> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://prismnetwork.gitbook.io/prismnetwork-docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://prismnetwork.gitbook.io/prismnetwork-docs/1.-introduction/1.3-from-niche-experiment-to-mainstream-financial-infrastructure.md).

# 1.3 From Niche Experiment to Mainstream Financial Infrastructure

Prediction markets are transitioning from niche experiments to mainstream adoption. During the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Polymarket recorded over $3.6 billion in trading volume on election-related contracts — a milestone marking prediction markets' entry into the mainstream consciousness. Entering 2025, platforms such as Kalshi, Polymarket, and Robinhood have continued advancing the productization of event contracts, with trading themes expanding from political elections into sports events, crypto assets, macroeconomic indicators, corporate events, and public policy issues.

According to Pew Research Center analysis based on The Block data, the combined monthly trading volume of Kalshi and Polymarket grew from under $5 billion in September 2025 to approximately $24 billion by April 2026. Robinhood also launched its Prediction Markets Hub in 2025, disclosing that its prediction markets business completed over 12 billion event contracts traded in that year. This indicates that prediction markets are gradually evolving from cyclical, single-event-driven trading venues toward a more sustained and productized growth trajectory.

Institutional participation has further accelerated the spillover of value from prediction markets. In October 2025, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, announced a strategic investment of up to $2 billion in Polymarket, stating its intention to distribute Polymarket's event-driven data to institutional investors globally. This development signals that prediction market prices are evolving into data assets accessible to financial institutions, research organizations, media platforms, and enterprise systems. The value proposition of prediction markets is expanding beyond trading itself — into information discovery, risk pricing, and decision support.

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