Finance volume surges as sports cools

Finance prediction-market volume increased 143% to $57M, while economics climbed 113% to $4.8M, in the update published Oct 13, 2026 at 7:24 AM ET. Both categories grew faster than crypto, which gained 14% to $387M.

Finance accelerates as sports cools

The update describes sports activity as cooling but provides no sports volume or percentage change. That limits any comparison between the sports slowdown and gains in the other categories.

Crypto remained substantially larger than finance and economics by reported volume, despite its slower percentage growth. The figures therefore show a distinction between the fastest-growing categories and the largest of the three.

According to defirate.com, its volume reporting counts contracts at their $1 face value and separately lists $24.8B in dollars actually paid. The page also reports $3.2B in the last 24 hours. The supplied material does not specify the comparison period for the category growth rates.

What it means for prediction markets

• Growth and scale tell different stories: Finance’s 143% increase led the reported category gains, but crypto’s $387M volume remained larger.
• Measurement matters: Contract face value and dollars actually paid are distinct measures and should not be treated as interchangeable.
• The sports comparison is incomplete: Without sports figures or a stated category comparison period, the update does not establish how much activity shifted between sectors.