Polymarket Launches 5-Minute Crypto Markets and Teases Airdrop

Decentralized prediction market Polymarket is catering to its high-risk audience by introducing 5-minute crypto markets and teasing an airdrop for power users.

The new 5-minute markets allow users to bet on whether or not BTC’s 5-minute candles will close up or down, while providing market maker rebates to liquidity providers.

Following the launch, Polymarket’s “senior intern” and developer, Mustafa Aljatery, responded to one of the platform’s power users in a post saying “1m markets and $POLY next.”

This is not Aljatery’s first time leaning into token and Layer 2 speculation; however, the prediction market began the month by filing a trademark for the $POLY ticker, and Polymarket’s growth lead, William Legate, seemingly confirmed the airdrop after responding “no” to a user who wondered if the platform’s snapshot was already taken.

The speculation comes as Polymarket’s volumes continue to surge to new all-time highs, with almost $3.4 billion traded in January alone.

It took more than three years for Polymarket to reach $3.4 billion in volume; now it is clearing that in a single month. So far, $4.9 billion of volume has been traded on Polymarket in 2026.

Despite all the rumors surrounding a potential token and Layer 2 launch, Polymarket has yet to publicly disclose any information about its future structure and whether investors will receive tokens or equity.

The platform’s most recent funding round valued Polymarket at $9 billion, with a $2 billion investment led by Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the owner of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).