New reporting from The Wall Street Journal claims that much of the viral promotional content tied to prediction market platform Polymarket was built around fabricated winning trades that did not actually occur on the real platform.
Allegations of Staged Winning Trades
According to the investigation, Polymarket reportedly paid college aged content creators to simulate large winning bets, with promotional payouts reaching as high as 1.9 million dollars in staged activity. Journal investigators reviewed more than 1,100 videos and found no blockchain evidence linking these supposed trades to real transactions.
Polymarket markets itself on the idea that all trades are executed in USD Coin on the Polygon network, where every transaction is publicly verifiable. However, the report suggests that promotional videos did not reflect actual on chain activity.
Fake Clips and Hidden Sponsorships
The report states that creators were paid between 2,000 and 3,000 dollars monthly to publish videos showing apparent betting wins on replica websites designed to look like Polymarket. These sites were allegedly separate from the real platform and used to stage outcomes that did not exist on chain.
More than 1,000 videos from about 10 creators posted between December 2025 and May 2026 were reviewed, and investigators found none of the highlighted wins were backed by verifiable blockchain records. Creators were also reportedly instructed not to disclose that their content was sponsored, while marketing teams amplified the videos to increase reach.
In many cases, creators edited headlines or reused old footage to create the impression of large payouts that never actually occurred.
Wins That Did Not Match Reality
One example cited in the investigation showed around 118 promotional clips celebrating roughly 900,000 dollars in supposed profits. In reality, the same trades would have resulted in losses exceeding 166,000 dollars for actual participants.
Another case involved a creator claiming a 100,000 dollar win tied to an alleged statement by former US President Donald Trump referencing McDonald’s. The investigation found that Trump never made such a remark during the stated period and that the footage used was outdated. At least 50 real user accounts that placed the wager reportedly lost money.
Fallout and Platform Response
Following the controversy, several creators have deleted the promotional videos from their social media accounts, and the replica domain used for staging content has reportedly been taken offline.
The revelations come as Polymarket is re entering the United States after receiving regulatory approval. The platform has indicated plans to review and audit its promotional practices in response to the findings.#crypto#cryptonews https://coinsignals.net https://t.me/coinsignalpublic
