P2P.me, a blockchain payments platform that facilitates peer-to-peer crypto transactions and recently launched its own token, has drawn scrutiny after admitting to trading on a Polymarket prediction contract tied to its fundraising outcome before publicly opening its investment round.
P2P.me’s trade fuels transparency concerns
The controversy emerged when P2P.me revealed it had liquidated a position on Polymarket regarding its own ability to reach a $6 million fundraising goal. The company stated the wagers were placed through an account named “P2P Team,” using foundation funds, ten days before the investment round was officially announced.
At the time of the trade, P2P.me had already received an oral commitment for $3 million from the investment firm Multicoin. Some legal commentators questioned whether this constituted material non-public information that should not have been used for trading purposes, even as P2P.me maintained that the absence of signed documents left the outcome in doubt.
Describing the act as an effort to signal transparency and confidence in its own project, P2P.me admitted to an initial lack of full disclosure while maintaining there was no intent to mislead. The platform underscored its attempt to communicate openly with the community after taking time to understand the legal aspects of the situation.
“We named the account ‘P2P Team’ deliberately – to give a marketing signal of our presence to the community and reflect our intent to be transparent. But intent isn’t the same as action. Not disclosing at the time was a mistake we own. We took time to study the legal implications before speaking, which is why we stayed silent until now with a ‘No Comments’ stance! – that too is a fair criticism,” P2P.me explained.
Industry response and broader sector impact
P2P.me ultimately raised $5.2 million from outside backers, leading to the closure of its Polymarket position at $35,212 for a net gain of approximately $14,700 from an initial stake of $20,500.
The incident has divided opinions within the crypto sector. Some investors and founders described the move as a poorly-conceived marketing effort rather than a deliberate attempt at financial abuse. Simon Dedic, co-founder of crypto investment firm Moonrock Capital and investor in P2P.me, stood by the team’s character, arguing it was meant to showcase their own belief in the project’s fundraising prospects.
“No one with any common sense would risk a $6 million raise over $15,000. The idea was to show such strong conviction in the sale that they’d even bet on themselves. This is exactly why they intentionally named the account ‘P2P team.’ Otherwise, you’d have to argue they’re the most incompetent insider traders of all time,” Dedic remarked.
Facing mounting criticism ahead of its planned token generation event, P2P.me pledged to direct all profits from the trades to the MetaDAO Treasury and clarified that MetaDAO, a decentralized autonomous organization involved in blockchain development, had not been aware of the trades in advance.
The case has surfaced on the backdrop of rapid growth in blockchain-based prediction markets. According to a sector analysis from TRM Labs, transaction volumes on decentralized prediction platforms climbed sharply from $1.2 billion in early 2025 to over $20 billion by January 2026.
Growing interest in prediction markets has intensified regulatory discussions, leading platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi to introduce enhanced surveillance measures aimed at limiting insider trading and boosting compliance with financial laws.
