As you are aware that the financial world is changing fast. Traditional investment and trading platforms are being challenged by prediction market apps like Polymarket, which allow users to place bet on real world events using technology. Whether it’s politics, sports or the price of Bitcoin, users can participate in distributed forecasting markets with transparency and fairness.
Prediction markets are no longer small and have gained popularity. In 2025, platforms like Polymarket, Kalshi and Augur are driving billions in volume, attracting retail traders, analysts and businesses who see value in crowdsourced predictions.
If you’re wondering “How can I build an app like Polymarket?”, this guide walks you through everything like business model, profitability, features, regulations, cost and development steps. And as a trusted partner, SoftCurators can help you bring your idea to life with cutting-edge solutions.
Polymarket: A Market Leader, An Overview
Polymarket was launched in the year 2020 and it soon grew as the world’s largest decentralized prediction market. Its built on Ethereum & Polygon, which allows users to trade on the outcomes of real world events. For example, you would find markets such as:
- “Will Bitcoin close above $50,000 by the end of Q2 2025?”
- “Will Candidate X win the US Presidential Election?”
- “Will Apple release a foldable iPhone in 2025?”
Users can buy and sell shares signifying different outcomes. The price of each share reveals the market’s collective belief in the probability of that event happening. Polymarket has distinguished itself with:
- Low fees and fast transactions via Polygon.
- Natural UI compared to earlier blockchain apps.
- High liquidity.
- Regulatory compliance modifications, particularly in the U.S.A.
Its success shows that prediction market apps are sources of valuable insight.
How Does Polymarket Work?
Polymarket works like a stock exchange for event outcomes. Here is the step by step flow of the same :
- Event Creation: An event is created and is listed on the platform. For example, “Will Tesla deliver 2M vehicles in 2025?”
- Share Purchase: Users chose the event, check details about it and buy a “Yes” or “No” shares, like ff a share costs $0.70, it reflects a 70% probability of that outcome.
- Trading: The prices of the event fluctuate as users buy or sell, controlled by the supply, demand and/or new information.
- Outcome : When the event occurs, a trusted system like UMA, Chainlink etc. confirms the result.
- Pay out: The winning shares are calculated & redeemed for $1 per share and those who lose, expires of no value.
This distributed approach removes middlemen, ensuring trustful transactions and allows global contribution without restrictions.
From a developer’s view point, this requires smart contracts, liquidity pools and compliance modules to guarantee the platform functions securely.
Why Are Prediction Marketplaces Popular ?
Prediction marketplaces are growing in 2025 because they combine finance, entertainment and social feeling in one platform.
Key factors include:
- Decentralization : One single user or authority does not have the completed over the entire system
- Global Participation : Users from all over the world can join the markets from anywhere.
- Crowdsourced Intelligence: Collective predictions from everywhere often outmatch the experts.
- Alternative Investment Tool: Other than stocks and crypto, the prediction apps offer new opportunity chances.
- Gamification: The excitement of betting on future events attracts the Gen Z and millennial.
According to the industry reports, prediction market sector is projected to exceed $100 billion by 2034 which makes it one of the fastest growing sections of decentralized finance (DeFi).
Are Prediction Market Apps like Polymarket Profitable?
Yes, the prediction market apps are profitable in multiple ways. Platforms like Polymarket are very profitable due to varied revenue streams it has, like :
- Transaction Fees: One of revenue model is charging small percentages on each trade conducted on the platform.
- Listing Fees: Platform charges a fees from Companies or communities to create new markets.
- Premium Accounts: Premium charges paid by users to get access to advanced analytics or trading tools.
- Liquidity Provision Incentives: Platforms earn by managing liquidity pools.
Polymarket has raised millions of dollars in funding and processes millions in daily trading. For entrepreneurs, a Polymarket style app offers:
- Recurring revenue from high a transaction volumes.
- Scalability as the markets can expand into various sectors like politics, sports, finance and many more.
- Brand differentiation in the growing industry.
