Polymarket just made a quiet but important change to how it operates.
The decentralized prediction market platform has started charging trading fees on its short-duration cryptocurrency price markets. This also applies to its Polymarket US app, marking a big shift away from its long-standing zero-fee model.
For the first time since launching, Polymarket now has a direct source of revenue.
Under the new fee schedule, takers on the Polymarket US app will pay 1 basis point, which is 0.01% per trade. Fees are also being applied to Polymarket’s 15-minute crypto price markets, which focus on very short-term price movements.
Until now, Polymarket had operated without charging any trading fees across its entire platform. That zero-fee structure helped it grow quickly and attract users, but it also meant the company had no built-in revenue stream.
The change comes as Polymarket pushes further into more mainstream trading markets through its U.S.-focused app, which is currently running in private beta. Introducing small fees allows the platform to support ongoing development while still keeping costs low compared to traditional trading venues.
Polymarket describes itself as the world’s largest decentralized prediction market, and this move signals a shift from pure experimentation toward a more sustainable business model.
While the fee is small, it marks a major turning point for the platform, showing that Polymarket is transitioning from a free-to-use prediction market into a revenue-generating trading ecosystem.
