How to Create a Polymarket Account (Step-by-Step Guide)

Chapter 2 of 33

Three Ways to Sign Up

Polymarket gives you three ways to sign up. Each one creates a different kind of wallet behind the scenes. That affects your security and how you recover your account. Pick the one that fits your comfort level.

The Polymarket sign-up screen - choose Email, Google, Apple, or Connect Wallet.

Method 1: Sign Up with Email (Recommended for Beginners)

1. Go to polymarket.com
2. Click "Sign Up" in the top right
3. Enter your email address
4. Check your inbox for a magic link - a secure, password-free login link powered by Magic Labs
5. Click the magic link - you're in

The first time you log in, Polymarket sets up a proxy wallet for you. It's a small smart contract on Polygon. You don't need MetaMask, you don't need to understand blockchain, and you never pay gas fees. Gas is the tiny network fee, normally under a cent. Polymarket's relayer covers all of it.

The magic link email - click the button to log in instantly. No password needed.

Method 2: Sign Up with Google or Apple (Fastest)

1. Go to polymarket.com
2. Click "Sign Up"
3. Select "Continue with Google" or "Continue with Apple"
4. Authorize the connection
5. Done - you're logged in immediately

This is the quickest path from zero to trading. Behind the scenes, it creates the same POLY_PROXY wallet as email signup, run by Magic Labs. You can connect a crypto wallet later if you want more control.

Method 3: Sign Up with a Crypto Wallet (Most Secure)

Already have a Web3 wallet? This method gives you the most security and control.

1. Go to polymarket.com
2. Click "Sign Up"
3. Select "Connect Wallet"
4. Choose your wallet: MetaMask, Coinbase Wallet, Rainbow, Rabby, or any WalletConnect-compatible wallet
5. Approve the connection in your wallet
6. Sign the login message (this is free - no gas cost, no fund movement)

Instead of a POLY_PROXY wallet, Polymarket sets up a modified Gnosis Safe (now just called Safe). It's a 1-of-1 multisig where your connected wallet is the only signer. So:

• You have full self-custody from day one
• Your private key never leaves your wallet
• No third party (Magic Labs) holds or manages your keys
• If Polymarket.com goes offline, you can talk to the smart contracts directly

Connect your existing Web3 wallet - MetaMask, Coinbase Wallet, Rainbow, Rabby, or any WalletConnect wallet.

Recommendation after the December 2025 breach: Many experienced traders moved from email/Google login to browser-wallet login (MetaMask or Rabby) for more security. If you're comfortable with crypto wallets, this is the safest option.

Understanding Your Wallet

When you sign up, Polymarket creates a smart-contract wallet for you on the Polygon PoS blockchain. Knowing how it works protects you.

Two Wallet Types

Your portfolio shows your wallet balance and proxy wallet address. All funds are held on-chain - not by Polymarket.

Gasless Trading

Whichever method you pick, you never pay gas fees. Polymarket runs a Gas Station Network (GSN)-style relayer that pays for every on-chain transaction:

1. You create and sign a transaction locally
2. The signed payload goes to Polymarket's relayer
3. The relayer submits it on-chain and pays the gas in POL
4. The transaction runs from your wallet

This covers wallet setup, token approvals, trading, and withdrawals. In 2024, Polymarket's total gas spend through its relayer was about $27,000 - a tiny cost that powered millions of free user transactions.

Your Funds Are Non-Custodial

This part is key: Polymarket cannot access, move, or seize your funds. Your USDC positions and outcome tokens (ERC-1155) live in a smart contract that only your wallet key controls. USDC is a digital dollar - 1 USDC = $1.

Even if Polymarket.com went offline tomorrow:

• Your funds stay in your on-chain wallet on Polygon
• You can reach them via PolygonScan or any block explorer
• You can import your private key into MetaMask and use the contracts directly
• Resolved markets can be redeemed from the Conditional Tokens contract

The official wallet recovery tool lives at recovery.polymarket.com.

KYC (Identity Verification)

International Users (Outside the US)

You barely need to verify anything. You can sign up and start trading right away with just an email or Google account. Identity checks only kick in:

• At high-volume deposit thresholds
• If the platform spots suspicious activity
• To meet specific regional rules

US Users (Polymarket US - Regulated DCM)

The US platform (polymarket.us) launched in December 2025 as a CFTC-regulated Designated Contract Market. Polymarket got there by buying the QCEX exchange license for $112 million in July 2025.

You must complete full KYC before any deposits or trades:

• Government-issued ID - passport, driver's license, or state ID
• Live selfie - matched against your ID
• Proof of address - in some cases
• Age verification - must be 18+

Verification usually takes a few minutes to a few hours. The US platform runs an invite-only waitlist for now (over 1 million users waiting). Invite codes like COVERS or LABS let you skip the line.

