2026-01-07 10:20:28

The prediction market sector hit a major milestone in December, with the total market size climbing to $19.1 billion—a significant leap representing 35% growth from the previous all-time high. This surge reflects growing mainstream adoption and increasing participation from both retail and institutional traders seeking exposure to event-based trading opportunities.

Heading the pack are three dominant platforms driving the bulk of transaction volume. Kalshi leads with $7 billion in trading activity, establishing itself as the clear market frontrunner. Close behind, Opinion captured $6.7 billion in trades, while Polymarket, the decentralized prediction platform, rounded out the top three with $5.3 billion in volume.

The explosive growth underscores how prediction markets are becoming an increasingly vital part of the Web3 trading ecosystem, attracting diverse participants interested in transparent, blockchain-based price discovery mechanisms.

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CoffeeNFTrader

· 23h ago

19.1B? Damn, this increase is a bit crazy, Kalshi directly ate 7B --- Polymarket seems to be falling behind a bit... 5.3B versus 7B is quite a big gap --- Prediction markets are so popular now, institutions are coming to play --- Just want to know how long this growth can last, feels like it might overheat --- Three platforms take the majority, the level of centralization is a bit high --- Mainstream recognition has indeed arrived, but who will bear the risk --- Kalshi and Opinion's gap is so small? That's a bit surprising --- The Web3 ecosystem finally has some real trading volume, not bad, not bad --- Wait, are these growth numbers real... 35%? That's a bit outrageous --- I bet Polymarket can turn around next month, do you believe it?

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ShortingEnthusiast

· 23h ago

19.1 billion already? Kalshi is so powerful... By the way, have institutions really entered, or are retail investors just trading?

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DecentralizeMe

· 01-07 10:50

Kalshi's recent move was indeed fierce, with 700 million directly leaving competitors behind. --- Prediction markets are finally breaking out of the niche; institutions coming in makes a big difference. --- 19.1 billion? That number is so impressive. Luckily, I didn't go all-in on a certain platform. --- How did Polymarket drop to third place? I thought it could turn things around. --- A 35% growth... I'm really considering jumping in now. --- I'm optimistic about the decentralized path. Although Kalshi is leading, it still feels somewhat closed. --- Another new Web3 sector has exploded; this circle is truly unbeatable. --- Institutions are also getting involved? Then things might really be changing. --- Transparency is indeed the core competitive advantage of prediction markets. Feeling much more confident now.

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DAOplomacy

· 01-07 10:49

ngl the numbers look decent but has anyone actually thought about the sub-optimal incentive structures baked into these platforms? kalshi dominating like that... historically precedent suggests centralization problems downstream

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MEVHunterBearish

· 01-07 10:44

$19$ dollars worth of cake divided like this, Kalshi is getting a bit too full --- Why is Polymarket still being suppressed so tightly? Where are the advantages of decentralization? --- Institutions have indeed entered, but are these numbers inflated? --- Wait, where did Opinion come from? I haven't heard of it before. --- The three parties are exhausted, and new projects have no way to survive. --- How long can the prediction market trend last... Is it just a short-term hype or a long-term track? --- Kalshi's $7 is indeed fierce, but as the scale grows, the risks are also increasing. --- Both retail investors and institutions are here. Is this a positive signal or a sign of a market crash?

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TokenTaxonomist

· 01-07 10:32

hmm $19.1B sounds nice on paper but let me pull up my spreadsheet here... kalshi at $7B and opinion at $6.7B? that's 72% of the volume right there. taxonomically speaking, we're looking at a pretty concentrated ecosystem which... data suggests otherwise for that "diverse participants" claim ngl

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StablecoinSkeptic

· 01-07 10:24

Predicting the market is just a new way to harvest the little guys again.

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