Prediction markets have entered a new phase of growth as Sam Altman’s digital identity project, World, integrates with the leading decentralized prediction platform, Polymarket. The partnership marks World’s first foray into prediction trading, coinciding with record-breaking activity across the global prediction market landscape.
World Expands Beyond Identity
World, previously known as Worldcoin, was developed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to create a global proof-of-personhood system through its digital identity tool, World ID. The project’s mobile application, World App, combines a crypto wallet with this verification system. On Tuesday, World announced the addition of the Polymarket Mini App to its platform, allowing users to participate in prediction markets directly from within World App.
The integration gives verified World users access to prediction markets where they can wager on real-world outcomes using two digital currencies — Circle’s stablecoin USDC and World’s native token WLD. However, World emphasized that access to WLD remains geographically restricted, noting that users in certain areas, including New York, cannot receive the token through World App.
“World Assets and World Foundation are not responsible for the availability of WLD on third-party exchanges,” the company said, clarifying the limits of its distribution policies.
Polymarket Access Through Mini App
The new Mini App integration is available to users in regions where Polymarket’s services are permitted. Both companies have faced regulatory challenges in expanding their global reach. Polymarket, which operates a decentralized betting platform on blockchain networks, has yet to relaunch its services in the United States after obtaining approval from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
Through the integration, World App users can download and interact with the Polymarket Mini App, placing bets on political events, economic trends, sports, and cultural moments using their existing crypto balances. The move reflects a growing overlap between identity solutions and decentralized finance applications.
Mini App Ecosystem Crosses 100 Million Downloads
The Polymarket collaboration arrived shortly after World announced that its Mini App ecosystem surpassed 100 million downloads in early October. Since their launch in late 2024, Mini Apps have become a key part of World’s strategy to build a multipurpose digital platform.
Source: World Chain
By March 2025, World had more than 150 Mini Apps, facilitating over 10 million WLD transactions worth approximately 8.8 million dollars. The ecosystem continues to grow rapidly, supported by World’s expanding user base. As of July, the platform counted 14 million verified unique humans across 160 countries, with 30 million total users globally.
The success of Mini Apps highlights World’s shift from being solely an identity project to a broader ecosystem supporting decentralized applications. The Polymarket addition reinforces that trajectory by bringing real-time market engagement to its verified user community.
Prediction Markets Reach Record Highs
The integration comes at a time when prediction markets are booming. According to data compiled by Dunedata on Dune Analytics, total weekly trading volumes across major prediction markets crossed 2 billion dollars in mid-October, setting an all-time record.
Polymarket accounted for more than half of that activity, capturing 52.3 percent of total market volume. Its main competitor, Kalshi, followed closely with about 950 million dollars in trades, or roughly 47 percent of the total.
The surge in trading has been fueled by growing institutional participation. Earlier this month, Polymarket secured a 2 billion dollar investment from the Intercontinental Exchange, the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange. Days later, Kalshi raised 300 million dollars in a funding round led by Sequoia Capital and Andreessen Horowitz, with plans to expand into 100 new global markets.
These developments have pushed prediction markets from niche crypto corners into mainstream finance, where they are increasingly viewed as valuable tools for gauging sentiment and forecasting world events.
Bridging Identity and Speculation
World’s integration with Polymarket represents more than a technical upgrade — it signals a merging of digital identity, finance, and information markets. By allowing verified human users to interact directly with prediction markets through their World IDs, the collaboration could pave the way for more transparent and accountable trading ecosystems.
While both platforms continue to navigate complex regulatory landscapes, their partnership underscores a shared vision: a decentralized internet where verified users can transact, speculate, and participate in financial ecosystems without intermediaries.
As prediction markets continue to grow and digital identity tools mature, the line between social interaction and financial participation is blurring. With World’s global reach and Polymarket’s market dominance, this integration could accelerate the evolution of both industries — turning prediction trading into one of the next major frontiers of the crypto economy.
