Polymarket ran secret influencer campaign targeting US users while pushing to unban international exchange
Polymarket has been banned from allowing U.S. users to trade on its international website since 2022, but an investigation found the company waged a secret campaign targeting Americans for attention. The effort involved paying creators to film trades on fake websites and hiring influencers, designed to circumvent the prohibition on U.S.-based trading. Separately, Polymarket is working to lift the U.S. ban on its international exchange, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The company acquired CFTC-licensed exchange QCEX in 2025 and currently operates in the U.S. under a CFTC order of designation.
Polymarket must now convince the CFTC the fake-bet campaign was isolated misconduct, not systemic deception. A finding of a pattern jeopardizes its 2025 exchange designation and any path to restoring full international platform access.