# Introduction to Polymarket ### What is Polymarket? [Polymarket](https://polymarket.com/) is a decentralized prediction market platform that allows users to bet on real-world events like politics, sports, finance, and current events, without trading fees. Users can fund their accounts using a credit/debit card, bank transfer, or cryptocurrency. {% tabs %} {% tab title="How Polymarket Works" %} 1. **Market Creation**: Trusted creators can make markets where users place bets. They ensure each market is well-structured and has clear resolution criteria. 2. **Buying & Selling Shares**: Each market has possible outcomes (like "Yes" or "No"). Users can buy or sell shares in the outcome they think will happen, at any time before it resolves. Winning shares pay **$1** if correct. 3. **Pricing & Probabilities**: Share prices reflect how likely the market thinks an outcome is. If a share costs **$0.70**, the market is estimating a **70% chance** the event will happen. 4. **Resolution**: When the outcome is confirmed, winning shares pay **$1** and losing shares pay **$0**. {% hint style="info" %} In some cases, markets may resolve **50-50**, usually due to **postponed or canceled sports games**. In such cases, each share pays **$0.50**. Check resolution criteria for details. {% endhint %} {% endtab %} {% tab title="An Example" %} 1. **Market Creation**: Polymarket launches the market *Will Donald Trump win the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election?* with two outcomes: **Yes** and **No**. 2. **Buying & Selling Shares**: Yuzuru believes Trump will win, so she buys 100 **Yes** shares at **$0.60** each, spending **$60**. She can sell her shares anytime before the market resolves or hold them and redeem after resolution. 3. **Pricing & Probabilities**: The **$0.60** price reflects the market's estimated **60% chance** that Trump will win. Prices change as users trade based on new information. 4. **Resolution & Payouts**: If Trump wins, Yuzuru can redeem her Yes shares for **$1** each, for a total of **$100**. If Trump loses, her **Yes** shares are worth **$0**, and she loses her **$60** investment. {% endtab %} {% endtabs %} ### How to Read a Polymarket To understand how a Polymarket works, it's helpful to break down its key components. Each market consists of four sections: 1. **Market Overview**: Includes the market title, price graph, and buy/sell interface 2. **Order Book**: Displays current bids and asks for each outcome 3. **Rules**: Explains the market's resolution criteria 4. **Discussion**: Shows comments, user positions, and related markets We'll walk through each of these sections using the market [*Will the US confirm that aliens exist in 2025?*](https://polymarket.com/event/will-the-us-confirm-that-aliens-exist-in-2025) as an example. #### **Market Overview**

Will the US confirm that aliens exist in 2025? market overview

In **Market Overview**, you'll see the market question, total volume, expiration date, and a price graph. You can toggle price history across different timeframes and track price movements in response to key events. On the right, you can place market or limit orders. You'll also find a link to the market and the option to bookmark it. #### Orderbook

Will the US confirm that aliens exist in 2025? orderbook

The **Order Book** shows current bids and asks for each outcome, along with any available liquidity rewards. Below it, you can ask Grok for additional context about the market. #### Rules

Will the US confirm that aliens exist in 2025? rules

In the **Rules** section, you'll find the resolution criteria. For this market to resolve **Yes**, a definitive statement must be made by the U.S. President, a Cabinet member, a Joint Chiefs of Staff member, or a federal agency confirming the existence of extraterrestrial life or technology by **December 31, 2025, 11:59 PM ET**. A consensus of credible reporting may also be used. To resolve **No**, the market must reach the deadline without a qualifying confirmation. Official denials or reporting that aliens do not exist will **not** trigger a No resolution. At the bottom of this section, users can **propose a resolution** if criteria are met, by posting a **$750 bond**. {% hint style="info" %} Some markets resolve **No** as soon as the opposite happens. For example, if another team wins the NBA Finals, *Will the Celtics win the 2024 NBA Finals?* resolves **No** right away. Other markets, like *Will aliens be confirmed by the end of 2025?*, require waiting. If nothing happens by the deadline, it resolves **No**. Denials or no news are not enough. Only missing the **Yes** condition by the deadline counts. {% endhint %} #### Discussion

Will the US confirm that aliens exist in 2025? market

At the bottom of each market, you'll find the **Discussion** section. This includes market comments (filterable by holders), top holders, activity, and related markets. The **Activity** tab shows recent buys and sells. Always perform your own due diligence when reviewing user comments. #### What's Next Now that you've seen the main parts of the market interface, let's look at how markets resolve. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://polymarketguide.gitbook.io/polymarketguide-archive/basics/introduction-to-polymarket.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.