Business Model of Polymarket
Polymarket’s business model circles around trading fees on the platform along with the liquidity driven engagement. Here is how it works:
- Fee Per Trade: On every trade on the platform, users pay a small amount or cut like1-2%.
- Liquidity Providers: Investors who supply funds to keep markets active share in profits.
- Event Listings: Organizations or companies may request or sponsor prediction markets.
- Data Insights: Data collected from the platform can valuable for the institutions.
This hybrid model ensures sustainability which balances user engagement, liquidity and monetization.
Regulatory Framework for Prediction Marketplaces
Regulation is a acute challenge in such platforms. Prediction markets often fall into categories between trading, gambling and derivatives.
- In the U.S.A. : The CFTC (Commodity Futures Trading Commission) controls these platforms.
- In the EU: Markets must comply with MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets) regulations.
- Globally: Various countries have different rules and regulations , with some treating them as betting apps and others as financial instruments.
For developers, compliance requires:
- KYC/AML Integration.
- Geofencing Restricted Regions.
- Smart Contract Audits.
- Licensing & Legal Counsel.
Ignoring regulation can lead to project closure quickly. Hence, SoftCurators emphasizes compliance first development.
Types of Predictions in a Marketplace App
Prediction market apps support multiple event types, some of which are :
- Binary Predictions (Yes/No) where users have to choose one out of two options available. For example: “Will Bitcoin reach $100K by 2026?”
- Multiple Choice Predictions where users are provided with multiple options and users have to choose one out of them. For example: “Who will win the 2025 NBA Finals?” with 4+ outcomes.
- Scalar Predictions which means that users have to provide their input in order to answer the event listed. For example: “What will Ethereum’s price be on Dec 31, 2025?”
Each prediction type listed requires a different smart contract logic and liquidity pools.
Essential Features for a Polymarket-Like App
On order to develop a platform similar to Polymarket, you would need basic and advanced features, which are listed below :
Basic Features:
- Secure user registration & KYC.
- Wallet integration (MetaMask, Coinbase, etc.).
- Event browsing & search.
- Trade shares (buy/sell).
- Transaction history.
Advanced Features:
- Real-time price charts.
- Multi currency support.
- Liquidity pool participation.
- Community voting & governance.
- Push notifications.
- In app analytics & AI-powered prediction models.
Development Steps for a Prediction Market App
Ideation & Market Research
- Start by defining your target audience who will be using the platform and then conducting competitive analysis. Other important aspect is to understand the users challenge, regulatory limitations and technical trends to develop a unique value offer.
Partnering with a Development Company
- Choose an experienced prediction app development partner like SoftCurators which makes it sure that the project is well managed. Estimate their expertise in security, payment integrations and regulatory compliance.
Choosing Platforms & Tech Stack
- In order to develop the app, you must need to decide what type of technologies will muscle your application. Choosing Tech Stack becomes very easy when you have experienced developers to help you out.
- The best team of developers will help you or suggest you in deciding whether to develop a native app or a cross platform app. The tech stack normally includes languages like Java, Swift and Kotlin and integrations with payment APIs.
MVP Development (Optional)
- If have a limited budget then must focus on developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) with core functionalities to quickly launch, gather user feedback and make changes.
UI/UX Design
- User interface and user experience is one of the most important steps in the money transfer app development process. Design a clean, natural interface that prioritizes user experience, especially for critical functions like sending or receiving money.
Full App Development
- If you have started with MVP then expand on the MVP by implementing additional features, integrating advanced security protocols and ensuring scalability.
Testing & QA
- Doing a rigorous testing, including unit tests, performance tests and security audits to guarantee a reliable and secure app.
Deployment & Maintenance
- Deploy the app on app stores and establish continuous monitoring and regular updates to keep the app functional and secure
Each step is critical:
- Research ensures market fit.
- Wireframes provide user flow clarity.
- Tech stack defines scalability.
- Smart contracts guarantee transparency.
- Testing secures user trust.
