Melee Raises $3.5M to Launch ‘Viral Prediction Markets’ Without Gatekeepers

23 hours ago

Melee, a caller prediction marketplace startup that says speculation and betting should beryllium arsenic unfastened arsenic online discussion, has raised $3.5 cardinal from Variant, DBA and a radical of angel investors to rotation retired what it calls “Viral Markets.”

Crypto autochthonal companies person witnessed the runaway occurrence of Polymarket, the integer plus betting level that grew to prominence during the U.S. predetermination campaigns. Other caller projects to look see ‘Forecast Markets,’ a benignant of dated futures contracts launched connected Clearmatics’ Autonity blockchain.

Melee, which allows anyone to easy make a marketplace connected anything, sees prediction markets evolving alongside the net similar different types of societal networks, pursuing dimensions similar media type, societal graphs, involvement graphs, and more, VC steadfast Variant said successful an email.

“We spot prediction markets not arsenic a winner-take-all marketplace but arsenic a burgeoning category, overmuch similar societal networks, wherever determination tin beryllium galore winners. Social networks reshaped the mode we make and devour accusation and media,” Variant said.

“Unlike existing platforms that trust connected centralized teams oregon nonrecreational marketplace makers, Melee uses a pricing mechanics that rewards traders for being aboriginal and correct,” Variant added.

The plan besides aims to pull creators. Influencers, podcasters oregon streamers tin unfastened markets tied to their audience’s interests and gain gross from trading enactment without taking connected reputational risk. A fictional illustration mightiness beryllium a streamer launching a marketplace connected whether a blockbuster video crippled merchandise volition deed its people date, allowing fans to speculate straight alongside the conversation.

For traders, the entreaty lies successful asymmetric upside. Entering a marketplace aboriginal means little costs of exposure, and payouts emergence arsenic much participants articulation and the result becomes clearer.

The project’s squad includes veterans of Solana, Avalanche, Monad, SIG, Microsoft and Amazon. The semipermanent vision, according to the announcement, is to make “humanity’s level for valuing beliefs,” wherever millions of markets continuously bespeak shifting taste sentiment successful existent time.

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