Polymarket Cracks Down on VPN Users as Legal Pressure Intensifies in Dozens of Countries

Polymarket has started actively targeting users who rely on VPNs to get around its geoblocking rules. The platform now blocks certain IP addresses tied to VPN services and in some cases asks users to verify their identities, according to a report in The Information . These steps come as the company faces growing legal and regulatory pressure worldwide, including full-on bans in countries such as Spain and Indonesia. Meanwhile, VPN providers themselves are also facing increased regulatory pressure in places like Utah and the United Kingdom. Polymarket’s updated approach combines technical barriers with selective identity checks to stop users from dodging location restrictions. The company reportedly blocks known VPN IP ranges outright and flags accounts that show signs of evasion. Users with unusually large positions or those moving money in rapid, high-value cycles now receive requests to complete identity verification to satisfy anti-money laundering rules. While basic wallet-based trading using the USDC stablecoin on blockchain network Polygon stays open for people in allowed regions, the platform has seemingly shifted away from fully permissionless access as the default, which is a key feature that differentiates the international version of its platform from its main competitor Kalshi. Of course, this trend of more permissioned forms of access is increasingly seen throughout the crypto industry more generally, as much of the associated activity is being built around stablecoins and other points of centralization . Notably, Polymarket keeps its international operations separate from its U.S. arm, which requires complete Know Your Customer compliance after the company acquired a licensed derivatives exchange in 2025. Prior to this acquisition, the prediction markets provider also had a $1.4 million settlement with the CFTC in 2022 for operating unregistered binary options. Geoblocking specific IP addresses serves as a common way to keep people in restricted countr