One of the most common questions about prediction markets is: "Is there a free platform?" On PolySouq the precise answer has two parts. Opening an account is free, and browsing markets and reading probabilities is free, but trading itself uses your own real money in USDC on the Polygon network, with a 0 minimum deposit. There is no demo account, no signup bonus and no free credit. In return, there is no entry fee on any trade, and the only commission the platform takes is 10% of the losing pool at settlement. This guide sets out what is actually free, what costs you money, and why the word "free" in this space can be a warning sign rather than a feature.
Risk notice: trading on PolySouq uses real money, and you can lose the full amount you put into any market. Only trade what you can afford to lose; nothing guarantees a profit. The platform is for adults 18+ and eligibility and terms apply. For significant financial decisions, seek independent financial advice.
In other words, PolySouq is not a "free platform" in the sense of trading without money, but it is a prediction market trading platform that charges no entry fee and no subscription, and earns only a share of the losers' money when a market settles.
The reason is structural, not a marketing choice. PolySouq runs on a parimutuel pool: everyone who backs an outcome puts money into that outcome's pot, and when the result is known the people who were right split the losing pot in proportion to their stakes. The platform is never your counterparty; you trade against other users.
In this model every dollar paid to a winner is a dollar a real person put on the other side. If "free credit" were added to the pots, winners would be paid money nobody staked, which breaks the equation the whole system rests on: total winner payouts plus commission equal exactly the total staked in the market. That is why there is no demo balance and no welcome bonus. The full model is explained in the parimutuel pool vs order book guide.
If you want to learn before committing money, the practical route is free observation: follow one or two markets, write down your probability estimate before settlement, and compare it with the outcome. That is real practice in probabilistic thinking at zero cost.
There is no entry fee, no spread and no subscription. The single charge is a 10% commission taken from the losing side's pool at settlement. Because it comes only from the losers' money, it is effectively 10% of the winners' total profit, and your own stake comes back in full if you were right.
Worked example: a market holds $600 on "Yes" (including your $50) and $400 on "No". It settles "Yes".
Without the commission your profit would have been about $33.33, so the commission cost you about $3.33 of profit and never touched your stake. If your prediction is wrong you lose the amount you staked; that is a trading loss, not a fee.
When is the commission zero? If everyone was on the right side (no losers), every stake is returned with no commission. If nobody backed the outcome that happened, the market is void and all stakes are refunded with no commission. The same applies when a market is cancelled for any reason. Full rules are in the voided markets and refunds guide, and more worked examples in the payout formula guide.
The commission above is everything PolySouq takes, but the road to your balance usually passes through other parties with their own costs:
Crypto transfer risk: USDC is a crypto asset moved on a public blockchain, and transfers are final and irreversible. Sending on a network other than Polygon, or to a wrong address, can lose the funds permanently, so use the deposit address exactly as shown on your wallet page and test with a small amount first. Deposit steps and troubleshooting are in the USDC on Polygon deposit guide.
Withdrawals are in USDC only, to a Polygon address, with a $5 minimum and a verified email required. Larger withdrawals go through manual review, so do not expect every withdrawal to be instant. Details in the step-by-step withdrawal guide.
When a platform offers "free credit" or a "welcome bonus", always ask: where does that money come from? In any system where users trade against each other, money is not created from nothing. Bonuses often come with turnover conditions that force you to trade the amount many times before you can withdraw it, or they are recovered through fees or hidden spreads elsewhere.
Signs worth caution when comparing any event trading platform:
Transparency matters more than "free": know exactly what the platform takes, and when, before you commit a single dollar. See also the red flags of unreliable platforms. For candour: PolySouq claims no licence or approval from any regulatory body, and its terms state that the operator is a company registered in Cyprus.
Even without depositing, prediction markets give you information of real value: the probability the crowd assigns to an outcome, computed from the money actually staked on each side. You can:
Remember that the displayed percentage moves every time new money arrives, and the payout shown before settlement is an estimate, not a fixed number; the final payout is set only at settlement.
Account opening and your first trade are covered step by step in the open an account and first trade guide.
No entry fee does not mean no cost. The real cost on any prediction market trading platform is the chance that your prediction is wrong, in which case you lose the full amount you staked. Payouts in a pool are not locked when you enter, so you can be right and still receive less than you saw on entry if a lot of money joins your side after you. Balances are not insured or guaranteed. This content is educational and is not financial or investment advice.
Opening an account and browsing markets is free. Trading uses your own real money in USDC on Polygon, with a
No. There is no demo account or virtual balance; every trade uses real money. You can learn for free by following markets, recording your predictions before settlement and comparing them with the results.
No. There is no welcome bonus and no free credit. In a parimutuel pool winners are paid only from money real users staked, so there is no free money added to the pots.
The only commission is 10% of the losing side's pool, taken at settlement. Your own stake comes back in full if you are right, and there is no entry fee, spread or subscription.
When there are no losers (everyone was on the right side) every stake is returned; when nobody backed the outcome that happened the market is void; and when a market is cancelled for any reason. In each case stakes are refunded in full with no commission.
The only commission PolySouq takes is 10% of the losing pool. Your wallet or exchange may charge its own network or withdrawal fees when you send USDC; those are outside the platform.
The minimum deposit is
Not necessarily. Bonuses often carry turnover conditions that block withdrawal, or are recovered through fees and spreads elsewhere. What matters is knowing the full fee schedule and how payouts are calculated before you deposit.
Disclaimer: Prediction markets are a legal and legitimate way to trade information about the outcomes of future events. However, trading carries risk and you may lose the full amount you trade — so only trade what you can afford to lose. This content is educational and is not financial or investment advice.