ICE Invests $2 Billion in Polymarket To Expand Into Prediction Markets

Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE), the owner of the New York Stock Exchange, announced on Tuesday a strategic investment in Polymarket, a decentralized prediction market platform.

ICE will invest up to $2 billion, valuing Polymarket at roughly $8 billion pre-investment, according to a press release. As part of the deal, ICE will become a global distributor of Polymarket’s data, providing institutional investors with access to insights on market sentiment.

The two companies also plan to work together on tokenization projects in the future, the release noted. This comes at a time when the real-world asset sector continues to expand, having recently surpassed $33 billion in total on-chain value.

ICE’s investment reflects a growing trend of traditional financial (TradFi) institutions exploring decentralized finance (DeFi) and prediction markets. It also underscores a broader shift in how technology is changing the way people speculate, engage, and interact with markets.

“Our investment blends ICE… with a forward-thinking, revolutionary company pioneering change within the decentralized finance space,” said Jeffrey C. Sprecher, ICE Chair & Chief Executive Officer. “There are opportunities across markets which ICE, together with Polymarket, can uniquely serve, and we are excited about where this investment can take us.”

ICE stock is currently changing hands at $161.46, up 2% on the day following the news.

The Speculation Era

Zach Burch, CEO of MyPrize, an online social casino, called the deal a sign of the “golden age of speculation,” in comments shared with The Defiant.

“You’re seeing one of the most established financial institutions recognize that passive consumption is dead and people want to actively participate in the outcomes they’re watching unfold,” Burch said. “This isn’t just about prediction markets. ICE sees what we all see: speculation has become the social layer that transforms content into engagement.”

Founded in 2020, Polymarket lets users trade shares based on the outcome of real-world events. Trades happen directly between users through smart contracts, and markets expand as more people join.

Currently, Polymarket is the official prediction market partner of platforms like X and Stocktwits. In recent months, the platform’s DEX trading volume has grown steadily, reaching $1.4 billion in September – its highest monthly volume since December 2024, per DeFiLlama.

Shayne Coplan, Polymarket’s CEO, revealed on X earlier today that the company has received strong backing from top venture investors and angels even before the ICE deal.

Earlier this year, Founders Fund led a $150 million round, valuing the company at $1.2 billion, with participation from Ribbit, Valor, Blockchain Capital, Coinbase and others. And in 2024, Blockchain Capital led a $55 million round, valuing Polymarket at $350 million.