Prediction Markets Heat Up as Election and Crypto Drama Unfold

**Polymarket officially launches in the United States** after receiving CFTC approval, marking a significant milestone for decentralized prediction markets. **Key developments:** - World's largest prediction market now accessible to U.S. users - Platform powered by Polygon blockchain infrastructure - CFTC approval obtained in record time **Market context:** - 79% of decentralized prediction markets currently run on Polygon - Polygon offers real-time settlement and low transaction fees - Major validation for the broader prediction market ecosystem This launch represents a **major regulatory breakthrough** for decentralized finance applications in traditional markets.

**Polygon has emerged as the second-largest blockchain for real-world asset (RWA) tokenization**, trailing only Ethereum with 268+ issued assets. The ecosystem now hosts **over $1.1 billion in tokenized real-world assets** across 265+ issuances, officially joining the "Billions Club." **Major financial institutions** are driving adoption: - Securitize has tokenized $72.9M+ in assets - BlackRock BUIDL, Apollo ACRED, and Hamilton Lane SCOPE are active - Franklin Templeton, Libre Capital, and Mercado Bitcoin are participating **Why issuers choose Polygon:** - Scale and infrastructure built for tokenized assets - Global reach and accessibility - Enhanced liquidity for RWA markets This milestone represents a significant step in bringing traditional finance onchain, with Polygon positioning itself as the unified platform for global finance tokenization. [View the complete RWA ecosystem](https://app.rwa.xyz/networks/polygon)

**Agglayer** is consolidating three key blockchain functions into a single platform: - **Discovery tools** for finding projects and protocols - **Analytics capabilities** for data insights - **Ecosystem access** for seamless interaction This unified approach aims to simplify the fragmented web3 experience by bringing essential services under one roof. The integration represents a step toward the broader trend of **aggregation solutions** in crypto. Agglayer's platform could reduce the need to juggle multiple tools and interfaces when navigating different blockchain ecosystems.

**The Speed Gap Problem** Visa processes tens of thousands of transactions per second, while most blockchains struggle to handle 100 TPS. This massive performance gap remains a key barrier to mainstream web3 adoption. **Polygon's Ambitious Roadmap** Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal outlined the network's plan to achieve **100,000 transactions per second** - directly challenging traditional payment rails like Visa. **Why Speed Matters Now** - Real-world adoption requires infrastructure that matches legacy systems - Current blockchain limitations prevent mass market use cases - Payment processing speed is no longer optional for web3 success This follows Solana's recent achievement of briefly reaching over 100,000 TPS, showing the industry's push toward payment-grade performance. Read the full roadmap: [Entrepreneur article](https://www.entrepreneur.com/leadership/web3s-speed-is-no-longer-optional-its-the-path-to/495846)

**Polygon has captured over 50% of all non-USD stablecoin supply**, processing more than $3.2 billion in lifetime foreign exchange transfer volume. This milestone signals that **onchain payments are achieving real product-market fit** in developing economies at global scale. **Key regional impact:** - LATAM has processed $1B+ in CEX flows through Polygon this year - Regional stablecoins like BRLA and BRZ settle on the network - Apps integrate with real-time payment systems (Pix, SPEI, PSE) **Why Polygon leads in emerging markets:** - Low transaction fees - Deep liquidity pools - Extensive ecosystem integrations - Strong developer support While Ethereum handles high-value settlements and Tron manages low-cost USDT transfers, **Polygon has become the go-to chain for payments, apps, and consumer finance** in developing regions. This growth reflects stablecoins transitioning from speculative assets to **everyday money infrastructure**, particularly in regions facing inflation and financial exclusion.