Polymarket is facing new scrutiny after internal training videos revealed the prediction market platform instructed social media creators on how to produce videos featuring simulated bets using a mock version of its platform.
According to a Semafor investigation, the training materials were shared through a private Discord server used to coordinate dozens of content creators. The videos taught participants how to use a tool called “Fakecharts,” allowing them to place wagers with fake funds to create realistic-looking demonstrations of Polymarket’s prediction markets.
In one training session, Polymarket employee Tobin Tang demonstrates how to place a $1,000 mock bet on whether President Donald Trump would acquire Greenland before 2027. Using the fake platform, Tang clicks “Buy Yes” before saying, “Boom, trade complete, just like that.”
The report suggests the initiative was part of a broader effort to increase awareness of the platform through social media. According to Politico, Polymarket Chief Marketing Officer Matthew Modabber reportedly distributed at least $350,000 to influencers via PayPal to create promotional content featuring the platform.
Semafor’s reporting, based on the internal videos and interviews with current and former employees, offers a closer look at what The Wall Street Journal previously described as Polymarket’s “social media army“—a network of creators producing content designed to drive engagement and attract new users.
The investigation does not allege that users’ real-money trades were fabricated. Instead, the videos show creators using a separate demonstration platform with simulated funds to produce promotional videos that resembled real trading activity.
For investors and the broader crypto industry, the revelations raise fresh questions about marketing transparency and disclosure standards on digital asset platforms. As prediction markets continue to gain mainstream attention, regulators may place greater scrutiny on how companies advertise their products and whether promotional content clearly distinguishes between simulated and real trading.
