Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) agreed to a $2 billion investment in Polymarket, valuing the prediction-market platform at $9 billion. The deal placed Shayne Coplan on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The development follows CFTC approval for Polymarket to serve U.S. customers again in September 2025, after earlier restrictions.
ICE investment and Polymarket valuation: $2 billion, $9 billion valuation, prediction markets
ICE investment in Polymarket totals $2 billion. The transaction set a $9 billion valuation for the platform. The figure anchors Polymarket among late-stage fintech assets.
The ICE investment links Polymarket to the New York Stock Exchange parent. Images show Shayne Coplan with Jeffrey Sprecher after the agreement. The photographs circulated with valuation headlines.
Bloomberg Billionaires Index added Shayne Coplan following the deal. The listing reflects equity value tied to the $9 billion valuation. The inclusion places Coplan among the youngest self-made entrants.
Shayne Coplan timeline and quotes: Polymarket founder, Robin Hanson, early build
Shayne Coplan founded Polymarket in 2020 at age 21. He left New York University earlier. He described building from a small apartment, including working from the bathroom.
Before Polymarket, Coplan worked on Union, a crypto staking effort with venture backing. He also shipped smaller crypto projects while in school. These attempts expanded his contacts and experience.
On X, Shayne Coplan wrote:
“At the onset of the pandemic, I quite literally had nothing to lose: 21, running out of money, 2.5 years since I dropped out, and nothing to show for it, but I knew we were entering an era where ways to find truth would matter more than ever.”
He cited economist Robin Hanson as an influence on prediction markets.
Polymarket regulatory history: CFTC approval, $1.4 million fine, 2022 U.S. ban
Polymarket paid a $1.4 million civil penalty to the CFTC in 2022. The order cited operating an unregistered event-contracts market. After the action, Polymarket blocked U.S. users.
In November 2024, the FBI raided Shayne Coplan’s apartment. The search followed the 2024 U.S. election. Polymarket representatives called the probe “politically motivated” at the time.
Conditions changed by September 2025. CFTC approval allowed Polymarket to serve U.S. customers again. The update reopened access to domestic users under federal oversight.
Election odds and prediction markets data: Polymarket, Kalshi, 2024 U.S. election odds
Prediction markets drew wide attention during the 2024 U.S. election. Activity concentrated on Polymarket and rival Kalshi. Traders priced outcomes as campaign events unfolded.
About one month before voting day, Polymarket odds favored Donald Trump. The market showed as high as 67% for a Trump win. The percentage circulated in media recaps after the result.
Market odds summarize participant views at specific moments. The 67% figure became a reference point. It illustrated how prediction markets tracked the race in real time.
From ban to institutional backing: ICE investment, Robin Hanson, platform scope
The platform moved from a 2022 U.S. ban to CFTC approval in 2025. The arc runs from enforcement to licensing. It frames the ICE investment backdrop.
Robin Hanson’s work on prediction markets influenced Polymarket design, according to Shayne Coplan. The platform expanded beyond elections. Markets now price macro data, policy events, and sports results.
With ICE investment, Polymarket sits closer to established market infrastructure. The $2 billion commitment and $9 billion valuation add scale to operations. The pairing increases visibility for prediction markets within regulated finance.