Polymarket Beginner Guide: How to Sign Up and Trade
Learn the current path from eligibility and account creation to deposits, market rules, your first order, resolution, and withdrawals.
What is Polymarket?
Polymarket is a prediction market where participants buy and sell shares tied to possible outcomes of real-world events. Prices summarize what traders currently agree to pay; they move with new information and should not be treated as certain probabilities. A correct share pays $1 after final resolution, while an incorrect share becomes worthless.
How to Use Polymarket: 5 Beginner Steps
Check Which Polymarket Product You Can Use
Polymarket.com serves eligible international users. US users must use the separate Polymarket US iOS app; the two products and their accounts are not connected.
Sign Up
On Polymarket.com, eligible users can sign up with Google, an email verification code, or a supported crypto wallet. Use the same login method when you return.
Deposit Through the Account Screen
Select Deposit, then choose a displayed token and network. Copy the deposit address shown for that network, verify it carefully, and review the minimum before sending.
Read the Market Rules and Order Book
Open a market, read its resolution criteria and source, then inspect the price, spread, liquidity, and any applicable taker fee before choosing an outcome and order size.
Review the Order and Manage the Position
Confirm the outcome, price, quantity, maximum loss, and estimated fee. After a fill, you can sell at the available market price or hold through final resolution.
Key Concepts to Understand
Share Pricing
Outcome shares generally trade between $0 and $1. A 65¢ YES price reflects the market's current estimate of roughly 65%, based on the prices participants will accept. That estimate can change or be wrong.
Profit Calculation
A winning share pays $1 at final resolution and a losing share becomes worthless. Your net result also depends on entry price, execution, spread, and any applicable trading or intermediary fees.
Market Resolution
Each market has written resolution rules and sources. Polymarket uses UMA's Optimistic Oracle process, which includes a proposal and challenge period before an outcome becomes final.
Liquidity
Liquidity affects how easily an order can fill and how far execution may move from the displayed price. Thin markets can have wide spreads, partial fills, and more slippage.
Before You Place a First Trade
- Confirm the market question, closing time, resolution rules, and named source.
- Check whether you are buying YES or NO and review the limit price and quantity.
- Compare the bid and ask; a wide spread can materially change the result.
- Review the maximum amount at risk and any estimated taker fee before confirming.
- Plan whether you would sell early or hold through resolution; neither choice guarantees a profit.
How Polyfollow Fits In
Polyfollow is a separate product for researching Polymarket traders and configuring copy trading. It does not remove market risk: source-trader history can reverse, and copied orders can receive different prices, fills, fees, and results. Review the trader, allocation, safeguards, and execution rules before enabling anything.
Official Sources
Product access, supported networks, minimums, fees, and restrictions can change. These Polymarket Help Center pages were checked on September 2, 2026.
Beginner FAQs
Can beginners use Polymarket?
Eligible users can create an account and trade, but prediction-market positions can lose their full value. Check the current product and geographic restrictions for your location, read every market's rules, and learn with an amount you can afford to lose.
Can US users trade on Polymarket.com?
No. Polymarket says US users cannot deposit or trade on Polymarket.com. The Polymarket US iOS app is a separate US-only product with a separate account. Do not use a VPN or similar tool to bypass geographic restrictions.
How much money do I need to start?
There is no single amount that is appropriate for every user. Deposit minimums vary by token and network and are shown in the live deposit flow. Consider a small test transfer and never deposit more than you can afford to lose.
Is Polymarket gambling or investing?
Legal and regulatory classifications vary by jurisdiction and can change. This guide does not make a legal classification. Check the rules that apply where you are physically located and use Polymarket's current eligibility guidance.
How do I withdraw from Polymarket?
From Portfolio, select Withdraw, then enter the recipient address and choose the displayed token, amount, and network. Verify every detail before confirming. Polymarket may not charge a USDC withdrawal fee, but networks or intermediaries can charge their own fees and processing times vary.
What is Polymarket copy trading?
Copy trading is a separate workflow offered by services such as Polyfollow, not a guaranteed-return feature. It attempts to reproduce eligible trades from a selected trader under your settings. Prices, timing, fills, fees, and results can differ, and past performance does not predict future results.