When the Prediction Market Shifts from 'Predicting' to 'Revealing the Truth': Delphi Officially Launches Prediction Market Coverage

By: blockbeats|2025/12/22 12:00:01
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For a long time, we have understood prediction markets as a very “rational” activity: people bet on the future based on public information, and market prices reflect consensus. However, over the past year, we have increasingly realized one thing: many prediction markets are not about “predicting the future” but about preemptively exposing those “results already known to a few.”

When an outcome is already certain but not yet public, the prediction market becomes an extremely brutal entity: it doesn't need leaks, anonymous tips, or even a single word. The flow of funds itself is the leak.

The Prediction Market is Changing the Nature of “Secrecy”:

Imagine a few scenarios:

· A hit TV show has finished filming, will the main character die?

· The selection process for a gaming award has mostly concluded, but the results are not yet announced

· An AI company is about to release crucial product or acquisition news

· Regulatory outcomes for a Crypto protocol, listing times, governance vote direction

In the traditional world, these are called “inside information.” But with the advent of prediction markets, they face a new challenge: as long as someone knows and can place a bet, it is challenging for the secret to avoid market capture. You don't need to know “who said what,” you just need to look at:

· Which options are disproportionately staked

· Which addresses are consistently betting at key times

· Which accounts repeatedly “correctly bet early” in similar events

This is not a conspiracy theory; it is a natural outcome of probability and incentives.

From “Content Reporting” to “Result Stress Testing”

This is also why we are starting to rethink the traditional news model. The previous content logic was: event occurs → a few know → report (publish) → public knows

However, the prediction market brings another path: event occurs → someone knows → someone bets → price starts to deviate → the world already “knew in advance”

There is even a more extreme path: event occurs → someone knows → someone bets → price starts to deviate → leading to a change in the event

Regarding this path, I can provide a classic example: at the end of Coinbase's (Nasdaq: COIN) Q3 2025 earnings call, CEO Brian Armstrong said a seemingly offhand remark:

“I got a bit sucked into a prediction market. I've been tracking a prediction market on what we would say on this earnings call... So, I have to get these words in before the call ends: Bitcoin, Ethereum, blockchain, staking, and Web3.”

These words were not random but were part of a prediction market where people bet on whether certain words would be mentioned during this earnings call. After Armstrong said this sentence, the relevant prediction markets settled immediately, and those who bet on the words being spoken correctly profited. Reportedly, there was around $80,000 in bets settled instantly on platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket.

In other words, without these bets, in another parallel universe, Brian Armstrong would have just gone through the earnings call process normally without intentionally saying these words. This is the "reality-distortion field" of prediction markets, where the act of betting itself has the power to alter reality. This phenomenon is common in sports betting, where outcomes are often manipulated due to insider control to favor the least bet-upon option. However, whether it's words spoken during a Coinbase earnings call or a football match, these events have minimal impact on our world. But with platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi growing, these topics will be closer to our everyday lives, and this "reality-distortion field" of prediction markets will increasingly affect our lives.

In the future, content will no longer be the starting point for information but a tool for validation and interpretation. In extreme cases, content can even change reality. This is what the BlockBeats prediction market report is doing: it's not a "prediction market guide" or a mere recounting of what happened on Polymarket and Kalshi.

What we truly care about are three things:

· Which events show odds changes that are not primarily driven by emotion or public information?

· Are there addresses consistently heavily betting on the "winning" outcome before results, with an unusually high historical accuracy rate?

· Do these behaviors point to some "known but undisclosed" facts?

We achieve this through analyzing:

· Topics and option odds in prediction markets

· Bettors' on-chain addresses and their associated behaviors

· Similar betting patterns in past events

to do one thing: treat the prediction market as a "covert stress-tester" rather than a mere opinion poll.

Currently, we are focusing on several key areas:

· Macro policy directions and geopolitics that can impact the capital markets

· AI Industry: Product release timings, acquisitions, key personnel changes

· Crypto Industry: Token Generation Events, regulations, governance outcomes, significant protocol changes

The Future of the Content Industry:

The real challenge of prediction markets is not accuracy, but rather that they are undermining a long-standing default order in the content industry and regulation: only information allowed to be spoken out will become "common knowledge." When everything is open for betting, secrets are will no longer be constrained by institutions, professional ethics, or news censorship but will instead continue to battle against the price discovery mechanism.

