Polymarket international volume falls for second straight month as US platform grows
Polymarket's international prediction market platform recorded $7.1 billion in trading volume during May, marking its second consecutive monthly decline, according to Investing.com. CNBC reported that the US platform continues to grow even as the international operation slumps. Cdcgaming.com noted that the drop came even as the broader prediction-market industry grew. The figures arrive as rival Kalshi has strung together multiple record months, creating a sharp volume contrast between the two largest event-contract venues. Polymarket had previously seen strong international traction but has now posted back-to-back monthly falls on that platform.
Polymarket's shrinking international volume against Kalshi's record streak weakens its pitch to DRW, Wintermute and IMC that it can match the regulated venue's retail flow depth. Any sustained gap risks redirecting institutional market-making talent toward Kalshi's growing liquidity pool. The ninth straight monthly volume record at $17.91B gives Kalshi hard evidence for its funding narrative that regulated markets drain offshore liquidity.
Polymarket's second straight monthly international decline comes just days after Kalshi posted its ninth consecutive monthly volume record, deepening the divergence between the CFTC-registered rival and the crypto venue.