Vitalik: Prediction markets are the "third type of information system" after media and social networks

At today's #ETHShanghai 2025 Summit, Vitalik had a roundtable discussion with Xiao Feng, Chairman of Wanxiang Blockchain.

Vitalik Buterin stated that the potential of prediction markets goes far beyond investment tools; they could become the "third type of media" in the social cognition system.

He cited Polymarket during the US election as an example, pointing out that many intellectuals who were originally critical of crypto also learned about the real impact of events through prediction markets. "When I saw this kind of cross-community usage, I realized—this is a real success."

Vitalik believes that prediction markets can filter out the biases present in traditional and social media, allowing prices to become the most authentic signals.

In the future, with the involvement of AI, prediction markets will expand from macro events to micro interactions, such as predicting the popularity of an article.