Tech Stack for Prediction Market App Development
A robust stack ensures security and scalability:
| Frontend | React, Next.js, Vue.js. |
| Backend | Node.js, Django, GoLang. |
| Blockchain | Ethereum, Polygon, Solana. |
| Smart Contracts | Solidity, Rust. |
| Databases | MongoDB, PostgreSQL. |
| Oracles | Chainlink, UMA. |
| Cloud | AWS, GCP. |
| DevOps | Docker, Kubernetes. |
Cost & Timeline of Developing a Prediction Market App like Polymarket
In order to develop an App like Polymarket, the cost depends on the features includes in the scope, the compliance needed and the development teams location.
| Basic MVP | $25,000 – $50,000. |
| Mid-Complexity App | $50,000 – $90,000. |
| Enterprise-Grade Platform | $90,000+. |
Factors affecting cost:
- App Complexity
- Compliance costs.
- Team Location
- Third-Party Integrations
- Ongoing maintenance.
Timeline: How Long Does It Take?
As explained above, the development timeline & cost varies depending on features and compliance requirements. Still lets provide you with an idea :
| MVP | 3–5 months |
| Full-Scale App | 7–12 months |
The timeline also depends on team size, technical complexity and legal processes. Securing regulatory licenses may take additional months, so planning for compliance early is crucial.
This includes design, coding, smart contract development, integration and testing.
Why You Should Invest in a Polymarket Like App
Booming Market
- Prediction markets are rapidly gaining global power as now users are looking for engaging ways to forecast real world events. Polymarket like app tops this trend, combining finance, entertainment and community participation together.
Diverse Revenue Streams
- Monetization on only depends on the transaction fees as explained above. Polymarket like app can make income through various methods like liquidity incentives, premium memberships, assets, sponsorships and advertising.
Community Driven
- Prediction markets succeeds on the active user participation and debate on the platform. A Polymarket like app constructs communities which involves engagement, trust and competition leading to loyalty and organic growth.
Scalability
- Other than politics and current events, prediction markets works on sports, finance, entertainment, global affairs and niche communities as well. A Polymarket like platform can adjust to multiple verticals without affecting its core model which unlocks massive expansion opportunities.
Simply put, now is the best time to invest in a Polymarket like app and capitalize on its immense potential.
SoftCurators’ Expertise in Prediction Market App Development
Now that have learned everything about prediction market and its development, the next step is to find a prediction app development company that is a best fit for the app. At SoftCurators, we specialize in fintech app development.
Softcurators is the best match for your Fintech App development with years of experience and offering a dedicated team who can help you develop the best prediction market app. Softcurators have helped start-ups and enterprises build custom prediction market solutions personalised to their business goals.
- End-to-end dApp development.
- Expertise in Ethereum, Polygon, Solana.
- Compliance-first solutions.
- Scalable architecture for global markets.
- Post-launch support and updates.
We’ve worked on projects in prediction markets, DeFi, BNPL App development and fintech app development which makes us the right partner for your Polymarket style app.
Connect now and start your journey to a profitable money transfer app
Conclusion
Prediction markets like Polymarket represent the future of decentralized finance and crowdsourced intelligence. With the right features, business model and compliance framework, you can build a profitable platform that interests global users.
Partnering with SoftCurators ensures you get expert guidance, cutting-edge development, and a scalable solution.
The question is not “Should I build a Polymarket-like app?”, it’s “When should I start?”
You can check “How to Develop an App like Kalshi” cross compare.
FAQs
- What is a prediction market app?
- A platform where users trade on outcomes of future events, like politics, sports, or finance.
- Is building a Polymarket-style app legal?
- Yes, but it depends on your country’s laws. Regulatory compliance is essential.
- How does Polymarket make money?
- Through trading fees, event sponsorships, liquidity pools, and premium services.
- How much does it cost to develop a prediction market app?
- Between $25,000 – $90,000+ depending on complexity.
- What tech stack is used for such apps?
- Ethereum, Polygon, Chainlink, React, Node.js, Solidity.
- Can prediction market apps be centralized instead of decentralized?
- Yes, but decentralization builds more trust and scalability.
- Why choose SoftCurators?
- Because we specialize in fintech + blockchain, offering compliance-first, scalable solutions.