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Polymarket Bettor’s $436,000 Maduro Wager Draws Insider-Info Questions and Regulatory Heat

Blockchain tracing shows the winnings were cashed out through a U.S. exchange, prompting lawmakers to move on a bill targeting trades based on nonpublic government information.

Overview

  • An anonymous account that joined in late December wagered about $32,537 on "Maduro out by Jan. 31" and related Venezuela markets, yielding roughly $436,000 after the U.S. operation.
  • Market odds and trading volume jumped in the hours before President Trump’s early Jan. 3 announcement, with the account placing its largest bets late Friday night, according to platform data.
  • Chainalysis reports the profits were withdrawn in Solana via a major U.S. exchange, while the bettor’s identity and any access to nonpublic information remain unknown.
  • Polymarket has declined to settle certain "U.S. invasion" contracts, saying the capture did not meet its definition of an invasion under the market’s stated terms.
  • Rep. Ritchie Torres says he will introduce legislation to curb or criminalize betting with material nonpublic government information, as experts highlight gaps in CFTC oversight despite Polymarket’s recent U.S. approval.