According to a Bloomberg report on August 12th, the prediction market platform Polymarket experienced a trading boom during the 2026 World Cup, with bets on match scores, celebrity viewing, and player-related events generating significant trading volume. However, as the World Cup concludes and market enthusiasm cools rapidly, Polymarket is facing a "decline."
Polymarket and Kalshi, two major prediction market platforms, saw record trading volumes during the World Cup, but by the end of July, the combined weekly trading volume of Polymarket's international and US versions had fallen by 56% from its all-time high in June. In contrast, Kalshi's volume fell by approximately 25% during the same period.
Bloomberg points out that Polymarket previously engaged in fierce competition with Kalshi in the prediction market space, but the decline in Polymarket's trading activity is intensifying as a lack of major sporting events or political events drive user demand.