Trump Criticizes Prediction Markets Amid Soldier’s Insider Trading Charges
- U.S. President Donald Trump expressed dissatisfaction with the rise of prediction markets, likening the world to a “casino.”
- A U.S. soldier, Gannon Ken Van Dyke, was charged for using classified information to profit from bets on Maduro-related events.
- Van Dyke allegedly earned over $400,000 by trading on Polymarket contracts linked to U.S. intervention in Venezuela.
- Monthly trading volume on prediction markets surged from $1.2 billion in early 2025 to over $20 billion by January 2026.
- Donald Trump Jr., an advisor to Kalshi and Polymarket, has promoted these platforms’ ability to forecast election outcomes.
The scrutiny of prediction markets has intensified following charges against a U.S. soldier accused of leveraging classified information for financial gain through DeFi platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi (Source).
