Quick reference guide to all the terms you'll encounter on Polymarket. Bookmark this page!
A market where you can buy and sell shares representing future events. Prices reflect the probability of outcomes.
A stablecoin cryptocurrency always worth $1 USD. It's like digital dollars on the blockchain - fast, secure, and global.
Digital tokens representing a position on an outcome (YES or NO). Each winning share pays out exactly $1.00.
The two possible outcomes in most markets. Buy YES if you think the event will happen, NO if you think it won't.
The current price of a share, represented as cents ($0.00-$1.00). A 65¢ YES price means the market thinks there's a 65% chance.
The total value of shares available to trade. Higher liquidity means easier buying/selling at stable prices.
When the event outcome is determined and winning shares are paid out at $1.00 each. Losing shares become worthless.
A list of all buy and sell orders. It shows what prices people are willing to trade at - like a stock exchange.
Buy/sell immediately at the current best available price. Fast execution, but you may get a slightly worse price.
Set your own price and wait for someone to match it. Slower, but you control the exact price you pay.
Every pair of YES + NO shares is backed by $1 USDC in a smart contract. This guarantees payouts.
A digital account that holds your USDC and shares. You control it with a password or email - Polymarket never touches your funds.
Small transaction fees paid to process trades on the blockchain. Usually just pennies on Polygon network.
The blockchain where Polymarket operates. It's fast and cheap compared to Ethereum mainnet.
Total dollar amount traded in a market. Higher volume usually means more active trading and better prices.
The difference between expected and actual price when executing large orders. More liquidity = less slippage.
The gap between the highest buy price (bid) and lowest sell price (ask). Example: 64¢ bid / 66¢ ask = 2¢ spread.
Ethereum Virtual Machine wallet (like MetaMask) that works on all Ethereum-compatible chains including Polygon where Polymarket runs.
Developer tools to access Polymarket data and trade programmatically. Build bots, analytics, or custom apps.
Prediction markets on NFL, NBA, MLB, soccer outcomes. Bet on games, player props, and championship winners.
A combined bet where you predict multiple outcomes. All predictions must be correct to win, but payouts are higher.
A tool that transfers crypto assets between different blockchains (e.g., Ethereum to Polygon).
Check out the official Polymarket documentation for more detailed explanations and advanced topics.
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