Anonymous crypto gambler made $436,000 on Maduro capture [View all]

Source: BBC

A gambler made nearly half a million dollars on the capture of Venezuela's president just before it was officially announced, raising questions about whether someone profited from inside knowledge of the US operation. Wagers on Polymarket, a crypto-powered platform, that Nicolás Maduro would be out of power by the end of January rose in the hours before President Donald Trump announced on Saturday the Venezuelan leader had been seized.

One account, which joined the platform last month and took four positions, all on Venezuela, made more than $436,000 (£322,000) from a $32,537 bet. It remains unclear who placed the bet. The anonymous account had a blockchain identifier of letters and numbers. Polymarket data shows traders put the odds of Maduro's exit at just 6.5% in the afternoon of Friday 2 January.

But they had jumped to 11% by shortly before midnight and surged in the early hours of 3 January, indicating a sudden change in positions just before Trump posted on Truth Social that Maduro was in US custody. Polymarket did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Dennis Kelleher, chief executive at Better Markets, a non-partisan group that advocates for financial reform, told the BBC's US partner CBS: "This particular bet has all the hallmarks of a trade based on inside information."

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2gn93292do