Legal tracker / U.S. v. Van Dyke (alleged insider trading on Polymarket)
Case · as of Oct 15, 2026
U.S. v. Van Dyke (alleged insider trading on Polymarket)
Pending Charged — motion to dismiss argued, under advisement
An active-duty U.S. Army service member is accused of using classified information about 'Operation Absolute Resolve,' the operation targeting Nicolás Maduro, to buy Polymarket 'Yes' shares between Dec. 30, 2025 and Jan. 2, 2026, profiting by more than $404,000. Prosecutors unsealed an indictment and the CFTC filed parallel civil charges the same day; secondary sources describe it as the first criminal prosecution for prediction-market insider trading. He pleaded not guilty and a tentative Dec. 7, 2026 trial date was set. He moved to dismiss, arguing the Polymarket contracts are not swaps; prosecutors opposed on Aug. 19, 2026, and in a Sept. 30 letter to Judge Margaret Garnett argued binary event contracts are swaps because they could hedge financial consequences. Judge Garnett heard argument on Oct. 7, 2026, questioning the legal basis for applying commodities and fraud laws to the trades, and took the motions under advisement without ruling.
Case record last checked against its sources on Oct 8, 2026.
| Case | United States v. Van Dyke; CFTC v. Van Dyke |
| Court | U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York |
| Filed | Apr 23, 2026 |
| Type | Criminal |
| Companies | Polymarket |
| Other side | U.S. Attorney's Office for the S.D.N.Y. and the CFTC v. Gannon Ken Van Dyke |
| Last action | Oct 7, 2026: Oral argument on the motions to dismiss; Judge Garnett took them under advisement. |
| Next date | : Ruling on the motions to dismiss; tentative Dec. 7, 2026 trial date. |
History
Newest first.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| Oct 7, 2026 | Motions to dismiss argued; taken under advisement. |
| Sep 30, 2026 | DOJ letter argued binary event contracts are swaps. |
| Aug 19, 2026 | Prosecutors opposed the motion to dismiss. |
| Jun 8, 2026 | Not-guilty plea; tentative Dec. 7, 2026 trial date reported. |
| Apr 23, 2026 | Criminal and CFTC civil charges announced. |
Sources
U.S. v. Van Dyke (alleged insider trading on Polymarket): questions
What is the status of U.S. v. Van Dyke (alleged insider trading on Polymarket)?
Charged — motion to dismiss argued, under advisement. An active-duty U.S. Army service member is accused of using classified information about 'Operation Absolute Resolve,' the operation targeting Nicolás Maduro, to buy Polymarket 'Yes' shares between Dec. 30, 2025 and Jan. 2, 2026, profiting by more than $404,000. Prosecutors unsealed an indictment and the CFTC filed parallel civil charges the same day; secondary sources describe it as the first criminal prosecution for prediction-market insider trading. He pleaded not guilty and a tentative Dec. 7, 2026 trial date was set. He moved to dismiss, arguing the Polymarket contracts are not swaps; prosecutors opposed on Aug. 19, 2026, and in a Sept. 30 letter to Judge Margaret Garnett argued binary event contracts are swaps because they could hedge financial consequences. Judge Garnett heard argument on Oct. 7, 2026, questioning the legal basis for applying commodities and fraud laws to the trades, and took the motions under advisement without ruling.
What happened most recently in U.S. v. Van Dyke (alleged insider trading on Polymarket)?
Oct 7, 2026: Oral argument on the motions to dismiss; Judge Garnett took them under advisement.
What is the next date in U.S. v. Van Dyke (alleged insider trading on Polymarket)?
: Ruling on the motions to dismiss; tentative Dec. 7, 2026 trial date.
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