In a mild scenario, this means that the endings of TV series, award recipients, and business decisions will be known in advance by the market; while in an extreme scenario, it may even involve war and geopolitical conflicts: people can obtain "military intelligence" level information through bets made by soldiers on the war frontlines, directly influencing the course of the war. When the outcome is already known to a few, and the market allows betting around the outcome, the price itself may become an undeniable signal of reality.

The first time I felt awe towards the financial industry was when I read a story in college about Ray Dalio, the founder of Bridgewater Associates, who had helped McDonald's hedge chicken futures in his early years; in the United States, large restaurant chains almost always hedge their core raw materials synchronously with futures to withstand the drastic price fluctuations, ensuring that consumers can enjoy consistent quality and price-controlled McNuggets at any time. What made me awe-inspiring is not the later achievements of Dalio, but the first time I clearly realized: the original intention of the financial market's birth was never for trading itself, but to make the real world operate more stably and predictably.

The futures market helps people hedge commodity price risks, the stock market helps socially valuable enterprises finance and develop more efficiently; in this process, the participation of traders and speculators provides liquidity, farmers lock in future revenue in advance, and companies obtain a stable cost structure. Although market participants take what they need, the overall system is a long-term positive-sum game.

This also forces us to return to a more fundamental question: when such massive speculative liquidity as Polymarket already exists, is it possible to guide it towards more directions that truly generate positive EV? If an event, once it occurs, will have a significant impact on individuals' lives, assets, or decisions, do we have the opportunity to leverage the liquidity of prediction markets, and even evolve in the form of a combination of multiple markets into an "event insurance"-like product, similar to the "flight delay insurance" we have in our lives now, which, although cannot compensate for our flight delay losses, can provide people with some psychological comfort.

Prediction markets are not challenging a particular media outlet, but are questioning a larger issue: when the world begins to be bet on, who still has the power to decide "what can be known?" and "when can it be known?" We will continue to explore this path. In addition, the BlockBeats Prediction Market Analysis team has also been established, if you also love content and are curious about prediction markets, you are always welcome to join us. (Resumes can be sent to contact@theblockbeats.org or HR telegram @Jhy10vewh0 with the note "Prediction Market") We also welcome startup teams in the prediction market and AI-related fields to discuss with us. BlockBeats is committed to giving excellent startup teams maximum exposure to the best of its ability, contact email contact@theblockbeats.org


Finally, if you would like to receive timely updates on the prediction market news we uncover, you can subscribe on the Lydian APP. After subscribing, you will receive real-time prediction market news via in-app notifications. The specific steps are as shown in the image below (please make sure your APP is up to date).

When the Prediction Market Shifts from 'Predicting' to 'Revealing the Truth': Delphi Officially Launches Prediction Market Coverage

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China's Central Bank and Eight Other Departments' Latest Regulatory Focus: Key Attention to RWA Tokenized Asset Risk


Foreword: Today, the People's Bank of China's website published the "Notice of the People's Bank of China, National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Public Security, State Administration for Market Regulation, China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, China Securities Regulatory Commission, State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Further Preventing and Dealing with Risks Related to Virtual Currency and Others (Yinfa [2026] No. 42)", the latest regulatory requirements from the eight departments including the central bank, which are basically consistent with the regulatory requirements of recent years. The main focus of the regulation is on speculative activities such as virtual currency trading, exchanges, ICOs, overseas platform services, and this time, regulatory oversight of RWA has been added, explicitly prohibiting RWA tokenization, stablecoins (especially those pegged to the RMB). The following is the full text:


To the people's governments of all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps:


  Recently, there have been speculative activities related to virtual currency and Real-World Assets (RWA) tokenization, disrupting the economic and financial order and jeopardizing the property security of the people. In order to further prevent and address the risks related to virtual currency and Real-World Assets tokenization, effectively safeguard national security and social stability, in accordance with the "Law of the People's Republic of China on the People's Bank of China," "Law of the People's Republic of China on Commercial Banks," "Securities Law of the People's Republic of China," "Law of the People's Republic of China on Securities Investment Funds," "Law of the People's Republic of China on Futures and Derivatives," "Cybersecurity Law of the People's Republic of China," "Regulations of the People's Republic of China on the Administration of Renminbi," "Regulations on Prevention and Disposal of Illegal Fundraising," "Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Foreign Exchange Administration," "Telecommunications Regulations of the People's Republic of China," and other provisions, after reaching consensus with the Cyberspace Administration of China, the Supreme People's Court, and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, and with the approval of the State Council, the relevant matters are notified as follows:


