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How to sign up for Polymarket: the complete step-by-step guide

Create a Polymarket account in under 10 minutes. Full walkthrough covering email signup, wallet setup, USDC funding, and your first trade.

Prediction Markets 101 editorial team Updated April 16, 2026 8 min read

Before you begin

Check that you're eligible. Polymarket does not accept users from:

  • The United States (all 50 states — IP geoblocked)
  • Sanctioned jurisdictions (Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, occupied Ukraine regions, Venezuela)
  • A handful of additional countries where local regulation has caused Polymarket to proactively block

If you're in any of these locations, do not attempt to use a VPN. It violates Polymarket's terms, can result in account freezes when KYC triggers at withdrawal, and — for US residents — you have a better legal alternative: Kalshi, which is CFTC-regulated and available in all 50 states.

If you're eligible, proceed.

Step-by-step: email signup path (simplest)

This is the recommended path for new users who don't already own crypto.

  1. 1

    Visit Polymarket

    Go to polymarket.com (use our referral link to give us credit for the signup — doesn't cost you anything and supports this site).

  2. 2

    Click Sign Up

    Top right of the homepage. Choose "Email".

  3. 3

    Enter your email

    Any email works. You'll receive a magic link — click it to confirm.

  4. 4

    Set up your Polymarket wallet

    Polymarket creates a wallet tied to your email automatically. This is a Magic-based smart wallet — Polymarket and your email provider share custody in a 2-of-2 setup. You don't need to remember a seed phrase (though you can export one later if you want self-custody).

  5. 5

    Fund your account with USDC

    The fastest path is in-app fiat onramp via MoonPay. Click "Deposit", then "Buy with card". Enter the amount ($10 minimum, $5,000 maximum per transaction). Complete KYC (name, address, ID photo) — this is required by MoonPay, not Polymarket.

    Alternatively, withdraw USDC from Coinbase, Kraken, or Binance directly to your Polymarket wallet address on Polygon. Fee is ~$1 in gas, settles in a minute.

  6. 6

    Browse markets

    The homepage shows the biggest current markets. Each market shows YES and NO prices, volume, and resolution date. Click any market to see the details and order book.

  7. 7

    Place your first trade

    Click YES or NO, enter an amount, confirm. Your order matches against the book. You now own conditional tokens paying $1 if you win, $0 if you lose.

Step-by-step: self-custody (MetaMask) path

If you already use crypto and want full control of your funds, this is the better path.

  1. 1

    Install MetaMask

    Get the MetaMask browser extension or mobile app from metamask.io. Create a wallet and save your seed phrase offline.

  2. 2

    Add Polygon network to MetaMask

    Go to chainlist.org, search for Polygon, and click "Add to MetaMask". The network is official and widely-verified; chainlist is a trusted aggregator. Alternatively add manually with: RPC https://polygon-rpc.com, Chain ID 137, Currency MATIC, Explorer https://polygonscan.com.

  3. 3

    Fund with MATIC for gas

    You need a tiny amount of MATIC (a few cents' worth) for gas. Buy MATIC on Coinbase or any exchange, withdraw to your MetaMask address on Polygon.

  4. 4

    Fund with USDC

    Buy USDC on Coinbase or Kraken. Withdraw to your MetaMask address on Polygon. Confirm the network — sending USDC on Ethereum instead of Polygon would cost ~$10 in gas and doesn't work for Polymarket.

  5. 5

    Connect wallet to Polymarket

    Visit polymarket.com, click "Connect Wallet", choose MetaMask. Sign the authentication message. Your MATIC and USDC balance now show in Polymarket.

  6. 6

    Place your first trade

    Same as email path. Every transaction requires a MetaMask signature.

What you'll need for verification

Polymarket's basic signup requires almost nothing — just an email or wallet connection. But several actions trigger enhanced KYC:

  • Withdrawing more than ~$10k to fiat via MoonPay/Onramper. Requires government ID.
  • Depositing via card/bank onramps for amounts above small thresholds. Requires KYC at the onramp provider.
  • Compliance-triggered review — Polymarket reserves the right to request KYC if they detect suspicious patterns (common-sense anti-fraud).

For most small-scale traders, no ID is ever required. For serious traders who plan to withdraw meaningful sums, plan to complete KYC.

The referral code question

If you sign up via the referral link polymarket.com/?r=allmarkets, Polymarket credits the referral to us. It doesn't change anything for you — there's no referral-exclusive bonus on Polymarket (unlike Kalshi, which sometimes has deposit credits).

The 30% fee share we receive for 180 days on referred users is what funds our independent research. If you'd like to support the site without buying anything, using our referral link when you sign up is the single best way.

First-trade walkthrough

Let's say you want to buy YES on "Will Bitcoin close above $120k on Dec 31, 2026?" Current price: 0.58.

