Polymarket, the leading crypto-based prediction market platform, has significantly ramped up its NFL offerings ahead of and during the 2025 season, positioning itself as a direct challenger to traditional sportsbooks.
After receiving clearance from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in early September 2025, Polymarket relaunched operations across all 50 U.S. states— including those without legal sports betting like Texas—arguing its contracts are financial instruments rather than gambling products.
The NFL season opener on September 4, 2025, drew over $600,000 in bets on Polymarket within hours, with early markets focusing on game outcomes, player props, and futures like Super Bowl LX (2026) winners. By Week 3, trading volume on NFL markets exceeded $55 million, rivaling established bookmakers.
A aggressive ad campaign on Meta platforms teased “Legal football trading is coming to ALL 50 states this fall,” including targeted ads in non-betting states. This has fueled a waitlist signup via phone numbers, signaling a full U.S. re-entry after a 2022 ban.
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Users can now trade on weekly games like Week 5 matchups like 49ers vs. Rams with $45K volume, undefeated team futures via Eagles at 47¢ Yes to remain undefeated, and long-term bets like team Super Bowl odds like Arizona Cardinals at varying probabilities.
The NFL and NFLPA have raised concerns over unauthorized use of logos and marks in ads, demanding official data partnerships via Genius Sports, responsible gaming measures, and anti-match-fixing protocols.
Rivals like Kalshi already live with sports and potential acquisition targets like Novig are intensifying the space, with Polymarket eyeing deals to bolster its NFL edge. This expansion taps into the $107 billion U.S. sports betting industry, with Polymarket’s crypto model (using USDC) appealing to global users while navigating regulatory gray areas.
Pump.fun Lays Off 1/3 of Staff Amid Revenue Pressures
Pump.fun, the Solana-based memecoin launchpad that exploded in popularity in 2024, announced layoffs affecting approximately one-third of its workforce on September 30, 2025. The cuts come as the platform grapples with slowing growth and external controversies, despite generating over $800 million in revenue since launch through a 1% trading fee.
Reports indicate 10-15 roles were eliminated from a team of around 40, primarily in engineering and marketing. No official statement from founders Alon Cohen or Dylan Kerler has been issued, but sources close to the company cite “cost optimization” as the rationale.
Pump.fun’s daily revenue peaked at $5 million in late 2024 but dipped 33% to $3.6 million in November after halting live-streaming features due to a scandal involving a fake suicide stunt during a memecoin promo. Q3 2025 figures show stabilization around $1 million/day, but competition from rivals like BonkBot and regulatory scrutiny on memecoins have eroded margins.
The platform raised $1.3 billion in a July 2025 ICO $600M public, $700M private, making it one of crypto’s biggest success stories with over 1 million tokens launched. However, it’s faced criticism for enabling “rug pulls” and exploits, leading to user warnings on forums like Reddit.
Layoffs coincide with a crypto market cooldown post-election hype, with Pump.fun’s native $PUMP token under pressure despite a $2.3M buyback. Community reactions on X highlight concerns over innovation slowdowns, though some view it as a pivot toward sustainability.
These moves reflect broader crypto sector belt-tightening, with Pump.fun still dominant in memecoin creation but under pressure to diversify beyond viral hype.
