Polymarket’s ultra-short-term trading surges…$60 million a day pours into 5-minute price bets

Ultra-short-term crypto price betting on prediction-market platform Polymarket is surging, emerging as a new trading trend.

According to Catena Investors on the 18th (local time), Polymarket recently introduced ultra-short-term contract products that predict Bitcoin (BTC) prices in 5-minute and 15-minute intervals. The market has recently seen daily trading volumes of up to $60 million.

On-chain data and analytical materials show daily volume expanding to as much as $62 million, a sharp increase compared with conventional prediction contracts. Existing day-based contracts on Polymarket often remained below $1 million in trading volume.

Catena Investors analyzed that “ultra-short-term contracts settle within a short time frame, reflecting demand from participants seeking rapid decision-making and immediate outcomes.”

Polymarket uses a blockchain-based oracle system to validate price data and finalize contract outcomes. Liquidity providers earn returns via the spread, while retail investors have become the primary participants.

The platform is also expanding technical partnerships to strengthen market credibility. It is working with Palantir and TWG AI to build systems for detecting suspicious trading and monitoring markets.

However, concerns are also being raised as ultra-short-term betting spreads, including heightened volatility, potential use of inside information, and controversy over gambling-like characteristics.

Industry participants say these concerns could be alleviated if transparent settlement structures and clear regulatory standards are put in place.

Meanwhile, the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is conducting an opinion-gathering process on event-contract regulation and has begun overhauling the supervisory framework for prediction markets overall.