Polymarket unveils exchange revamp with new trading engine and native stablecoin

Polymarket said it will roll out a full exchange upgrade over the next few weeks, replacing core trading infrastructure with a rebuilt trading engine, upgraded smart contracts, and a new collateral token called Polymarket USD.

The company described it as its biggest infrastructure change since launch and said the migration will move the platform off USDC.e, the bridged version of USDC it has long used as trading collateral on Polygon.

The upgrade touches nearly every part of the trading stack. According to Polymarket’s developer update, the new CTF Exchange V2 contract simplifies order structures, improves order matching, adds support for ERC 1271 signatures, and introduces builder codes for onchain order attribution.

The company also said it is releasing an updated CLOB client SDK that will handle the V1 to V2 switch automatically, though bot operators and integrations will need to move to the latest clients and re-sign orders using the new struct.

The new token will be backed one-to-one by USDC and replace USDC.e as the platform’s collateral asset. For most users, Polymarket said the transition will be handled automatically through the frontend with a one-time approval prompt, while API traders and power users will need to wrap their USDC or USDC.e through the platform’s collateral onramp contract.

The switch also builds on Polymarket’s broader move away from bridged dollar rails. In February, Circle and Polymarket announced a transition from bridged USDC on Polygon to native USDC for settlement infrastructure, framing the change as a more scalable and capital-efficient setup.

Polymarket said all open orders will be canceled during a short maintenance window and that order books will be cleared as part of the migration. The company said it will provide at least one week’s notice before the exact date and time.

Prediction markets are drawing heavier regulatory scrutiny as the category grows. Last week, the CFTC’s enforcement director said insider trading in prediction markets is a priority, while the agency has also supported the view that event contracts are swaps rather than gambling products. At the same time, the federal government has sued several states to stop them from regulating prediction markets, underscoring how quickly the sector has become an active policy battleground.

In March, Intercontinental Exchange invested $600 million in the company as part of a broader plan to commit as much as $2 billion to the platform.