Polymarket vs Kalshi vs BlockForecast
All three let you trade YES or NO on real-world events. The differences are who creates markets, how they resolve, where they settle, and whether you can earn from creating.
Side-by-side
| Feature | Polymarket | Kalshi | BlockForecast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who creates markets | Polymarket team | Kalshi team | Approved creators (open application) |
| Creator earnings | None | None | 0.5% per trade |
| Trading model | CLOB | CLOB | LSMR + CLOB hybrid |
| Resolution | UMA optimistic oracle (human dispute) | Kalshi staff + sources | Multi-agent AI consensus |
| Resolution speed | Hours to days | Minutes to hours | Minutes |
| Settlement | USDC | USD (bank) | USDC on Base |
| Chain | Polygon | None (CFTC) | Base |
| Regulatory | Decentralized | CFTC-licensed DCM | Decentralized |
| Trading fee | ~0% maker / 0% taker | Variable | 0.5% creator + protocol |
| 5-min crypto markets | No | Hourly only | 5 / 15 min on BTC ETH SOL |
| x402 pay-per-call (AI) | No | No | Yes |
| Open API for bots | Limited | Limited | Yes (60 req/min) |
| KYC required | No | Yes | No |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes | Yes (PWA) |
When to pick which
Pick Polymarket if
- You only trade flagship US-political and major-sports markets
- You want maximum liquidity in those specific markets
- You don't care about creating markets or earning from them
- You're already comfortable on Polygon
Pick Kalshi if
- You're a US-based trader who needs a CFTC-regulated venue
- You want USD bank settlement (no crypto)
- You want their hand-curated quality bar on every market
- You're fine with KYC
Pick BlockForecast if
- You want to create your own markets and earn from trades
- You trade niche topics Polymarket and Kalshi don't cover
- You want fast (minutes) AI-resolved outcomes
- You build bots or AI agents and want a real public API
- You're on Base or want USDC settlement on an L2
- You like 5-min crypto markets
Honest trade-offs
Polymarket has more total liquidity on flagship markets. If you're trading a 9-figure US-election market, Polymarket is the deepest book.
Kalshi has US regulatory clarity. If you need a 1099 and IRS-friendly settlement, Kalshi is the only option.
BlockForecast has the open creator program and AI resolution. If you want to create markets, earn from them, or build automated agents, it's the only platform of the three that supports those flows.
FAQ
Is BlockForecast a fork of Polymarket?
No. Both use conditional tokens conceptually, but BlockForecast is built independently — Fastify + PostgreSQL engine, LSMR market maker (vs Polymarket's CLOB), AI oracle (vs UMA), Base chain (vs Polygon), open creator program (vs internal-only).
Can I bridge funds between these platforms?
USDC on Polygon, USDC on Base, and Kalshi USD aren't directly bridgeable. Withdraw to a wallet, bridge, deposit on the other side.
Which platform has the lowest fees?
Depends on the trade. Polymarket has 0% taker fees on liquid markets but pays maker rebates only to whitelisted MMs. Kalshi has variable fees per contract type. BlockForecast charges 0.5% (rampable to 5% near close) — paid directly to the market creator, not the platform.