Nobel Peace Prize Betting on Polymarket Faces Scrutiny: Report

Norwegian authorities have reportedly initiated an investigation regarding bets on prediction platforms concerning 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, suspecting potential espionage.

As per a Bloomberg report published on Monday, the Norwegian Nobel Institute, which aids the Nobel Committee in selecting recipients of the peace prize, has begun investigating reports of a surge in bets on the prediction platform Polymarket just hours before Machado was announced as the winner.

Officials are still exploring whether someone had “manipulated information to profit significantly,” according to the institute’s director, Kristian Berg Harpviken.

Data from Polymarket indicates that one user by the name “dirtycup” earned over $30,000 following approximately $70,000 in bets on Machado. Bloomberg noted that three accounts placing similar bets together profited by around $90,000.

Machado was awarded the peace prize for her advocacy of democracy in Venezuela as a human rights activist. In 2024, she referred to Bitcoin (BTC) as “a lifeline” amidst hyperinflation, noting that some citizens utilized it “to safeguard their wealth and to fund their escape.”

Related: MetaMask to enable users to bet on politics, sports via Polymarket

Since its launch in 2020, Polymarket has emerged as a platform for numerous crypto enthusiasts to stake bets on a variety of events, including the Nobel Prize and popular musical albums. Recently, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, invested $2 billion in Polymarket in anticipation of a US launch.

Targeted by media and US regulators

Prediction markets have recently faced criticism from the animated series South Park, which lampooned platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi, alongside the US regulators overseeing them. Ironically, several predictions featured on the show ultimately found their way onto Polymarket.