Is prediction markets the real Web3 narrative in 2026?

Perps made exchanges rich - but prediction markets might be the next breakout “casino.”

Instead of betting on prices, you trade on events: World Cup winners, Fed decisions, elections, macro shocks.
Each outcome is priced as a probability, updated in real time by people putting real money on the line.

That’s why prediction markets often move faster than polls or headlines - money acts as a truth filter.

This space is heating up fast:

• 2026 is widely called the first real year of prediction markets
• Some estimate future annual volume could exceed $500B
• CZ has publicly backed prediction markets as financial infrastructure, not just speculation

Centralized exchanges like Robinhood and BitMart have also launched Prediction Markets, covering not only crypto events, but macro politics and sports as well - a clear signal this is going mainstream.

High risk, extreme information asymmetry, and not for everyone, but hard to ignore.

Do you see prediction markets as the next core financial primitive, or just the smartest casino Web3 has built?