US users complete KYC verification before trading - ID upload and selfie matching.

Key Differences: Global vs US Platform

Security Best Practices

The December 2025 Breach - What Happened

In December 2025, attackers broke into Magic Labs' login system. That's the third-party service that manages login for email and Google users. The key facts:

• Login codes were only 3 digits at first, so they were easy to brute-force
• Attackers went after the email magic-link login flow
• A "limited number" of users on email/Google login were affected
• Browser wallet users (MetaMask/Rabby) were NOT affected
• Polymarket's smart contracts and on-chain protocol were NOT compromised
• The total funds lost were never made public

Polymarket's response:

• Made login codes longer, from 3 digits to 6 digits
• Published the key-export tool so users could switch to self-custody
• Told users to turn on 2FA

Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

After the breach, turning on 2FA is strongly recommended for everyone:

1. Go to Settings in your Polymarket account
2. Find the Two-Factor Authentication section
3. Scan the QR code with an authenticator app (Google Authenticator, Authy, or any TOTP app)
4. Enter the 6-digit code to verify
5. Save your 16-character backup code somewhere safe

Setting up 2FA - scan the QR code with Google Authenticator or Authy.

Export Your Private Key (Email/Google Users)

If you signed up with email or Google and want full control of your wallet:

1. Go to reveal.magic.link/polymarket
2. Log in with your Magic Link email
3. Your private key appears - copy it and store it safely offline
4. Import the key into MetaMask or Rabby to use as a browser wallet

Once you export it, you can switch to browser-wallet login for more security. Many traders did exactly this after the December 2025 breach.

Security Checklist

Known Phishing Attacks

Watch out for these active attacks aimed at Polymarket users.

1. Comment Section Phishing ($500K+ Stolen)

Attackers buy both YES and NO shares so their comments show up in the "Holders" tab. The comments push fake "private markets" with links to Polymarket-lookalike sites. Those fake sites ask you to log in with email, then show a fake "Cloudflare verification" popup that copies malicious code to your clipboard.

Rule: Never click links in Polymarket market comments. Ever.

2. Fake Trading Bots on GitHub

The dev-protocol GitHub organization (verified, 568 followers) was hijacked and used to spread malicious "Polymarket trading bots" that steal wallet keys. Fake npm packages posing as official Polymarket libraries have also turned up.

Rule: Only use official Polymarket code from github.com/Polymarket.

3. Fake Recovery Tools

Some repositories advertise "Polymarket wallet recovery" but actually steal private keys.

Rule: The only official recovery tool is at recovery.polymarket.com.

Mobile vs Desktop

Desktop gives you the full order book and charts. Mobile works well for quick trades and monitoring.

The Polymarket US iOS app launched in December 2025 and hit #1 on the App Store sports chart. It's only for US users who complete KYC, and it supports sports markets only for now.

For serious trading on the global platform, desktop is the way to go. The full order book, charting tools, and browser-wallet support give you a real edge.

Account Recovery

What happens if you lose access depends on how you signed up.

Common Sign-Up Issues

"Magic link not arriving"

• Check your spam/junk folder - magic links from Magic Labs often get filtered
• Wait 2-3 minutes - there can be processing delays
• Try a different email provider (Gmail has the highest delivery rate)
• Double-check you typed your email correctly - there's no error for a wrong address
• See if your email provider blocks transactional emails from new senders

"Wallet won't connect"

• Make sure your wallet is on the Polygon PoS network (not Ethereum mainnet or Polygon zkEVM)
• Clear your browser cache and turn off conflicting extensions
• Try Chrome - it works best with MetaMask and most wallet extensions
• Update your wallet extension to the latest version
• If you use WalletConnect, try disconnecting and reconnecting

"KYC verification failed" (US users)

• Make sure your ID photo is clear, well-lit, and shows all four corners
• Your selfie must match your ID - take off hats, glasses, or face coverings
• Use a valid, non-expired government ID
• Some state IDs may not be accepted - try a passport instead
• Contact Polymarket support if it still fails after several tries

Smart Contract Audits

Polymarket's contracts have been audited by ChainSecurity, a respected Swiss security firm:

Bottom line: Polymarket's on-chain smart contracts have never been successfully exploited. The December 2025 breach hit the login layer (Magic Labs), not the blockchain. The contracts themselves are battle-tested, with billions of dollars flowing through them.

What's Next?

Your account is ready. The next step is funding it so you can start trading.

1. Deposit funds - Our guide walks you through the cheapest methods (crypto transfer: under $1 in fees vs card: up to 4.5%).
2. Make your first trade - A complete walkthrough of placing your first order.
3. Learn basic strategies - Understand edge, position sizing, and when to exit.