Polymarket US vs Polymarket.com: who can use which (2026)
US residents can trade on Polymarket US, the CFTC-regulated app run by QCX LLC. They cannot open new positions on the international Polymarket.com site. As of November 2026, the two are separate exchanges with separate accounts, balances and order books. Polymarket US runs on dollars, and Polymarket.com runs on USDC.
Two exchanges under one brand
Polymarket US is QCX LLC, a CFTC designated contract market (DCM). According to a CryptoSlate review updated November 9, 2026, the CFTC designated QCX in July 2025, and its clearinghouse, QC Clearing LLC, registered as a derivatives clearing organization in December 2024. In November 2025 the CFTC signed an amended order of designation. It vacated an earlier restriction on futures commission merchants and states that the exchange "now operates under the business name Polymarket US."
Polymarket.com is the original crypto-based platform. CryptoSlate reports that both venues belong to Blockratize, the company behind Polymarket, and that Intercontinental Exchange owns more than 10% of Blockratize.
The two run under different rulebooks, and your Polymarket.com wallet and your Polymarket US account do not share money or positions.
Why US users can't use Polymarket.com
The restriction goes back to January 3, 2022. That day the CFTC ordered Blockratize, Inc. d/b/a Polymarket to pay a $1.4 million civil penalty. The agency found it had offered "off-exchange event-based binary options contracts" without being designated as a contract market or registered as a swap execution facility. The order required Polymarket to wind down non-compliant markets.
Today Polymarket's developer documentation lists the United States as close-only on both the website and the API. A US user can close an existing position but cannot open a new one. The documentation says the geographic rules exist to comply with sanctions, local financial regulation, gambling and prediction-market laws, and AML and KYC rules.
Getting around the block with a VPN is a bad idea. Finder's October 2026 review says Polymarket "strictly prohibits using a VPN or similar tools," and a May 2026 report says accounts that evade IP-based geoblocks face suspension or permanent bans.
Polymarket US vs Polymarket.com at a glance
| Polymarket US | Polymarket.com (international) | |
|---|---|---|
| Operator | QCX LLC d/b/a Polymarket US, CFTC DCM | Polymarket's international platform |
| US residents | Yes, 18+ (19 in AL and NE, 21 in MS) | Close-only, no new positions |
| Sign-up | Name, date of birth, phone, address, Social Security number; ID and selfie if the instant check fails | Wallet-based for most non-US users; ID checks for flagged or large activity, plus voluntary KYC |
| Funding | Debit card, ACH, Apple Pay, PayPal, Venmo, wire; USDC on iPhone where available | USDC |
| Taker fee | 0.0695 × contracts × p × (1 − p) | 0 to 0.07 × contracts × p × (1 − p), by category |
| Maker fee | None; rebates only for makers with $10M+ prior-month volume since Oct 19, 2026 | None; maker rebates of 0% to 25% of fees, by category |
| Resolution | The exchange decides outcomes under CFTC-filed terms | UMA Optimistic Oracle, $750 bond, two-hour challenge window |
Sources for the US column are CryptoSlate (updated November 9, 2026), Finder (October 16, 2026) and a QCX contract filing with the CFTC dated October 20, 2026. The international column uses Polymarket's own documentation and a May 2026 report on its KYC policy. Our guide to how markets resolve compares the two settlement processes.
KYC: what each site asks for
Polymarket US signs you up with a Google or Apple account. You then enter your legal name, date of birth, phone number, home address and Social Security number. Most checks pass instantly. If yours does not, you upload a government ID and a selfie for manual review. Every deposit must come from an account in your name.
On Polymarket.com, most non-US users still trade from a wallet funded with USDC on Polygon without uploading ID. Very large positions or rapid deposit-trade-withdraw cycles can trigger verification under Polymarket's internal anti-money-laundering thresholds.
Funding: dollars vs USDC
Polymarket US takes debit card, ACH, Apple Pay, PayPal, Venmo and wire. CryptoSlate lists card and ACH limits of $25,000 per transaction and $50,000 per day, a $5,000 wire minimum, and clearing times of three to four business days for card and ACH. CBS Sports (November 7, 2026) also reports the $5,000 wire minimum. According to CryptoSlate, withdrawals are free and go back to your deposit methods first in, first out, so the first money out returns to your earliest deposit method.
Polymarket.com uses USDC. Its fee page says Polymarket charges nothing to deposit or withdraw USDC, though an on-ramp such as Coinbase or MoonPay may charge its own fee.
Fees: a worked example
Say you buy 200 Yes contracts at 40¢. The shared part of every formula is contracts × p × (1 − p) = 200 × 0.40 × 0.60 = 48.
| Venue and category | Rate | Taker fee |
|---|---|---|
| Polymarket US, standard market | 0.0695 | $3.34 |
| Polymarket.com, crypto | 0.07 | $3.36 |
| Polymarket.com, sports | 0.05 | $2.40 |
| Polymarket.com, politics | 0.04 | $1.92 |
| Polymarket.com, geopolitics | 0 | $0.00 |
The international politics rate looks cheaper, but it is irrelevant to a US resident who cannot open positions there. Many fee articles quote Polymarket.com rates for US readers. Use the first row. Our Polymarket fees guide covers rebates and special categories.
Markets offered
CryptoSlate counted more than 20,000 open markets across about 3,800 events on Polymarket US in early November 2026. About two-thirds were sports (13,353 markets), followed by politics (6,349), culture (422), economics and finance (227), and tech, crypto and other (149).
Polymarket.com's fee table lists crypto, sports, finance, politics, economics, culture, weather, tech, mentions and geopolitics markets.
The same question can trade at different prices on the two venues, because the order books are separate. Use our live comparison to check a US price against Kalshi rather than against Polymarket.com.
Where Polymarket US is available
As of November 2026, CryptoSlate reports Polymarket US is available in every state except Nevada, where a state court issued a preliminary injunction on May 29, 2026. In Michigan it no longer offers new sports contracts, and open sports positions close by November 25, 2026. Several other states have suits pending. Check state availability before you deposit.
Common mistakes
- Reading the wrong fee table. Polymarket.com's category rates do not apply to Polymarket US.
- Expecting to move a balance. Accounts are separate. You cannot transfer USDC or positions from Polymarket.com into Polymarket US.
- Expecting money back fast. CryptoSlate reports card and ACH withdrawals take three to four business days, and they return to your original funding source.
This guide is information, not legal or investment advice. Event contracts can lose their full purchase price. For a head-to-head with Kalshi, read Kalshi vs Polymarket.
FAQ
Can I use Polymarket in the US?
Yes, through Polymarket US, the CFTC-regulated exchange run by QCX LLC. The international Polymarket.com site lists the United States as close-only, so US users can close old positions there but cannot open new ones.
Is Polymarket US the same as Polymarket.com?
No. Both belong to the same parent company, but they have separate accounts, balances, order books and fee schedules. Prices for the same question can differ between them.
Does Polymarket US require a Social Security number?
Yes. Sign-up asks for your legal name, date of birth, phone number, home address and Social Security number. If the instant check fails, you upload a government ID and a selfie.
Can I deposit USDC on Polymarket US?
Reviews from October and November 2026 say iPhone users can deposit USDC where available. The main funding methods are debit card, ACH, Apple Pay, PayPal, Venmo and wire.
Can I use a VPN to trade on Polymarket.com from the US?
No. Polymarket prohibits VPN use, and accounts that get around its geoblock can be suspended or banned.