NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Durning 2026 Consensus Hong Kong, CertiK, the largest Web3 security services provider, recently announced the release of its 2026 Skynet Prediction Markets Report, an in-depth analysis of the prediction markets sector, following a year of rapid expansion, increased security exposure, and evolving regulatory scrutiny worldwide.

Prediction Markets Enter the Mainstream

According to the report, prediction markets experienced a breakout year in 2025, with annual trading volume increasing fourfold. Market activity increasingly consolidated around a small group of dominant platforms, with Kalshi, Polymarket, and Opinion accounting for the majority of global volume. Each platform has adopted distinct regulatory strategies and technical architectures as the sector matures.

Leaderboard: Top 10 Projects

The following assessment is based on CertiK's Skynet Top Board evaluation framework. Unlike conventional rankings that primarily rely on market capitalization or trading volume, the Skynet Top Board focuses on a project's overall risk profile and long-term resilience within a specific sector. It evaluates a broad set of signals—including code security, fundamental health, operational resilience, community trust, governance strength, and market stability—to help distinguish projects that not only perform well in the short term, but also demonstrate the structural strength needed for sustainable, long-term growth.

1. Kalshi
2. Polymarket
3. Opinion
4. Drift Protocol
5. Predict.fun
6. Myriad.markets
7. Limitless
8. Probable
9. Azuro
10. worm.wtf

Security Risks Emerge Alongside Growth

CertiK’s analysis underscores that accelerated adoption has introduced new security challenges. In December 2025, a third-party authentication provider used by Polymarket was compromised, demonstrating how hybrid Web2/Web3 system designs can introduce centralized points of failure, even when core smart contracts remain secure. The report also notes that on-chain prediction markets continue to face persistent threats, including oracle manipulation, administrative key vulnerabilities, and front-running risks.

Artificial Volume Distorts Market Signals

Research cited in the report estimates that artificial trading volume reached up to 60% on some platforms during periods of airdrop-driven incentives. While this activity distorted liquidity signals and overall market activity, CertiK observed that probability outputs across leading platforms generally remained reliable for forecasting real-world outcomes.

Regulatory Progress and Fragmentation

On the regulatory side, the report highlights a landmark development in the United States, following Kalshi’s successful challenge before the U.S. CFTC, which established prediction markets as legal financial products at the federal level. However, regulatory conditions remain uneven globally. Multiple European Union countries have banned Polymarket as unauthorized gambling, while emerging state-level restrictions in the U.S. risk creating a fragmented compliance landscape.

Outlook for 2026

Looking ahead, CertiK identifies prediction markets as important infrastructure for pricing uncertainty across financial, political, and economic domains. The report anticipates that, in 2026, additional jurisdictions will formally recognize prediction markets, privacy-enhancing technologies will advance, and institutional participation will expand.

Full report (EN): https://indd.adobe.com/view/c5e0e901-0d7d-471b-80be-ec82d0d88048
Skynet Top Board：https://skynet.certik.com/top-boards/top-10-prediction-market-projects

Media contact
Elisa Yiting Xu

yiting.xu@certik.com