  I. Clarify the essential attributes of virtual currency, Real-World Assets tokenization, and related business activities


  (I) Virtual currency does not possess the legal status equivalent to fiat currency. Virtual currencies such as Bitcoin, Ether, Tether, etc., have the main characteristics of being issued by non-monetary authorities, using encryption technology and distributed ledger or similar technology, existing in digital form, etc. They do not have legal tender status, should not and cannot be circulated and used as currency in the market.


  The business activities related to virtual currency are classified as illegal financial activities. The exchange of fiat currency and virtual currency within the territory, exchange of virtual currencies, acting as a central counterparty in buying and selling virtual currencies, providing information intermediary and pricing services for virtual currency transactions, token issuance financing, and trading of virtual currency-related financial products, etc., fall under illegal financial activities, such as suspected illegal issuance of token vouchers, unauthorized public issuance of securities, illegal operation of securities and futures business, illegal fundraising, etc., are strictly prohibited across the board and resolutely banned in accordance with the law. Overseas entities and individuals are not allowed to provide virtual currency-related services to domestic entities in any form.


  A stablecoin pegged to a fiat currency indirectly fulfills some functions of the fiat currency in circulation. Without the consent of relevant authorities in accordance with the law and regulations, any domestic or foreign entity or individual is not allowed to issue a RMB-pegged stablecoin overseas.


(II)Tokenization of Real-World Assets refers to the use of encryption technology and distributed ledger or similar technologies to transform ownership rights, income rights, etc., of assets into tokens (tokens) or other interests or bond certificates with token (token) characteristics, and carry out issuance and trading activities.


  Engaging in the tokenization of real-world assets domestically, as well as providing related intermediary, information technology services, etc., which are suspected of illegal issuance of token vouchers, unauthorized public offering of securities, illegal operation of securities and futures business, illegal fundraising, and other illegal financial activities, shall be prohibited; except for relevant business activities carried out with the approval of the competent authorities in accordance with the law and regulations and relying on specific financial infrastructures. Overseas entities and individuals are not allowed to illegally provide services related to the tokenization of real-world assets to domestic entities in any form.


  II. Sound Work Mechanism


  (III) Inter-agency Coordination. The People's Bank of China, together with the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, the State Administration for Market Regulation, the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, the China Securities Regulatory Commission, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, and other departments, will improve the work mechanism, strengthen coordination with the Cyberspace Administration of China, the Supreme People's Court, and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, coordinate efforts, and overall guide regions to carry out risk prevention and disposal of virtual currency-related illegal financial activities.


  The China Securities Regulatory Commission, together with the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, the People's Bank of China, the State Administration for Market Regulation, the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, and other departments, will improve the work mechanism, strengthen coordination with the Cyberspace Administration of China, the Supreme People's Court, and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, coordinate efforts, and overall guide regions to carry out risk prevention and disposal of illegal financial activities related to the tokenization of real-world assets.


  (IV) Strengthening Local Implementation. The people's governments at the provincial level are overall responsible for the prevention and disposal of risks related to virtual currencies and the tokenization of real-world assets in their respective administrative regions. The specific leading department is the local financial regulatory department, with participation from branches and dispatched institutions of the State Council's financial regulatory department, telecommunications regulators, public security, market supervision, and other departments, in coordination with cyberspace departments, courts, and procuratorates, to improve the normalization of the work mechanism, effectively connect with the relevant work mechanisms of central departments, form a cooperative and coordinated working pattern between central and local governments, effectively prevent and properly handle risks related to virtual currencies and the tokenization of real-world assets, and maintain economic and financial order and social stability.


