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Polymarket resolution cheat sheet

Polymarket markets resolve through UMA's optimistic oracle: someone proposes the result with a bond, anyone can dispute it within two hours, and a second dispute goes to a vote of UMA token holders that takes about 48 hours. In practice the typical market settles 3.5 h after its end date. Rules, clarifications, 50-50 outcomes and the 'Other' option decide the edge cases; this page puts all of it on one printable sheet.

The process

Step	What happens	How long
1. Proposal	After the event, anyone proposes the result and posts a bond (typically $750).	After the end
2. Challenge window	Anyone can dispute by posting a matching bond.	2 hours
3a. No dispute	The proposal stands; winning shares redeem for $1.	About 2 hours after the proposal
3b. First dispute	A new proposal round starts.	Another 2-hour window
4. Second dispute	UMA token holders vote on the answer.	About 48 hours

Summary of Polymarket's resolution documentation: how Polymarket markets resolve.

How long it takes in practice

In our sample of 2,735 resolved markets that closed between 2025-09-25 and 2026-09-24: the typical market settled 3.5 h after its scheduled end, 93% within a day and 98% within a week. Disputed markets took a median of 4.0 days. 3.6% of UMA resolutions were disputed, and 20% of markets resolved early because the event happened before the end date.

Category	Markets	Median after end	Disputed	Resolved early
Sports	2,076	3.2 h	0.0%	10%
Politics & Elections	340	27.9 h	20.8%	42%
Crypto	178	2.7 h	5.1%	64%
Economy & Fed	56	23.2 h	3.6%	66%

Re-collected weekly: how long Polymarket takes to resolve.

Edge cases

Rules decide, not the title. The rules name the event and the resolution source; read them before trading.
Clarifications. Polymarket can add context to an ambiguous question; it cannot change the question's intent. More
50-50. A market that cannot be decided can resolve 50-50: each Yes and No share pays $0.50.
"Other". In some multi-outcome markets "Other" wins when the answer is not on the list. More
Early resolution. "By a date" questions resolve as soon as the event happens, before the end date.

Frequently asked questions

How does Polymarket decide who won?

Through UMA's optimistic oracle: a proposer posts the result with a bond, and if nobody disputes it within two hours the market resolves; disputes go to a new round and then to a UMA token-holder vote.

How long does Polymarket take to pay out?

Undisputed markets settle about two hours after a proposal; disputed ones take days. Our sample's median is 3.5 h after the scheduled end.

What happens if a market is canceled?

If the event cannot be decided under the rules, the market can resolve 50-50: each Yes and each No share pays $0.50.

Free to share and print under CC BY 4.0 with a link to this page. Companion sheets: odds cheat sheet · trade checklist. Polymarket View is independent and not affiliated with Polymarket; not financial advice.