NPR finds "no sign" of Polymarket at its Panama HQ address
4 hours ago
- #Offshore Regulation
- #Cryptocurrency Hub
- #Prediction Markets
- Polymarket, a popular prediction market platform, relocated its official corporate headquarters to Panama to evade U.S. regulatory scrutiny following a 2022 settlement.
- Despite being listed at a law office in Panama City's Oceania Business Plaza, no physical presence of Polymarket was found there, and it shares this address with numerous other cryptocurrency firms.
- The company's Panamanian base offers significant tax advantages, including no income or capital gains taxes for foreign-earned revenue, and provides a legal shield from U.S. court judgments.
- Under the Trump administration, Polymarket has seen rapid growth and regained regulatory favor, with investigations dropped and connections to Trump's family, though its platform remains technically banned in the U.S.
- Polymarket faces challenges in preventing U.S. users from accessing its overseas exchange despite rules against VPNs, as highlighted by a case involving a soldier accused of using a VPN to place bets.
- Legal experts warn that Polymarket's offshore structure may face future legal and enforcement risks, especially under a different U.S. administration, despite current regulatory leniency.