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Tech42h ago

Polymarket trading API fails again, halts orders

Why this matters?

Polymarket is rebuilding its entire CLOB stack in Rust after repeated outages, a direct admission that the current system cannot handle the load. VP Engineering Josh Stevens set a target of 200,000 orders per second, a benchmark that reveals how far behind the existing infrastructure has fallen.

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Polymarket deploys anomaly detection system ahead of U.S. midterms

41h ago

HIBT adds early sell, API access, and OKQuant tie-in to event contracts

23h ago

Novig launches CFTC-regulated sports prediction market in 47 states and sues New York

14d ago

Kalshi launches Public Companies Hub to target equity traders

28d ago

Latest Tech headlines

Somnia and DreamDEX host $5,000 event contracts hackathon for builders

2d ago

Predictions.io launches free tools to compare odds across prediction market venues

3d ago

Polymarket halts trading in major API outage, then sees second degradation

6d ago

Metaspins adds prediction markets to crypto gaming platform

18d ago

TS Imagine adds prediction markets data for institutional risk workflows

23d ago

Gate DexBuilder launches first event contracts builder and $3M grant program

24d ago

Tech Top Stories

STX deploys Eventus Validus surveillance as it pursues CFTC approval

STX's Validus deployment signals that surveillance infrastructure is now table stakes for any platform chasing a CFTC designation, not a nice-to-have extra. Rothera made the same move just days earlier, and regulators will compare newcomer setups against that benchmark. For STX specifically, the rollout must satisfy CFTC examiners who are already tightening the public-interest gate under the new Rule 40.11 proposal. A surveillance shortfall during review would delay or kill its DCM application while rivals advance. The platform also faces the Schiff-Curtis bill that could ban sports event contracts outright, making clean compliance records politically essential. Traders benefit from faster manipulation detection, but the real pressure is on STX's regulatory timeline. The exchange that cannot demonstrate scaled oversight will lose its place in line as the CFTC and Congress narrow the window.

26d ago

Kalshi becomes first prediction market to stream full order books on DoubleZero

Kalshi is now wired into the same data transport infrastructure that equity exchanges use, which changes who can trade its markets competitively. Institutions that already pay for DoubleZero feeds to reach stock exchanges can add Kalshi with no new terminal build, collapsing the setup barrier that has kept event contracts on retail platforms. Firms with latency-sensitive strategies now have a path to treat prediction markets as a core asset class rather than an experimental sleeve. The move also raises the data arms race stakes for Polymarket, ForecastEx, and any rival that wants institutional flow. Kalshi can convert connectivity into volume, it forces competitors to match infrastructure spend before they can match contract variety. A prediction market without exchange-grade feeds risks being screened out of institutional allocation models entirely.

19d ago

Polymarket US tests CFTC-certified parlays in API-only beta

Parlays carry higher expected revenue per trade than single-leg contracts, so Polymarket is chasing the same fee economics that drove Kalshi's $25 million event-contract haul. The product also tightens the race with Novig, whose 47-state launch just reset the scale bar for regulated sports prediction markets. API-only access means institutional tooling comes before retail rollout, which signals Polymarket is wooing volume traders first. If parlays attract the bot and market-maker ecosystem that single-leg contracts have not, Kalshi and Novig will face pressure to match the feature before retail demand hardens around a leader. The CFTC certification in May gives Polymarket a three-month head start that narrows if competitors self-certify their own multi-leg products this quarter. FanDuel Predicts' clearing overhaul shows how infrastructure choices are already separating platforms that can scale from those stuck in pilot mode.

13d ago

Kalshi adopts Nasdaq surveillance platform already used by the CFTC

Kalshi now runs the same surveillance platform CFTC examiners use themselves. That matters because institutional traders demand redundant systems and clean audit trails before committing capital. Kalshi must still defend its stack against competitors like Polymarket, which also holds CFTC registration and can match the move. The real test is whether Nasdaq's brand credibility speeds CFTC approvals for new contract categories. Examiners already trust the interface, so Kalshi gains a narrative advantage when seeking expanded market access state by state. Competitors without equivalent third-party surveillance face higher institutional skepticism and slower regulatory timelines. The cost is dependency on Nasdaq uptime across both event contracts and perpetual futures. A single vendor failure would freeze oversight across Kalshi's fastest-growing product line, amplifying operational risk in exchange for regulatory credibility.

22d ago

Cartesian Digital launches prediction markets service for institutional trading firms

Institutional trading firms have stayed on the sidelines because prediction markets lacked the infrastructure and regulatory clarity they require. Cartesian Digital is now building the bridge. Firms that clear through traditional prime brokers can add event contracts without building new operational rails from scratch. That lowers the activation threshold for portfolio managers who want hedges on political and economic outcomes. Kalshi and Polymarket have chased institutional flow through exchange connectivity and regulatory stamps, but neither offers a dedicated institutional service layer. Cartesian Digital's move splits the race into two tracks: platforms that own the contracts, and infrastructure firms that own the client relationship. The stakes are which model captures the management fee and the order flow. If institutions build habits through Cartesian Digital, the underlying venue becomes interchangeable. Kalshi must prove its direct connectivity advantage matters more than a white-glove wrapper, or risk becoming a back-end feed while someone else owns the desk.

14d ago

OKX extends settlement windows for event contracts

Longer settlement windows mean OKX's event contracts will not resolve on brief price spikes. That matters for UpDown traders who bet on short-term directional moves, because their positions now avoid getting knocked out by momentary volatility. OKX is signaling infrastructure polish rather than product innovation, competing on execution quality against platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket that pitch regulatory credibility instead. Brokers and API-driven distributors choosing between venues now weigh settlement mechanics alongside licensing status. The change is minor in isolation, but it shows OKX treating event contracts as a permanent product line worth refining. Without disclosed specifics, traders cannot yet model how much protection the wider window actually provides.

17d ago

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Frequently Asked Questions

How does Polymarket work technically?

Polymarket runs on Polygon and settles trades in USDC. Contract resolution uses UMA’s optimistic oracle: a proposer posts the outcome, and any UMA token holder can dispute it inside a fixed window before settlement.

Is Kalshi on the blockchain?

No. Kalshi runs traditional centralized exchange infrastructure — a matching engine, clearing, and settlement system tied to specific oracle data sources for each contract. It settles in US dollars, not crypto.

What is UMA oracle?

UMA is an "optimistic oracle" used by Polymarket and other DeFi protocols to resolve contracts. A proposer submits the answer; if no one disputes it within the challenge window, it’s accepted. If disputed, UMA token holders vote to determine the truth.

How are prediction market contracts resolved?

Each contract names its resolution source up front — the AP race call for an election, the BLS press release for a jobs print, the official scoreboard for a sports outcome. The exchange (Kalshi, ForecastEx) or oracle (Polymarket via UMA) reads that source and pays out winners.

Does Kalshi have an API?

Yes — Kalshi publishes a REST and WebSocket API at kalshi.com/docs covering live prices, order entry, and account data. Polymarket and ForecastEx also publish APIs. The Technology section tracks API releases and changes.

What chain does Polymarket run on?

Polymarket runs on Polygon (a Layer 2 Ethereum scaling network) and settles in USDC. It uses Gnosis CTF (Conditional Tokens Framework) for contract issuance.