Updated:
May 12, 2026 , 08:16 PM ET
• 4 min read
“Polymarket’s U.S. app is now being rolled out to those on the waitlist,” note on company’s website reads.
Photo By – Reuters Connect. Photo illustration of Polymarket on screen in front of business webpage. (Photo by Timon Schneider / SOPA Images/Sipa USA)
Prediction market operator Polymarket is officially rolling out access to its U.S. exchange to waitlisted customers after lining up its entry nearly one year ago.
Polymarket acquired Commodity Futures Trading Commission-licensed (CFTC) exchange QCEX last July, paving the way for its re-launch after the company received a ban in 2022.
Key Takeaways
- The platform does not yet have an Android app.
- Polymarket was banned for offering unregistered contracts.
- Polymarket is already the second-largest prediction platform in America.
The rollout of Polymarket’s iOS platform Tuesday, first reported by InGame, ends a six-month-plus waitlist period since the company first accepted trades on the QCEX platform.
The prediction app had previously displayed an invitation code request on its launch screen. Now, opening the app takes users to a home trading page, where markets in various sports are displayed with their trading prices. Signing up for the app also no longer requires an access code.
“Polymarket’s U.S. app is now being rolled out to those on the waitlist,” the company’s website reads. “Provide your phone number below to secure your spot & be notified when it’s your turn.”
Polymarket initially launched in 2020. It agreed to a settlement with the CFTC in 2022 that resulted in a $1.4-million fine and restricted access in the U.S. market after it was found to have operated with unregistered derivatives.
Acquiring QCEX allowed Polymarket to absorb the exchange’s CFTC license, greenlighting Polymarket for a return.
The long wait was unexpected. The company had plans to launch last July, and CEO Shayne Coplan said that his platform had a “green light” to launch in September 2025, just in time for the NFL season.
Despite the setbacks, the platform is now live for iOS users in America.
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The momentum of prediction platforms
Polymarket’s trading history following the QCEX acquisition was slow in October.
Total trades reached six figures by mid-November in the heart of the NFL season, and the waitlist was released for U.S. customers in December.
With reportedly more than 1.4 million customers waiting for access, the company still reported a spike to about $60 million in all-sports trading volume during the early rounds of March Madness and over $90 million during the 2026 Masters.
New: Polymarket’s US platform (still in closed beta) is catching up to Kalshi. On the market for The Masters winner, Poly US did $255 million in volume, a little more than half of Kalshi volume for the same market ($460M).
(Numbers don’t include Polymarket’s DeFi platform)
— Dustin Gouker (@DustinGouker) April 15, 2026
Even while operating in a limited capacity, Polymarket became America’s second-largest prediction platform, beating out Crypto.com, in March. Its near-$50 million in average daily trading volume over the last week still trails market leader Kalshi by a considerable margin.
Polymarket’s trading activity should increase greatly now that the waitlist is gone.
Delays and current situation
According to The Information’s report last week, Polymarket’s delayed launch may have been caused by instability in QCEX.
“[Polymarket was] struggling with turnover, banking issues and questions about leadership,” the report said, while noting that U.S. CEO Justin Hertzberg, the previous CEO of QCEX, had been the chief executive “in name only.”
Despite still being relatively new to mainstream audiences, prediction market news has vaulted trading markets to the center of attention. A recent survey found that 15% of Americans had bought sports event contracts, not far behind the 27% that reported owning an active sportsbook account.