Prediction markets are hitting record highs as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s digital identity platform, World, integrates with Polymarket through a new Mini App. The partnership bridges decentralized identity with blockchain-based betting, marking another step in World’s growing ecosystem of integrated applications.

Polymarket Enters the World Ecosystem

World, formerly known as Worldcoin, announced the integration of the Polymarket Mini App into its mobile platform earlier this week. The addition allows users of World App, which combines a crypto wallet and digital ID tool, to directly access Polymarket’s prediction markets.

According to the company, the Mini App is available to users in regions where Polymarket operates legally. “World App users can download and access the new Mini App today in countries where Polymarket’s services are permitted,” the announcement stated.

Both platforms face regulatory limitations in several jurisdictions. Polymarket, while expanding rapidly, has yet to resume operations in the United States following an earlier agreement with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Betting with USDC and Worldcoin Tokens

Through the integration, World App users can place prediction bets using two crypto assets: Circle’s USDC stablecoin and World’s native token, Worldcoin (WLD). The feature lets users participate in markets on global events directly within the app’s wallet interface.

World noted that access to WLD remains limited by geography, age, and other eligibility factors. “The token is not available for distribution via World App to users residing in restricted areas, including New York state,” the company clarified. It also emphasized that World Assets and the World Foundation are not responsible for how WLD is listed or traded on external exchanges.

World Mini Apps Cross 100 Million Downloads

The Polymarket integration comes shortly after World surpassed 100 million Mini App downloads in early October. The milestone reflects a rapid expansion of third-party apps hosted inside the World App since the Mini App feature launched in late 2024.

Mini Apps are lightweight web applications built directly into the World App ecosystem, offering users decentralized tools and financial services in one place. By March 2025, World had onboarded over 150 Mini Apps, with transactions in WLD totaling more than 10 million tokens—worth roughly $8.8 million at the time.

The company also reported having 14 million verified unique human users across 160 countries, and a total of 30 million registered users worldwide. The verification process relies on World ID, which aims to distinguish human users from bots through biometric and cryptographic proof of personhood.

Prediction Markets Hit Record $2 Billion in Trading Volume

The timing of the integration coincides with an explosive surge in prediction market activity. According to Dune Analytics data, weekly trading volumes across major prediction platforms exceeded $2 billion for the first time in mid-October.

Polymarket led the market with 52.3% of total activity, while its U.S.-regulated rival Kalshi accounted for about 47%, or $950 million in volume. The two platforms have emerged as dominant players in a sector that blends financial speculation with real-world events—ranging from elections and sports outcomes to economic indicators and cultural trends.

Institutional interest in the space is also climbing. On October 7, Polymarket secured a $2 billion investment from the Intercontinental Exchange, the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange. Three days later, Kalshi announced a $300 million fundraising round led by Sequoia Capital and Andreessen Horowitz, alongside plans to expand into 100 new markets globally.

A New Phase for Digital Identity and Market Speculation

World’s integration of Polymarket marks an intersection of decentralized identity and blockchain-based finance. For World, it extends the utility of its app beyond identity verification and remittances, giving users a new on-chain use case for their digital wallets.

For Polymarket, the move opens access to millions of potential users already verified within World’s system—users who can now engage with prediction markets using compliant credentials and crypto assets.

As both platforms navigate regulatory complexities and global rollout challenges, their collaboration reflects a broader trend in crypto: the merging of identity, finance, and user-driven applications into unified ecosystems.

The World-Polymarket tie-up may be one of the clearest signs yet that blockchain platforms are evolving beyond trading and speculation, moving toward integrated digital economies powered by user identity and global participation.