Polymarket taps Trump Jr for advisory board as it eyes U.S comeback

Polymarket has onboarded a Trump family member as advisor after receiving a strategic investment from an affiliated firm.

Summary

• Polymarket has appointed Donald Trump Jr. to its advisory board following a strategic investment from 1789 Capital, where he is a partner.
• The platform exited the U.S. market in 2022 after the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) charged it over unregistered event contracts.
• Trump Jr. says he will work with Polymarket to reinstate access in the United States.

Prediction markets platform Polymarket has added Donald Trump Jr. to its official advisory board. According to an August 27 press release, the move comes alongside an investment from 1789 Capital, where Trump Jr. is a partner.

Although much of the details of the investment were kept under wraps, 1789 is described as an investment firm dedicated to “funding the next era of American exceptionalism.”

Polymarket Founder and CEO Shayne Coplan described the investment as a significant milestone. “We are proud to formally welcome 1789 Capital as a strategic partner and Donald Trump Jr. to our advisory board as we continue building our platform,” he said.

The timing of the partnership is particularly notable, as it follows earlier developments pointing to broader efforts to re-establish the company’s U.S. presence. Just last month, Polymarket announced the acquisition of QCEX, a regulated derivatives exchange and clearinghouse with licenses to operate in the United States.

Trump Jr.’s onboarding is expected to aid this mission. He confirmed that he will work with the company to restore access in the U.S.

“Polymarket is the largest prediction market in the world, and the U.S. needs access to this important platform,” Trump Jr. said. “I look forward to working with the team to advance its mission of bringing truth and transparency to everyone, including the U.S.”

Why did Polymarket exit the U.S?

Polymarket, launched in 2020, grew quickly into one of the largest prediction markets globally. But in 2022, the company ran into regulatory hurdles in the United States when the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) charged it over unregistered event contracts.

The case resulted in a $1.4 million penalty and mandatory restrictions blocking American users, forcing the platform to operate primarily outside the U.S. since then.

Later, the U.S. Department of Justice launched an investigation into Polymarket over suspected foul play related to 2024 presidential election predictions. The probe included a raid on CEO Shayne Coplan’s home by the FBI, investigating whether the platform knowingly allowed illegal trading despite the U.S. ban.

However, in July 2025, both the CFTC and DOJ closed their investigations into the platform. Authorities found no evidence of wrongdoing, dropping the probe and further clearing the path for a potential return.

For now, Polymarket has yet to officially announce a U.S. re-entry, and the timeline for when it might do so remains unclear.