New York Stock Exchange Owner ICE to Pour $2B Into Polymarket at $9B Valuation

NYSE Parent Aims to Integrate Event-Driven Data and Tokenized Finance With Polymarket Partnership

TL;DR:

• Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent of the New York Stock Exchange, is investing up to $2 billion in Polymarket at a valuation between $8–10 billion.
• The deal will see ICE distribute Polymarket’s event-driven data to institutional clients and collaborate on future tokenization initiatives.
• Polymarket recently introduced Bitcoin deposits to expand funding options and strengthen liquidity ahead of its next growth phase.

Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the operator behind the New York Stock Exchange, has announced a strategic investment of up to $2 billion in the decentralized prediction platform Polymarket. The all-cash deal, confirmed on October 7, 2025, values the company at roughly $8 billion pre-money and close to $9 billion post-investment, according to multiple reports. ICE said the move will not materially impact its 2025 earnings or capital-return plans but will play a key role in extending its data and analytics capabilities into the digital-asset ecosystem.

The investment positions ICE as a global distributor of Polymarket’s event-driven market data, offering institutional investors access to real-time crowd-driven sentiment indicators. The two companies also plan to collaborate on tokenization projects that integrate blockchain-based assets with Polymarket’s decentralized prediction framework. ICE Chair and CEO Jeffrey C. Sprecher called the partnership “an opportunity to serve markets ICE and Polymarket can uniquely reach,” signaling a broader effort to fuse Wall Street’s infrastructure with on-chain market dynamics.

Polymarket founder and CEO Shayne Coplan described the deal as a milestone for prediction markets entering the financial mainstream. He said the collaboration combines “ICE’s institutional scale and credibility” with Polymarket’s technology and consumer reach, enabling “world-class products for the modern investor.” The company’s platform allows users to buy and sell shares tied to real-world outcomes—from elections to economic indicators—with all trades settled via smart contracts and verified data feeds.

Polymarket’s recent growth has been striking. It recorded about $1.5 billion in trading volume last month and currently holds $164 million in total value locked. The company has raised roughly $300 million across multiple funding rounds from backers including Founders Fund, Polychain Capital, and General Catalyst. Its valuation surged from around $1 billion earlier this year to as high as $10 billion under the latest deal. Donald Trump Jr.’s 1789 Capital also invested in August, with Trump Jr. joining as an adviser.

Polymarket’s expansion has not been without hurdles. The firm agreed to restrict U.S. user access in 2022 after settling with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission over operating an unregistered derivatives platform. To rebuild its regulatory footing, Polymarket acquired Florida-based QCEX Clearing House for $112 million earlier this year, creating a compliant on-ramp for eventual U.S. operations.

The platform recently added Bitcoin deposit functionality to broaden funding access and liquidity beyond stablecoins such as USDC. The rollout enables users to fund accounts directly with BTC—a move viewed as preparation for another major funding round reportedly targeting $200 million. Polymarket now serves roughly 1.2 million users globally, and the inclusion of Bitcoin support marks a strategic shift to attract capital from a broader crypto-native audience.

The ICE–Polymarket alliance underscores a growing convergence between traditional finance and decentralized prediction markets. For ICE, it opens a channel into behavioral forecasting and tokenized asset data—sectors increasingly valued for their real-time insights. For Polymarket, it delivers institutional legitimacy, capital strength, and access to one of the world’s most established financial data networks. ICE’s shares briefly rose 4% in premarket trading following the announcement, reflecting investor optimism over the exchange operator’s move into blockchain-based analytics.

The partnership represents one of the largest bridge investments yet between a major Wall Street institution and a decentralized trading platform, setting the stage for a future where prediction data and tokenized assets converge within regulated global markets.

It's worth noting that the Nobel Committee is investigating a potential leak after Polymarket predicted 2025 Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado hours early. Trader "6741" profited $50,000 by betting heavily on her victory, raising suspicions as her odds surged from 5% to nearly 70%. Another user, "GayPride," made over $85,000 following the trend. Polymarket, valued at $8 billion and operating offshore, doesn't ban insider trading, complicating legal implications. 

This year's prize gained attention due to Donald Trump campaigning for it, significantly boosting betting activity. Economists debate whether insider trading enhances accuracy or constitutes unfair manipulation in prediction markets.

This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.