Overview
- Polymarket will roll out native USDC over the next few months, phasing out USDC.e currently used on Polygon.
- Native USDC is issued by Circle’s regulated entities and is redeemable one-to-one for U.S. dollars.
- The change targets faster transactions and more reliable settlement, with analysts noting that removing cross-chain bridges addresses a common failure point.
- Rapid growth has pressured infrastructure, including $7.66 billion in January 2026 volume and more than $22 billion across the first eleven months of 2025, with $3 billion recorded in October 2025 on Polygon.
- Polymarket frames the shift as aligning with institutional settlement standards as regulatory scrutiny increases, while Kalshi leads category volumes following a partnership with Coinbase.