everything from the U.S. presidential race to Taylor Swift’s tour dates, is poised to raise $200 million in fresh capital led by Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund, according to people familiar with the negotiations.
The deal, first reported by Bloomberg late Tuesday, will lift Polymarket’s post‑money valuation to about $1 billion, making it one of the first blockchain‑native betting venues to claim “unicorn” status.
Founders Fund, already a backer after a $45 million Series B last May, will double down with what sources call its largest single investment in a decentralized‑finance start‑up to date. Partner Joey Krug told Blockworks the firm’s partners “developed a habit of checking Polymarket at times of breaking news… It became clear to us that Polymarket was the winner in this market.”
The conviction play widens a bridge between blue‑chip Silicon Valley capital and an industry still skirting the gray edges of U.S. gambling law.
Why VCs like the odds
- Record engagement. Monthly active traders climbed past 475,000 during the US Election while open interest hit $463 million, both all‑time highs.
- Election super‑cycle. Markets related to the 2024 US Election campaign alone cleared more than $2 billion in bets, giving Polymarket a live demo of its “wisdom of crowds” thesis.
- Distribution bump. A tie‑up earlier this month lets Elon Musk’s X app surface Polymarket odds natively through its Grok AI assistant, exposing the venue to 600 million‑plus monthly users, according to X CEO Linda Yaccarino.
The regulatory elephant
For all its momentum, Polymarket remains officially off‑limits to U.S. residents. In January 2022, the company paid a $1.4 million fine to settle Commodity Futures Trading Commission charges that it hosted unregistered event‑based swaps. The site now geoblocks American IP addresses, but law‑enforcement pressure hasn’t eased: FBI agents searched founder Shayne Coplan’s New York apartment last November.
That legal shadow matters because the United States is by far the world’s most lucrative betting market. Venture analysts say the valuation Founders Fund is paying only makes sense if Polymarket eventually unlocks U.S. access.
Polymarket’s blockchain‑native model contrasts with regulated “cash market” rival Kalshi, which has spent three years and millions in legal fees seeking CFTC approval to list political contracts. Other decentralized entrants tout lower fees or sport‑specific markets but have yet to show comparable liquidity, and none has publicly disclosed a valuation north of $1 billion.
Follow the money
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Amount Raised | Post-money Valuation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2020 | Seed | Polychain, angels | $4 M | N/A | Confirmed |
| Jan 2024 | Series A | 1kx, Naval Ravikant | $25 M | Reported: $150 M | Confirmed (amount); Valuation unverified |
| May 2024 | Series B | Founders Fund, Vitalik Buterin* | $45 M | Reported: $350 M | Confirmed (amount & lead); Valuation not disclosed |
| June 2025* | Series C | Founders Fund | $200 M | Reported: $1 B | Not closed; based on leaks |
* Vitalik Buterin participated in Series B, though not officially listed as a lead.
* Series C figures are from a Bloomberg-sourced leak and remain unconfirmed by Polymarket or Founders Fund.
Prediction markets have hovered on the fringe of finance for decades, but proponents argue that crypto rails let them clear trades cheaply, transparently, and crucially without a central bookie. Advocates such as Ethereum co‑founder Vitalik Buterin call Polymarket a “good social philosophy,” where prices compress real‑time information faster than polls or pundit hot‑takes ever could.
Yet that same decentralization alarms regulators who view event contracts as unlicensed derivatives. Whether Polymarket can convert headline traction into a sustainable, legal, and mainstream business will determine if the wisdom of crowds can finally pass the compliance test.
Founders Fund’s nine‑figure bet signals that some of Silicon Valley’s most influential investors believe the regulatory odds will break Polymarket’s way. Until they do, the unicorn crown sits on a platform still barred from the world’s richest pool of bettors, and that may prove the riskiest wager of all.
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