A trading market predicting a nuclear explosion emerged and then vanished within a day.
Prediction market platform Polymarket opened a market to predict when and where a nuclear weapon would explode before 2027, but shut it down urgently after an online backlash, Business Insider reported on March 4 local time.
The market set three time points — March 31, June 30 and before 2027 — to spur trading. It was structured so participants would profit if an actual explosion occurred.
Total trading volume in the market topped $650,000. Polymarket did not disclose why it closed the market, and it is unclear whether investors will be refunded. Previously, a market predicting whether a nuclear explosion would occur by 2025 operated and ended without major controversy. Earlier, Polymarket opened a market predicting the political future of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and one trader earned $400,000, sparking controversy over insider trading.
Chi-gyu Hwang
delight@d-today.co.kr