Airdrop Army

Crypto Whale Sends Shockwaves through Polymarket

Polymarket bettors got a real wake-up call when former President Trump’s odds shot up to 60.7% for the 2024 U.S. presidential election, with many scratching their heads, wondering how this happened so fast. The big surprise? A whale bettor named Fredi9999 is behind it, holding over $20 million in pro-Trump bets, raising eyebrows across the decentralized prediction space.

Fredi9999 isn’t just tossing a few crypto tokens into the pool but is driving a major shift, and it’s not subtle. His presence on Polymarket is influencing not just the odds but the entire sentiment around Trump’s election chances. While some see this as a bold bet, others are now questioning whether manipulation could be at play. Could this be one individual playing the market with sheer financial force?

Patterns Point to Manipulation

This isn’t your average bettor throwing some ETH around. Pseudonymous political bettor Domer thinks Fredi’s whale tactics could be part of something bigger, even suggesting that he controls the top four Trump whale accounts. According to Domer, large sums from Kraken start flowing in, and soon, the Trump prediction odds move up drastically. Domer posted on X, pointing out how one of the whales, Theo, pushed the popular vote odds from 26% to 39% in just a few hours.

These moves have some wondering whether the Polymarket odds reflect real-world sentiment or if they’re being skewed by deep-pocketed individuals.

Election Predictions and Real-World Implications

But here’s where things get wild—these manipulated prediction odds are now seeping into the real world. People are starting to believe that the odds they see on Polymarket truly reflect Trump’s standing in the race, even if those odds don’t line up with real-world events. Alex Momot, CEO of Peanut Trade, nailed it when he said, “The situation on Polymarket is now influencing the real world… where many people believe what they see on the platform.”

With less than three weeks before the U.S. election, questions about the reliability of prediction markets are growing, as high-stakes bets and whale plays raise the stakes even further.