Blockchain.com Launches SnapMarkets With 30-Second BTC Rounds

Blockchain.com launched SnapMarkets on May 6, a platform where users bet on whether bitcoin's price rises or falls in 30-second windows, with stakes starting at $1. The release arrives as Polymarket and Kalshi recorded combined notional trading volume close to $24 billion in April 2026.

SnapMarkets just went live – Web Snack covers the crypto products and regulatory moves reshaping how traders interact with bitcoin. Subscribe to stay ahead.

How a $24 Billion Prediction Market Surge Brought Blockchain.com In

Prediction markets spent most of the early 2020s fighting the CFTC. That changed in May 2025 when the agency dropped its appeal in the Kalshi election-contract case and began offering the sector more tailored guidance instead of enforcement actions.

The shift unlocked a wave of new products. Robinhood Predictions, Crypto.com's OG.com, and Kalshi all expanded into prediction-style offerings over the past year. Combined notional trading volume for Polymarket and Kalshi approached $24 billion in April 2026 alone, up from under $500 million monthly as recently as mid-2024.

Blockchain.com – a wallet and exchange with more than a decade of operating history, founded in 2011 – entered that space on Wednesday with SnapMarkets, its first dedicated prediction product.

SnapMarkets: 30-Second BTC Rounds, $1 Minimum, No Access for US or UK Users

Users pick a direction on bitcoin's price, set a stake, and wait for a 30-second round to close. The minimum bet is $1. Blockchain.com refers to SnapMarkets as a "skill-based market," not a gambling or derivatives product.

The platform includes live chat, a real-time BTC price feed, streak tracking, and a global leaderboard. Users can connect a Blockchain.com wallet or any DeFi-compatible wallet; new accounts receive a non-custodial wallet by default.

SnapMarkets is not available to users in the US or UK. A Blockchain.com spokesperson told CoinDesk that additional market formats are planned, though no timeline was given.

The Binary Options Comparison That Complicates SnapMarkets' Regulatory Path

SnapMarkets closely resembles binary options – yes/no price bets settled over a short time frame. Binary options are banned for retail users in the EU and UK, two of the largest potential markets for a Blockchain.com product.

The company rejected the comparison directly. A spokesperson described SnapMarkets as a "simple, transparent" way to engage with short-term crypto price movements, "not as traditional derivatives products." Whether regulators accept that framing is unclear.

The broader industry faces similar scrutiny. State gambling authorities have challenged Kalshi, Robinhood, Crypto.com, Polymarket, and Coinbase over their prediction products. The CFTC sued Wisconsin in April as part of an effort to defend federal jurisdiction over event contracts. SnapMarkets sidesteps the most active US conflict zones by blocking domestic users, but the global regulatory picture for binary-style products remains unsettled.

More Formats Ahead as Kalshi and Polymarket Race Into Crypto Derivatives

Blockchain.com has confirmed additional market formats are coming without specifying what or when. Crypto price rounds are likely just the first product within SnapMarkets, not its full scope.

Competition is accelerating. Kalshi launched perpetual futures in late April 2026 under its CFTC-licensed exchange. Polymarket followed days later. Both moves signal that prediction platforms are expanding beyond event-based contracts into continuous, open-ended derivatives trading.

SnapMarkets occupies a different product space – high-frequency rounds that resolve in seconds rather than open positions. Whether the format builds a distinct user base or overlaps directly with established platforms will depend on geographic rollout and how the regulatory environment for short-duration price contracts evolves.

Prediction markets are moving fast and the regulatory lines keep shifting. Web Snack tracks the moves that matter – the products, the rulings, and what they mean for your portfolio.

P.S. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Always conduct your own research and make independent decisions.