  III. Strengthened Risk Monitoring, Prevention, and Disposal


  (5) Enhanced Risk Monitoring. The People's Bank of China, China Securities Regulatory Commission, National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Public Security, State Administration of Foreign Exchange, Cyberspace Administration of China, and other departments continue to improve monitoring techniques and system support, enhance cross-departmental data analysis and sharing, establish sound information sharing and cross-validation mechanisms, promptly grasp the risk situation of activities related to virtual currency and real-world asset tokenization. Local governments at all levels give full play to the role of local monitoring and early warning mechanisms. Local financial regulatory authorities, together with branches and agencies of the State Council's financial regulatory authorities, as well as departments of cyberspace and public security, ensure effective connection between online monitoring, offline investigation, and fund tracking, efficiently and accurately identify activities related to virtual currency and real-world asset tokenization, promptly share risk information, improve early warning information dissemination, verification, and rapid response mechanisms.


  (6) Strengthened Oversight of Financial Institutions, Intermediaries, and Technology Service Providers. Financial institutions (including non-bank payment institutions) are prohibited from providing account opening, fund transfer, and clearing services for virtual currency-related business activities, issuing and selling financial products related to virtual currency, including virtual currency and related financial products in the scope of collateral, conducting insurance business related to virtual currency, or including virtual currency in the scope of insurance liability. Financial institutions (including non-bank payment institutions) are prohibited from providing custody, clearing, and settlement services for unauthorized real-world asset tokenization-related business and related financial products. Relevant intermediary institutions and information technology service providers are prohibited from providing intermediary, technical, or other services for unauthorized real-world asset tokenization-related businesses and related financial products.


  (7) Enhanced Management of Internet Information Content and Access. Internet enterprises are prohibited from providing online business venues, commercial displays, marketing, advertising, or paid traffic diversion services for virtual currency and real-world asset tokenization-related business activities. Upon discovering clues of illegal activities, they should promptly report to relevant departments and provide technical support and assistance for related investigations and inquiries. Based on the clues transferred by the financial regulatory authorities, the cyberspace administration, telecommunications authorities, and public security departments should promptly close and deal with websites, mobile applications (including mini-programs), and public accounts engaged in virtual currency and real-world asset tokenization-related business activities in accordance with the law.


  (8) Strengthened Entity Registration and Advertisement Management. Market supervision departments strengthen entity registration and management, and enterprise and individual business registrations must not contain terms such as "virtual currency," "virtual asset," "cryptocurrency," "crypto asset," "stablecoin," "real-world asset tokenization," or "RWA" in their names or business scopes. Market supervision departments, together with financial regulatory authorities, legally enhance the supervision of advertisements related to virtual currency and real-world asset tokenization, promptly investigating and handling relevant illegal advertisements.


  (IX) Continued Rectification of Virtual Currency Mining Activities. The National Development and Reform Commission, together with relevant departments, strictly controls virtual currency mining activities, continuously promotes the rectification of virtual currency mining activities. The people's governments of various provinces take overall responsibility for the rectification of "mining" within their respective administrative regions. In accordance with the requirements of the National Development and Reform Commission and other departments in the "Notice on the Rectification of Virtual Currency Mining Activities" (NDRC Energy-saving Building [2021] No. 1283) and the provisions of the "Guidance Catalog for Industrial Structure Adjustment (2024 Edition)," a comprehensive review, investigation, and closure of existing virtual currency mining projects are conducted, new mining projects are strictly prohibited, and mining machine production enterprises are strictly prohibited from providing mining machine sales and other services within the country.


  (X) Severe Crackdown on Related Illegal Financial Activities. Upon discovering clues to illegal financial activities related to virtual currency and the tokenization of real-world assets, local financial regulatory authorities, branches of the State Council's financial regulatory authorities, and other relevant departments promptly investigate, determine, and properly handle the issues in accordance with the law, and seriously hold the relevant entities and individuals legally responsible. Those suspected of crimes are transferred to the judicial authorities for processing according to the law.


 (XI) Severe Crackdown on Related Illegal and Criminal Activities. The Ministry of Public Security, the People's Bank of China, the State Administration for Market Regulation, the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, the China Securities Regulatory Commission, as well as judicial and procuratorial organs, in accordance with their respective responsibilities, rigorously crack down on illegal and criminal activities related to virtual currency, the tokenization of real-world assets, such as fraud, money laundering, illegal business operations, pyramid schemes, illegal fundraising, and other illegal and criminal activities carried out under the guise of virtual currency, the tokenization of real-world assets, etc.


