.jpg){kind=avatar}
.jpg){kind=avatar}
The arrest of a soldier charged with using classified information to place lucrative bets on Polymarket is a watershed moment for prediction markets, heralding a new era of stricter government enforcement of the wildly popular betting platforms.
Van Dyke’s alleged trades—in which he made more than $400,000 by betting on the downfall of former Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro, prosecutors said—were spotted within hours of the U.S. military operation to seize Maduro in early January. The alleged trades raised suspicions of insider trading on social media and drew media coverage. The Maduro bets were just one in a series of controversies that have swirled around Polymarket’s unregulated offshore platform, which has long had an edgy, anything-goes culture. The platform uses cryptocurrencies to settle bets.
unknownx500
