Polymarket will open a free food store - ForkLog: cryptocurrencies, AI, singularity, the future

# Polymarket Opens Free Grocery Store

Kalshi held a similar event

On February 3, the prediction platform Polymarket announced the launch of the “first free grocery store in New York” called The Polymarket

After months of planning, we’re excited to announce ‘The Polymarket’ is coming to New York City.

New York’s first free grocery store.

We signed the lease. And we donated $1 million to Food Bank For NYC — an organization that changes how our city responds to hunger. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/BGMCWUMz8n

— Polymarket (@Polymarket) February 3, 2026

“Free groceries. Free markets. Created for the people who move New York forward,” — wrote the platform team

The platform also donated $1 million to Food Bank for NYC to help people with limited access to food across all five boroughs.

Polymarket noted that they had been preparing the grocery store for several months. It will open on February 12 at 12:00 local time. The event will last five days.

Source: X The community responded positively to the platform’s initiative. Some expressed a desire to place their own products in the store. The prediction market team said they will present such an opportunity in the future.

Some users started joking about Polymarket by posting AI-generated images of The Polymarket “a few days after opening”:

Can’t wait to see it look like this pic.twitter.com/sWAB0kWsUu

— FloridaManStan (@FLManStan) February 3, 2026

“Hot Competition”

Kalshi held a similar event at Westside Market, offering $50 worth of groceries to the first 1000 people.

Thousands have already picked up their free Kalshi groceries!

We are being told we’ve already inspired other companies to keep up the initiative!

2 more hours to get yours

Westside Market | 84 3rd Ave. NYC pic.twitter.com/8R11OGODLu

— Kalshi (@Kalshi) February 3, 2026

According to social media reports, the line stretched for several blocks, and 1795 people registered for the event.

Community members criticized the platform, accusing it of stealing the idea from Polymarket

Polymarket had been preparing for this since November and donated $1M and you only $50? This is an attempt to steal the idea pic.twitter.com/Seaguwv041

— Atlantis liquidity (@Atlantislq) February 4, 2026

“Polymarket has been preparing for this since November and donated $1 million, and you only $50? I think this is an attempt to steal the idea,” — said one user

Another user called Kalshi’s initiative “sad,” emphasizing that instead of such a step, the platform could simply have partnered with Polymarket.

New Players

On February 2, Coinbase launched a prediction platform in partnership with Kalshi

Put your money where your mind is.

Trade the Big Game on Coinbase. pic.twitter.com/MFKJpCdP5M

— Coinbase Predict (@CoinbasePredict) February 2, 2026

The news about the new product’s launch first became known in mid-December. Following the announcement, the exchange filed lawsuits against authorities in Michigan, Illinois, and Connecticut. The platform stated that regulation of prediction markets falls under the jurisdiction of the CFTC, not local gambling oversight authorities.

In response, Coinbase itself faced a lawsuit from the Nevada Gaming Control Board. The regulator accused the exchange of organizing unlicensed sports betting.

Meanwhile, Crypto․com has spun off its prediction markets business into a separate platform called OG

Welcome to the new era of social prediction markets with OG. Thrilled to finally unveil what we believe will be the best sports prediction market offering, and the leader of a new way to socially engage with event contracts. Thrilled to see Nick Lundgren taking on the CEO role —…

— Kris | Crypto.com (@kris) February 3, 2026

“Over the past six months, we’ve seen a 40-fold weekly growth in our prediction sector. Such growth justifies targeted efforts and the creation of a dedicated platform,” — commented CEO Kris Marsalek

OG operates on the basis of Crypto․com Derivatives North America (CDNA) — a CFTC-registered exchange and clearinghouse. Currently, the service is only available to users in the USA.

Earlier, the launch of a prediction platform was announced by Hyperliquid, a DEX for trading perpetual futures.

Recall that in early February, liquidity aggregator Jupiter on the Solana blockchain integrated Polymarket.