Nothing says “bet on geopolitics with us” quite like a free bag of groceries. Kalshi and Polymarket, the two biggest names in prediction markets, decided the best way to onboard new users in early February was to feed them first.
Kalshi kicked things off on February 3 with a one-day event at Westside Market in Manhattan’s East Village, offering $50 in free groceries per person from noon to 3 p.m. The stunt drew over 1,000 participants and, presumably, some very long lines for anyone who just wanted to buy milk.
A grocery store arms race
Polymarket was not about to let its competitor have the spotlight. Nine days later, on February 12, the crypto-native platform launched “The Polymarket,” a multi-day pop-up grocery store in New York City.
Polymarket paired its pop-up with a $1 million donation to the Food Bank for New York City. That’s a substantial escalation from Kalshi’s $50-per-person offer.