  1. Click the market. You see the order book: best sell offers at 0.58, 0.59, 0.60; best buy offers at 0.57, 0.56.
  2. Click "Buy YES". Enter $100. The UI tells you: "You get 172.4 YES shares at average price 0.58, paying $100. Max payout: $172.4 if YES."
  3. Confirm. Sign the wallet transaction (if self-custody) or click confirm (if magic wallet).
  4. The trade executes. Your portfolio now shows 172.4 YES shares.

If BTC closes above $120k on Dec 31, you receive $172.4 USDC in your wallet on Jan 1. If not, the shares expire worthless.

You can exit anytime before resolution by selling your shares back into the order book. If the price moves to 0.65, selling your 172.4 shares yields ~$112 — a $12 profit on the $100 trade for getting the direction right.

Security basics

  • Use a strong email password if you signed up via email. Anyone with your email access could potentially hijack the magic wallet.
  • Enable 2FA on your email.
  • For self-custody, back up your seed phrase offline — ideally on a metal backup (Cryptotag, Billfodl) or written on paper in a secure location. Never store it digitally (no screenshot, no cloud, no password manager).
  • Beware of phishing. Polymarket's URL is polymarket.com. Bookmark it. Phishing sites typo-squat (polymarkct.com) and will steal your seed phrase.
  • Never share your seed phrase or sign a transaction you don't understand.

Common onboarding problems

"I deposited USDC but don't see it in Polymarket" — Check the network. USDC must be on Polygon, not Ethereum. If you sent on Ethereum mainnet, it's reachable but requires bridging to Polygon (costs $3–10 in Ethereum gas).

"I can't withdraw" — Small withdrawals to your own wallet should always work. Larger withdrawals to fiat trigger KYC. If stuck, open a support ticket via the help page.

"The site isn't loading" — Check if you're on a restricted IP (US, sanctioned jurisdiction). VPN use violates terms and is not recommended.

"My KYC is pending forever" — Onramp KYC is handled by MoonPay/Onramper, not Polymarket. Contact them directly. Response times are typically 1–3 business days.

"I lost my email / seed phrase" — If you used magic email login and lost email access, you're in trouble — this is why we recommend experienced users self-custody. If you lost a self-custody seed phrase, funds are unrecoverable.

After your first trade

Things to explore:

  • Portfolio page — tracks all positions, historical PnL, volume.
  • Watchlist — star markets to follow their prices.
  • Markets by category — politics, sports, crypto, etc.
  • Live charts — historical odds for every market back to market creation.
  • Leaderboard — top traders by PnL. Useful for finding accounts to follow or copy.

Where to go next

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can I sign up for Polymarket in the US?+

No. Polymarket geoblocks US IPs. US residents should use Kalshi instead, which is CFTC-regulated and legal in all 50 states.

Do I need to provide ID to sign up?+

Not for basic signup. ID is required for large fiat withdrawals (via MoonPay/Onramper), not for trading or small deposits.

Is there a minimum deposit?+

No. You can fund $5 and trade. Most markets have minimum trade sizes of a couple of USDC.

How long does signup take?+

10 minutes for email signup if you already have USDC. 20–40 minutes if you need to onramp fiat for the first time.

Do I need to know crypto to sign up?+

The email path hides most of it. You'll see "wallet" and "USDC" but won't need to understand seed phrases or gas unless you choose self-custody.

Can I use Polymarket on mobile?+

Yes, iOS and Android apps support the full trading flow and can link to both the magic wallet and external wallets like MetaMask Mobile.

What's the difference between email signup and MetaMask signup?+

Email is simpler; Polymarket helps manage your wallet. MetaMask gives you full self-custody — you control keys, you pay gas, Polymarket never holds funds. Serious traders pick MetaMask.

Is there a bonus for new users?+

Polymarket occasionally runs promos but doesn't have a persistent signup bonus. Our referral link supports this site but doesn't unlock extra credit for you.

Related reading

What is Polymarket? A complete beginner's guide

Polymarket is the world's largest decentralized prediction market, built on Polygon and settled in USDC. Here's how it actually works, what makes it different, and why it matters.

How does Polymarket work? A technical walkthrough

The full stack behind Polymarket: the order book, the smart contracts, the oracle, USDC settlement, and what happens from your click to final payout.

How to deposit on Polymarket: every funding path explained

Four ways to fund Polymarket with USDC: in-app MoonPay onramp, Coinbase withdrawal, cross-chain bridge from Ethereum, or direct wallet transfer. Here's the full mechanics, fees, and timing of each.

How to use Polymarket in the US: the factual guide

Polymarket geoblocks US IPs. Here is how US users access the platform: VPN + crypto deposits, no KYC at signup. Plus the regulatory and tax facts you should know.

Polymarket invite code: how to get one and what you get

Polymarket doesn't require invite codes for signup — anyone in an eligible jurisdiction can create an account directly. Here's what 'invite code' actually means, what referral codes do, and whether there's a bonus.