Why the Changes Were Made
The shift to MOOV2 was driven by three factors: addressing a growing userbase, handling the increase in disputes, and abstracting the Oracle.
A Growing Userbase
Polymarket has seen rapid growth since 2024 with no signs of slowing down. As Polymarket grows its userbase, strengthening market resolution mechanics will be essential.
This means making market resolution more seamless while reducing Oracle controversies. In the first half of 2025, there were several controversies involving the Oracle in markets such as Ukraine agrees to Trump mineral deal before April?, Will Zelenskyy wear a suit before July?, and Astros vs. Dodgers.
In addition to reducing Oracle controversy, Polymarket needed more control over the market resolution process. Under MOOV2, Polymarket would have more control over the functionality of the resolution process, allowing it to make targeted adjustments.
For example, Polymarket could:
More easily manage the administrators of their Oracle Example: Transferring admin access to another address/smart contract
Restrict proposal requests to a whitelist Example: Only Polymarket team addresses can propose Presidential Election Winner 2028
Adjust the proposal bond requirement to better match market size Example: High-volume sports market bond of $350 can be adjusted higher
Modify the proposal challenge period Example: Sports markets' challenge periods can be reduced from 2 hours to 1 hour
An Increase in Disputes
Since early 2025, proposals and disputes have risen sharply. The growth in proposals tracks with the overall growth in Polymarket, while the rise in disputes stems from greater awareness of the proposal process without equally accessible educational resources.
Disputes create several problems, including:
Costing the proposer their bond
Delaying market resolution
Damaging the Oracle's reputation
They also create structural challenges for the Oracle, such as:
A high share of disputes being noncontentious
Voter attention being diverted from legitimate issues
Increased gas costs from voting as disputes grow in number
With disputes on the rise, the Oracle needed stronger safeguards against both honest mistakes and malicious attacks.
Abstracting the Oracle
Polymarket has historically kept its Oracle backend out of focus for general users. In sports markets, for example, the interface has been updated multiple times to create a more familiar and comfortable experience for sports bettors.
Removing the Propose Resolution Button
One approach to further abstraction has been removing the Propose Resolution button from some markets. Since there are already enough proposers, removing the button reduces confusion for casual users who might stumble upon it and propose without fully understanding the consequences. Experienced proposers can still submit proposals through the Oracle interface.
Removing the button also limits the risk to first-time proposers, many of whom participate in the Oracle in good faith. This approach aligns with Polymarket's goal of abstracting the Oracle.
Summary
From Polymarket's perspective, the shift to MOOV2 was driven by three factors: a growing userbase that required smoother and more reliable market resolution, a rise in disputes that risked delays and reputational damage, and the goal of keeping the Oracle in the background. The upgrade was seen as a step toward solving these problems.
Coming Up
With Polymarket's reasoning for a more closed Oracle established, we now examine who is on the proposer whitelist.
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