NYSE's parent company invests $2 billion in Polymarket
ICE, the financial group behind the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), has just officially announced a strategic investment worth 2 billion USD in Polymarket - the world's largest prediction market platform.
The deal brings Polymarket's valuation to $9 billion, and marks a major milestone as traditional finance begins to delve into the DeFi space.
We are excited to announce that ICE — the parent company of @NYSE , is making a $2b strategic investment at a $9b post-money valuation.
— Polymarket (@Polymarket) October 7, 2025
Together, we're building the next evolution of markets.
A special thank you to all those who have supported us… pic.twitter.com/y7Z3koj3IU
Why is this news important?
This is the largest investment ever by a traditional financial group in a decentralized prediction market project.
ICE – the “big guy” that has operated the NYSE since 1792 – will become Polymarket’s global data distributor, providing event-based market sentiment indicators.
The two sides also cooperate in the field of asset tokenization ( RWA ), opening up the possibility of connecting prediction markets with traditional financial markets.
This move could help Polymarket gain wider recognition among institutional investors, turning event prediction into a legitimate and useful financial tool.
Background and related events
Polymarket was founded in 2020 by Shayne Coplan, allowing users to buy and sell “outcome shares” of future events (such as elections, sports, news...).
The platform works on smart contracts, ensuring transparent transactions and no intermediaries.
In early 2022, Polymarket was forced by the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to stop providing services to US users due to unregistered Derivative transactions.
However, in September 2025, Polymarket was officially given the green light to return to the US market after the CFTC issued a “no-action letter” to QCX and QC Clearing – two entities acquired by Polymarket for a total value of 112 million USD .
The decision helps Polymarket legitimize its operations in the US and expand into the regulated Derivative sector, paving the way for institutional investor participation.
Community Statement & Response
Jeffrey Sprecher , Chairman and CEO of ICE, said:
“This investment brings together ICE – a financial institution with a history of over 230 years – with a pioneering DeFi company that is reshaping how people perceive risk and information.”Shayne Coplan , founder of Polymarket, emphasizes:
“The partnership with ICE is a turning point in bringing prediction markets into the mainstream of global finance. By combining ICE’s institutional scale and reputation with Polymarket’s flexibility, we can create products that serve the modern generation of investors.”The crypto community XEM this as a “historic milestone”, representing Wall Street’s official recognition of the prediction market model – where market data is generated from user beliefs and behavior instead of traditional financial indicators.
Conclude
The $2 billion investment from ICE is not just a financial deal, but also a strong legitimizing signal for the prediction market in the eyes of traditional investors.
The combination of ICE and Polymarket is expected to usher in a new generation of financial markets, where predictive data becomes an important input asset for risk analysis and investment strategies.
With the legal backing from CFTC and Capital inflow from ICE, Polymarket has officially entered the era of global growth, becoming a bridge between DeFi and traditional finance.
Coin68 synthesis