Polymarket — Corporate Accountability Profile
Entity Type: Private US prediction-market operator (Blockratize, Inc.) Sector: Prediction markets / crypto-adjacent Listing: Private Headquarters: New York, NY
Overview
Polymarket (operated by Blockratize, Inc.) is a crypto-collateralized prediction-market platform. It is documented as a sponsor of UFC Freedom 250 with Octagon-side branding inside the White House South Lawn event on June 14, 2026. Polymarket has a documented federal regulatory history including a 2022 CFTC settlement and a 2024 FBI raid on the CEO’s residence. The Trump administration’s stance toward prediction-market enforcement is the relevant regulatory variable.
Basis for Inclusion
Subject Classification: Privately held corporation with documented federal regulatory history and documented sponsorship of a White-House-located commercial event.
Basis for inclusion:
- DOCUMENTED: Octagon-side branding at UFC Freedom 250 on the White House South Lawn, June 14, 2026 (IBTimes UK; Ink.l).
- DOCUMENTED: 2022 CFTC settlement (Order, January 2022) requiring shutdown of certain US-facing markets and a $1.4M civil penalty.
- DOCUMENTED: November 2024 FBI raid on the residence of CEO Shayne Coplan (multiple major-outlet reports).
- CREDIBLY REPORTED: 2024–2025 post-election repositioning, including reported acquisition of QCX/QC Clearing (CFTC-licensed derivatives entity) to enable US-regulated operation.
What is NOT the basis for inclusion:
- General market-design philosophy.
- Lawful trading activity by individual users.
UFC Freedom 250 — White House Event (June 14, 2026)
See: UFC Freedom 250 — White House Event.
DOCUMENTED: Polymarket branding inside the Octagon and on perimeter signage. No public disavowal of the Hokit “Michelle Obama is a man” remark as of June 16, 2026.
Regulatory History
- 2022 CFTC Settlement: Order requiring shutdown of US-facing markets; $1.4M civil penalty for offering off-exchange binary options without registration.
- 2024 FBI Raid: November 2024 raid on Shayne Coplan’s NYC residence; underlying investigation reported to focus on US-user access despite the CFTC order.
- 2024–2026: Reported pivot through acquisition of CFTC-licensed clearing infrastructure to enable regulated US operation; administration-level posture toward enforcement under change of CFTC leadership.
Leadership and Controlling Holders
| # | Name | Role | Anchor classification | Profile (to draft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shayne Coplan | Founder & CEO | [E] + [D] (documented public-figure subject of federal action) | shayne-coplan-board-member-profile |
| 2 | David Yaffe-Bellany | (placeholder — verify) | — | (verification needed) |
Verification needed: Polymarket / Blockratize, Inc. board roster is not publicly disclosed at the depth available for US public companies. Known investors include Founders Fund (Peter Thiel-affiliated), 1confirmation, ParaFi Capital, and Polychain Capital. Investor-director seat detail to be confirmed against state corporate filings and any litigation discovery.
Individual director profiles for any verified board seats deferred to the next session — see _drafts/UFC-FREEDOM-250-PROGRESS.md.
Investor / Capital Notes (CREDIBLY REPORTED)
- Founders Fund (Peter Thiel-affiliated VC) — lead investor in 2024 funding rounds.
- 1confirmation, ParaFi Capital, Polychain Capital — additional investors per public reporting.
- Investor identity is documented as part of the basis for inclusion only where the investor occupies a documented public-policy role (e.g., individual investors with separate accountability profiles).
Investigative trail pointers (public records)
Education only — verify independently. Absence of hits is not proof.
| Channel | Starting points |
|---|---|
| Federal courts | CourtListener / PACER party and attorney searches (spelling variants) |
| Campaign finance | FEC + OpenSecrets for committees and donors tied to documented roles |
| Corporate / LLC | State secretary of state; OpenCorporates for cross-border shells from reporting |
| Sanctions / PEP | OpenSanctions when international business context is already sourced |
| Contracts / grants | USAspending.gov for named entities from investigations |
Use public-records-research-specialist, corporate-intelligence-investigator, and public-corruption-ombudsman evidence tiers.
Sources
- IBTimes UK, “UFC Freedom 250 Sponsors Revealed,” 2026.
- Ink.l, sponsor reporting.
- CFTC Order, “In the Matter of Blockratize, Inc.,” CFTC Docket No. 22-09 (January 2022).
- NYT, WSJ, Bloomberg reporting on November 2024 FBI raid (search “Polymarket FBI raid 2024”).
- Founders Fund and Polymarket public communications (2024–2025 funding announcements).
- UFC Freedom 250 — White House Event
Factual correction requests: factcheck@patriot.university.