Polymarket has named former Goldman Sachs partner Lisa Mantil as its new head of institutional growth, a move aimed at drawing Wall Street liquidity into prediction markets. Mantil spent nearly three decades at Goldman Sachs, most recently serving as a partner and global head of the firm’s ETF accelerator, which helped clients bring new investment products to market.
Polymarket founder and CEO Shayne Coplan said Mantil’s Wall Street network made her the right choice, while Mantil described the role as a chance to “help shape an exploding asset class at an inflection point in its development.” The hire follows the appointment of former Amazon, Delta Air Lines, and Nielsen executive Warren Jenson as chief financial officer.
The company launched its US-regulated exchange in May 2026 and is valued at approximately $21 billion after a $1 billion raise from investors including 1789 Capital and Intercontinental Exchange. To attract large traders, Polymarket is also expanding institutional trading tools. Rival platform Kalshi completed the prediction market sector’s first block trade in April, and Polymarket’s international order books added similar privately negotiated block trading about a month later.
However, the appointment comes as regulators and lawmakers step up scrutiny. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has three open investigations into Polymarket contracts this year, covering positions tied to former President Joseph Biden’s pardons, Iran-related event contracts, and Google-themed contracts traded in July. The House Oversight Committee is also examining prediction market activity amid concerns over possible insider trading. Polymarket says it faces no direct accusations, has referred dozens of flagged accounts to the Department of Justice, and uses surveillance software designed by a former FBI official.
Research from the Anti-Corruption Data Collective identified 152 accounts connected to war markets that made about $8 million in profits with a 97% win rate. According to the Project On Government Oversight, a US service member faces charges for allegedly using classified information to earn more than $400,000 on a Polymarket trade.
State-level pressure is also rising. New York Attorney General Letitia James and Governor Kathy Hochul have sued Polymarket, calling it an unlicensed gambling operation, while Polymarket has countersued in federal court, arguing the CFTC holds jurisdiction. The New York State legislature is reviewing the ORACLE Act, which would bar users under 21 and restrict certain event-based trading categories. In Washington, POGO is asking the Senate Armed Services Committee to amend the fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act to prohibit all Department of Defense trading on prediction market platforms.
