Exchanges expand bets on prediction markets…Coinbase acquisition·Crypto.com internal market maker controversy

In the virtual asset (cryptocurrency) industry, prediction markets (Prediction Market) are emerging as a key growth area. On the 25th (local time), according to crypto-focused media Cointelegraph, Crypto.com is pushing to build an internal market-making organization to provide liquidity for prediction markets.

According to the outlet, Crypto.com has begun hiring quantitative traders to serve as internal market makers who will buy and sell prediction contracts directly.

Crypto.com said the internal market maker will operate under the same rules as external participants and aims to improve market efficiency and liquidity. However, because the exchange would participate both as a platform operator and a trading entity, concerns have been raised about market fairness and potential conflicts of interest.

Coinbase is moving to expand prediction markets from a more long-term perspective. Coinbase has agreed to acquire on-chain prediction market startup The Clearing Company, and the deal is expected to be completed in January next year. The Clearing Company team will join Coinbase to support the expansion of prediction market services.

Coinbase views prediction markets as a core growth pillar alongside crypto trading, tokenized assets, and stock trading. In a recent report, the company identified prediction markets as a key opportunity toward 2026, saying that increased user participation and changes in the regulatory environment will support demand growth.

Moves in traditional finance are also continuing. According to Bloomberg, JPMorgan Chase is considering offering crypto trading services to some institutional clients. This is interpreted as an attempt to expand digital asset exposure into the trading area, beyond existing custody and blockchain payment experiments.

Meanwhile, crypto trading firm DWF Labs is expanding its business into physical assets beyond digital assets. DWF Labs said it recently completed a 25-kilogram gold trade as a test of physical commodity trading. The company plans to expand trading targets to silver, platinum, cotton, and others in the future.

Markets see an increased possibility that prediction markets will become a new revenue source for the crypto industry, and expect discussions around the role of exchanges and regulatory alignment to accelerate at the same time.