  (XII) Strengthen Industry Self-discipline. Relevant industry associations should enhance membership management and policy advocacy, based on their own responsibilities, advocate and urge member units to resist illegal financial activities related to virtual currency and the tokenization of real-world assets. Member units that violate regulatory policies and industry self-discipline rules are to be disciplined in accordance with relevant self-regulatory management regulations. By leveraging various industry infrastructure, conduct risk monitoring related to virtual currency, the tokenization of real-world assets, and promptly transfer issue clues to relevant departments.


  IV. Strict Supervision of Domestic Entities Engaging in Overseas Business Activities


(XIII) Without the approval of relevant departments in accordance with the law and regulations, domestic entities and foreign entities controlled by them may not issue virtual currency overseas.


  (XIV) Domestic entities engaging directly or indirectly in overseas external debt-based tokenization of real-world assets, or conducting asset securitization activities abroad based on domestic ownership rights, income rights, etc. (hereinafter referred to as domestic equity), should be strictly regulated in accordance with the principles of "same business, same risk, same rules." The National Development and Reform Commission, the China Securities Regulatory Commission, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, and other relevant departments regulate it according to their respective responsibilities. For other forms of overseas real-world asset tokenization activities based on domestic equity by domestic entities, the China Securities Regulatory Commission, together with relevant departments, supervise according to their division of responsibilities. Without the consent and filing of relevant departments, no unit or individual may engage in the above-mentioned business.


  (15) Overseas subsidiaries and branches of domestic financial institutions providing Real World Asset Tokenization-related services overseas shall do so legally and prudently. They shall have professional personnel and systems in place to effectively mitigate business risks, strictly implement customer onboarding, suitability management, anti-money laundering requirements, and incorporate them into the domestic financial institutions' compliance and risk management system. Intermediaries and information technology service providers offering Real World Asset Tokenization services abroad based on domestic equity or conducting Real World Asset Tokenization business in the form of overseas debt for domestic entities directly or indirectly venturing abroad must strictly comply with relevant laws and regulations. They should establish and improve relevant compliance and internal control systems in accordance with relevant normative requirements, strengthen business and risk control, and report the business developments to the relevant regulatory authorities for approval or filing.


  V. Strengthen Organizational Implementation


  (16) Strengthen organizational leadership and overall coordination. All departments and regions should attach great importance to the prevention of risks related to virtual currencies and Real World Asset Tokenization, strengthen organizational leadership, clarify work responsibilities, form a long-term effective working mechanism with centralized coordination, local implementation, and shared responsibilities, maintain high pressure, dynamically monitor risks, effectively prevent and mitigate risks in an orderly and efficient manner, legally protect the property security of the people, and make every effort to maintain economic and financial order and social stability.


  (17) Widely carry out publicity and education. All departments, regions, and industry associations should make full use of various media and other communication channels to disseminate information through legal and policy interpretation, analysis of typical cases, and education on investment risks, etc. They should promote the illegality and harm of virtual currencies and Real World Asset Tokenization-related businesses and their manifestations, fully alert to potential risks and hidden dangers, and enhance public awareness and identification capabilities for risk prevention.


  VI. Legal Responsibility


  (18) Engaging in illegal financial activities related to virtual currencies and Real World Asset Tokenization in violation of this notice, as well as providing services for virtual currencies and Real World Asset Tokenization-related businesses, shall be punished in accordance with relevant regulations. If it constitutes a crime, criminal liability shall be pursued according to the law. For domestic entities and individuals who knowingly or should have known that overseas entities illegally provided virtual currency or Real World Asset Tokenization-related services to domestic entities and still assisted them, relevant responsibilities shall be pursued according to the law. If it constitutes a crime, criminal liability shall be pursued according to the law.


  (19) If any unit or individual invests in virtual currencies, Real World Asset Tokens, and related financial products against public order and good customs, the relevant civil legal actions shall be invalid, and any resulting losses shall be borne by them. If there are suspicions of disrupting financial order and jeopardizing financial security, the relevant departments shall deal with them according to the law.


  This notice shall enter into force upon the date of its issuance. The People's Bank of China and ten other departments' "Notice on Further Preventing and Dealing with the Risks of Virtual Currency Trading Speculation" (Yinfa [2021] No. 237) is hereby repealed.


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