Polymarket trading halted after vendor compromise; impacted users will be ‘made whole’
Polymarket’s U.S.-based platform did not appear to be affected by the breach. Gabby Jones / Bloomberg via GettyShareAdd NBC News to GoogleOct. 29, 2026, 3:09 PM EDT / Updated Oct. 29, 2026, 3:23 PM EDTBy Rob WilePredictions markets platform Polymarket was forced to halt trading on its international platform Thursday for nearly an hour because of what it said was a third-party compromise.
There were also unconfirmed reports from users on Polymarket’s Discord channel who said their wallets had been drained.
While Polymarket did not confirm that users had lost money, it said “anyone who has been impacted will be made whole.”
“We’ll make this right and are fully reimbursing all affected traders,” the company said in a subsequent post on X.
Crypto news website The Block reported some $2.65 million in cryptocurrencies had been siphoned from the platform, citing data from blockchain analysis group Arkham.
In a statement posted on its X account, Polymarket said it had identified and fixed an issue affecting its international platform, Polymarket.com.
“One of our 3rd party providers was compromised, and we have referred this to relevant law enforcement,” Polymarket said.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we have temporarily halted trading & are working to bring the platform back online,” it added.
Trading began again at 3 p.m. ET after nearly an hour offline.
Polymarket’s U.S.-based platform did not appear to be affected by the breach.
FOR SUBSCRIBERSCruise company had troubled history before abandoning passengers in CambodiaFOR SUBSCRIBERSDark money group seeks to undercut Republican candidates with pro-gun votersFOR SUBSCRIBERSAmy Acton’s mom, who called her a ‘liar’ in Ramaswamy ad, faced years of turmoil, records showFOR SUBSCRIBERSFDA plans to update nutrition rules for infant formulaFOR SUBSCRIBERSHow French student protests over schools escalated into nationwide riotsFOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump says Alaska’s Democratic Senate candidate should be prosecuted over Dan Sullivan ballot disputeFOR SUBSCRIBERSElection betting odds became less accurate as primaries neared, report findsFOR SUBSCRIBERSHow Colorado became a battlefield in the legal fight between LGBTQ and religious rightsFOR SUBSCRIBERSHow California prison reforms helped free a serial rapist called ‘America’s creepiest heir’FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s final campaign swing is taking on a darker toneFOR SUBSCRIBERSMel Robbins has midterms advice for youFOR SUBSCRIBERSFlorida cop charged with possessing dead man’s house had history of misconductFOR SUBSCRIBERSDHS hack exposes 40,000 employee names and undercover ICE agents, activists sayFOR SUBSCRIBERSRising diesel prices hit school districts hard ahead of the midterm electionsFOR SUBSCRIBERS‘There goes Texas’: The swing county that could determine the state’s next senatorSlide 1 of 1For SubscribersFOR SUBSCRIBERSCruise company had troubled history before abandoning passengers in CambodiaFOR SUBSCRIBERSDark money group seeks to undercut Republican candidates with pro-gun votersFOR SUBSCRIBERSAmy Acton’s mom, who called her a ‘liar’ in Ramaswamy ad, faced years of turmoil, records showFOR SUBSCRIBERSFDA plans to update nutrition rules for infant formulaFOR SUBSCRIBERSHow French student protests over schools escalated into nationwide riotsFOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump says Alaska’s Democratic Senate candidate should be prosecuted over Dan Sullivan ballot disputeFOR SUBSCRIBERSElection betting odds became less accurate as primaries neared, report findsFOR SUBSCRIBERSHow Colorado became a battlefield in the legal fight between LGBTQ and religious rightsFOR SUBSCRIBERSHow California prison reforms helped free a serial rapist called ‘America’s creepiest heir’FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s final campaign swing is taking on a darker toneFOR SUBSCRIBERSMel Robbins has midterms advice for youFOR SUBSCRIBERSFlorida cop charged with possessing dead man’s house had history of misconductFOR SUBSCRIBERSDHS hack exposes 40,000 employee names and undercover ICE agents, activists sayFOR SUBSCRIBERSRising diesel prices hit school districts hard ahead of the midterm electionsFOR SUBSCRIBERS‘There goes Texas’: The swing county that could determine the state’s next senatorSlide 1 of 1Compromising third party vendors has become a very common way malicious actors gain access to large platforms and websites.
That these hackers succeeded in stealing money from Polymarket’s users, however, makes this a significant breach.
Polymarket was valued at $21 billion in September after a group of investors led by Donald Trump Jr. invested $1 billion into the platform.
The platform, along with rival Kalshi, have become to subject of an intense, multi-million-dollar battle between U.S. states and the Trump administration over who gets to regulate the prediction-market betting that occurs on the sites.
The platforms also continue to fight off insider-trading threats. Earlier Thursday, Bloomberg News reported Polymarket was investigating reports of suspicious bets made amid Israel’s closely watched elections.
It is also investigating “dozens” related to the U.S. midterms, according to the company’s head of global intelligence and investigations, Shana Bautista.
Earlier this month, Kalshi said it was looking into suspicious bets involving Trump’s choice of press secretary.
Rob WileRob Wile is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist covering breaking business stories for NBCNews.com.
