TLDR
- Polymarket is expanding trading fees to most market categories including politics, finance, culture, weather, and tech starting March 30
- Crypto markets will carry the highest fees, peaking at 1.8% at 50% probability, while sports markets remain the lowest at 0.75%
- A new referral program offers 30% of fees from direct referrals and 10% from second-level referrals for 180 days
- Only users who have traded at least $10,000 in volume qualify for the referral program
- New market integrity rules target insider trading, illegal tips, and manipulation by individuals who can influence event outcomes
Polymarket, the prediction market platform, is set to roll out trading fees across most of its market categories beginning March 30. The expansion comes alongside a new referral program and updated market integrity rules.
The platform currently charges trading fees only on crypto and sports event contracts. Under the new structure, fees will extend to politics, finance, economics, culture, weather, tech, and other categories.
Polymarket uses a probability-based fee model rather than a flat commission. Fees are highest when an event outcome sits around 50% probability and decrease as the outcome becomes more certain in either direction.
Fee Structures Vary by Category
Crypto markets will see the highest effective fees under the new system. The peak rate at 50% probability will rise to 1.8%, up from the previous 1.56%.
Sports markets will remain the cheapest category for traders. Peak effective fees there will increase to 0.75% at 50% probability, up from 0.44%.
Most other categories will have peak effective rates falling between 1% and 1.56%. As a practical example, a $50 trade on a sports event priced at 50% probability would go from costing $0.22 in fees to $0.38.
Maker orders, which add liquidity to the order book, will still be eligible for rebates. These rebates are funded by taker fees and distributed daily in USDC.
The rebate amount is based on the share of liquidity a user provides that gets executed. Polymarket said it is expanding its maker rebate program as part of this broader rollout.
Referral Program Opens to Eligible Traders
Alongside the fee changes, Polymarket announced a referral program. The program is open to users who have traded at least $10,000 in volume on the platform.
Eligible traders can generate a referral link and share it with an unlimited number of people. When someone signs up through that link and begins trading, the referrer earns a cut of the fees generated.
For a limited time, referrers can earn 30% of fees from direct referrals. They can also earn 10% of fees from second-level referrals, meaning people brought in by their direct referrals.
The referral rewards are available for the first 180 days after a referred user signs up. Polymarket noted this period is subject to change without notice.
The program builds on a previously limited rollout. It is now being made available more broadly as part of the platform’s updated incentive structure.
Polymarket also introduced new market integrity rules alongside these changes. The updated rules apply to both its international cryptocurrency platform and its CFTC-regulated U.S. exchange.
The rules outline three categories of prohibited trading activity. These include trading on stolen confidential information, trading on illegal tips, and trading by individuals who can influence the outcome of an event.
Users can now report suspicious activity through new Market Integrity pages on the platform. Those pages also contain more details about the updated rules.
The referral program’s 180-day reward window and the $10,000 volume requirement are both currently active, with Polymarket reserving the right to adjust terms going forward.
