United

Wednesday

DeFi

when

Polymarket

Prediction market Polymarket’s recent fee expansion has started to affect its numbers, with daily fees and revenue climbing sharply in the days following a March 30 price overhaul.&nbsp;<a href="https://defillama.com/protocol/polymarket?fees=true&amp;tvl=false&amp;dexVolume=false&amp;events=false&amp;revenue=true" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">According</a> to DefiLlama data, daily fees rose from about $363,000 on Monday to over $1 million on both Wednesday and Thursday, while revenue (the portion retained after incentives) reached as high as $995,000 on Wednesday before easing to about $899,000 on Thursday.&nbsp;<figure><img src="https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d4d5c-fe6b-7a49-8a63-7bd7990df091.jpg" alt="Polymarket fee expansion boosts revenue amid regulatory pressure"><figcaption>Polymarket fees and revenue data since March. Source: DefiLlama</figcaption></figure>The jump <a href="https://help.polymarket.com/en/articles/13364478-trading-fees" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">follows</a> the rollout of a broader fee model on Monday, when the platform expanded taker fees <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/polymarket-quietly-adds-taker-fees-15-minute-crypto-markets" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">beyond crypto and sports</a> to categories including finance, politics, economics, culture, weather and tech, while keeping geopolitical and world events fee-free.&nbsp;The spike shows how aggressively Polymarket is monetizing trading activity to maintain continued investor interest amid regulatory scrutiny in the US, Europe and other countries worldwide. Last week, Intercontinental Exchange, the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/ice-600m-polymarket-investment-prediction-markets-scrutiny" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">invested $600 million in Polymarket</a>.<h2 id="prediction-markets-face-growing-regulatory-scrutiny">Prediction markets face growing regulatory scrutiny</h2>The fee and revenue spike comes as prediction markets, including Polymarket, face growing regulatory scrutiny across multiple jurisdictions.In Europe, Polymarket has <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/hungary-portugal-block-polymarket-prediction-market" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">faced mounting restrictions</a>, with Hungary and Portugal moving to block or limit access in January over concerns that the platform operates as unlicensed gambling. Regulators in both countries cited licensing issues and, in Portugal’s case, concerns around political betting.Related: <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/peter-brandt-polymarket-traders-new-bitcoin-highs-unlikely-2026" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Peter Brandt, Polymarket traders don’t see new Bitcoin highs this year</a>On March 17, a court in Argentina <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/argentina-court-polymarket-block-order" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">ordered a nationwide ban</a> on Polymarket, arguing that the platform allowed users to place bets without sufficient identity and age verification. The court said this meant that even children and adolescents could access the platform and place bets without any control.&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.polymarket.com/api-reference/geoblock" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">According</a> to Polymarket’s website, the platform is currently blocked in 33 countries. Kalshi, on the other hand, <a href="https://where.kalshi.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">reports</a> that it’s banned in 52 jurisdictions.&nbsp;<figure><img src="https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-04/019d4d5c-bcb0-7ff3-a9a9-75aa7d02ac02.jpg" alt="Polymarket fee expansion boosts revenue amid regulatory pressure"><figcaption>List of jurisdictions where Kalshi is restricted. Source: Kalshi</figcaption></figure>In the United States, at least 11 states <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/features/federal-regulation-looms-states-prediction-markets" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">have taken legal action</a> against prediction markets such as Polymarket and Kalshi, with several issuing cease-and-desist orders or considering new legislation.Despite regulatory crackdowns, Polymarket and Kalshi are looking to expand, with both reportedly <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/kalshi-polymarket-20b-valuation-fundraising-wsj" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">exploring new funding rounds</a> that could value each platform at around $20 billion.On March 24, Polymarket and Kalshi <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/kalshi-joins-polymarket-user-bans-head-off-insider-trading" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">introduced new trading restrictions</a> to curb insider trading following criticism over well-timed bets and growing concerns around market integrity.<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UY2LtqofHqQ?start="></iframe>Magazine: <a href="https://cointelegraph-magazine.com/are-defi-devs-liable-illegal-activities-platforms/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Are DeFi devs liable for the illegal activity of others on their platforms?</a>

Polymarket fee expansion boosts revenue amid regulatory pressure

Table of Contents

Cointelegraph

Other articles published on Apr 2, 2026

Tokenized Stock Transfers Hit $2.87B in March

Bitcoin Easter sale loading?

European Diesel Prices Explode to $200 Per Barrel — Supply Crisis Deepens

Bitcoin ETFs Extend Inflows With $118 Million as Ether Adds $31 Million

DeFi is optimizing for gas, not for markets

Crypto Stabilizes as War Fears Ease with Crypto Bull Return, APEMARS Hits 1,539+ Backers; LINK an...

Join our free newsletter for daily crypto updates!