Polymarket Confirms POLY Token Launch and Airdrop After U.S. Return

Polymarket has officially confirmed the launch of its long-awaited native token, POLY, along with plans for an airdrop to its users. The announcement came on October 24, 2025, when Chief Marketing Officer Matthew Modabber stated during the Degenz Live podcast, “There will be a token, there will be an airdrop.”

The news ends months of speculation among crypto traders and prediction market enthusiasts. However, Polymarket clarified that the U.S. relaunch of its platform remains the top priority before the token rollout begins.

U.S. Relaunch Comes Before POLY Token Airdrop

According to Modabber, Polymarket’s main focus is securing a smooth and compliant return to the United States. “Right now our core priority is launching in the U.S. and making a big splash there,” he said. “After we take care of business on the U.S. app and launch, there will be a focus on the token.”

The company’s return to the American market marks a major milestone. In 2022, Polymarket was fined $1.4 million by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and forced to block American users for operating without proper registration. That situation changed in mid-2025 when Polymarket acquired QCX, a CFTC-registered derivatives exchange, for $112 million.

The acquisition gave the company the necessary regulatory framework to re-enter the U.S. market. A no-action letter from the CFTC in September 2025 cleared the way for operations to resume. However, the ongoing U.S. government shutdown has temporarily delayed certification processing for new markets.

Building a Token With True Utility

Polymarket is taking a deliberate approach to the POLY token rather than rushing to launch. Modabber cited Hyperliquid’s sustainable token model as an inspiration, emphasizing that Polymarket wants POLY to provide “true utility” and “longevity.”

While details remain scarce, analysts expect POLY to play a key role in governance and staking on the platform. Holders could potentially vote on decisions related to fees, market creation, and community proposals. The company aims to release the token sometime in 2026, after ensuring its U.S. platform is fully operational.

Industry experts view this as a long-term strategy to build a credible, regulated platform bridging traditional finance and decentralized markets.

Who Qualifies for the Airdrop?

Polymarket has not yet published official eligibility rules for the airdrop, but speculation within the crypto community suggests trading volume and activity will play a key role. Users who have placed more trades or maintained higher volume could receive larger allocations.

The platform currently boasts 1.35 million active traders, though only a small fraction have earned over $1,000 in profits. To ensure fairness, analysts predict that Polymarket might use a multi-tiered or logarithmic distribution model to avoid rewarding only large-scale traders.

Polymarket has also taken steps to identify “airdrop farmers” — users engaging in wash trading to artificially inflate their volumes. Company representatives have confirmed that mechanisms are in place to detect and prevent manipulation, ensuring that real users benefit most.

Institutional Support and Market Outlook

In October 2025, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, announced an investment of up to $2 billion in Polymarket, valuing it near $9 billion. ICE’s partnership includes distributing Polymarket’s event-driven data to institutional clients and exploring tokenization projects together.

This follows a $200 million funding round in June 2025 that valued Polymarket at $1 billion, highlighting rapid growth in the prediction market sector. The company’s valuation surge underscores rising investor confidence in decentralized forecasting platforms.

Polymarket’s confirmed POLY token launch and airdrop signal a major shift for the crypto prediction market space. By prioritizing regulation, user fairness, and institutional credibility, Polymarket may set a new benchmark for blockchain-based financial innovation in 2026 and beyond.

FYI (keeping you in the loop)-

Q1: When will the Polymarket POLY token launch?

The token launch is expected in 2026 after the U.S. relaunch is complete and the platform becomes fully operational.

Q2: Who will qualify for the Polymarket airdrop?

Active users with significant trading history or volume will likely qualify, but official criteria are yet to be announced.

Q3: Why is the U.S. relaunch important for Polymarket?

It ensures compliance with CFTC regulations, allowing Polymarket to legally serve American users for the first time since 2022.

Q4: What is the purpose of the POLY token?

The POLY token will likely power governance and staking, giving users influence over platform decisions and community initiatives.

Q5: How big is Polymarket’s latest valuation?

After ICE’s $2 billion investment, Polymarket’s valuation rose to approximately $9 billion as of October 2025.