Polymarket Invite Code & US Sign-Up: Step-by-Step (2026)
How to sign up for Polymarket in the US in 2026 with an invite code — the new CFTC-regulated US app, what the referral gets you, and how it compares to Kalshi for the World Cup.
Polymarket is the biggest prediction market in the world, and as of 2026 US residents can finally use it again. If you’re signing up to trade the World Cup, open the account through an invite code so the new-user referral offer is applied.
This guide contains affiliate links. If you sign up through one we may earn a referral commission at no cost to you.
The short version: Polymarket returned to the US in 2026 after buying a CFTC-licensed exchange (QCEX) for $112 million, and US users now sign up through its regulated mobile app — not the polymarket.com website, which still doesn’t serve US traders. Use an invite/referral code at registration to apply the new-user offer, verify your identity, fund the account, and you’re trading. Polymarket’s edge over Kalshi is liquidity: its World Cup winner market alone traded over $1.8 billion early in the tournament.
Sign up for Polymarket US →Why Polymarket sign-up is different in the US
For four years, Americans couldn’t legally use Polymarket — a 2022 CFTC settlement closed it to US users. Its 2026 return was deliberate and expensive: rather than reopen quietly, it bought QCEX, a CFTC-licensed Designated Contract Market and clearinghouse, for $112 million, and now operates as a regulated US entity. The practical consequences for you:
- You use the app, not the website. US access runs through Polymarket’s mobile app. The familiar polymarket.com web interface still doesn’t serve US traders.
- It’s regulated, not offshore. You’ll complete a standard identity check, the same as any US exchange.
- You don’t need to source crypto yourself. The US entity is designed to onboard American users through the app without you holding USDC directly.
How to sign up, step by step
- Open a referral link or enter an invite code. This applies the new-user offer. Do it before completing registration — codes generally can’t be added afterward.
- Download and register in the US app. Create your account inside the regulated Polymarket US app.
- Verify your identity. Have a government ID ready for the KYC step.
- Fund your account. Add funds through the supported method in the app.
- Trade the World Cup. Outright winner, group winners and match markets are all live, with the deepest liquidity on the headline outright market.
What the referral actually pays
Polymarket runs two distinct referral structures, and it’s worth knowing which is which:
- The external affiliate program (via Dub.co) pays publishers a flat fee for each referred user who registers and makes a qualifying deposit, plus a small amount per click. This is the program behind most invite links you’ll see from sites like this one.
- The on-platform referral tier rewards active traders who refer others, but it requires substantial personal trading volume to unlock — it’s aimed at high-volume users, not new sign-ups.
For you as a new user, the invite link is simply what ties your registration to the offer. Apply it and move on.
Polymarket vs Kalshi for the World Cup
Both are CFTC-regulated and both serve all 50 US states, so the choice comes down to feel:
- Liquidity: Polymarket. Deeper markets, tighter spreads on the outright winner — over $1.8 billion traded on that single market early in the tournament, with Spain and France co-favorites around 16%.
- On-ramp simplicity: Kalshi. Dollar settlement from a US bank account makes it the easier first account for many people.
- Best practice: keep both and take the better price. Arbitrage keeps the two books close, but not identical, and the gap is yours to capture.
The full comparison, including how contract pricing maps to probability, is in the prediction markets and the World Cup guide. If you’d rather start on Kalshi, our Kalshi referral code guide covers its sign-up bonus.
FAQ
Is the Polymarket US app the same as the old website? No. The polymarket.com website still doesn’t serve US traders. US users go through the regulated Polymarket US app, which runs on the CFTC-licensed entity Polymarket acquired in 2026.
Why was Polymarket banned in the US before? A 2022 settlement with the CFTC required Polymarket to block US users while it operated without the right license. The 2026 acquisition of a licensed exchange is what made a legal US return possible.
Can people in Europe use Polymarket? Increasingly not. Through 2025–2026, regulators in Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, the UK and others classified Polymarket as unlicensed gambling and blocked it. The US is currently the major market where it operates with a clear regulated lane.
Do I have to pay to refer friends? No. Referring others is free; the on-platform referral rewards just require you to have traded a certain volume yourself before they unlock. The new-user offer you claim at sign-up is separate from that.