Polymarket hires former Goldman Sachs executive to draw institutional liquidity

Polymarket announced Monday that it has recruited Lisa Mantil, a longtime Goldman Sachs veteran, to spearhead efforts to bring institutional liquidity to its decentralized prediction‑market platform.

According to CNBC, Mantil departs Goldman after nearly three decades, during which she held senior positions across the firm’s equities and fixed‑income divisions and managed client‑facing trading desks.

In her new role at Polymarket, Mantil will oversee a team tasked with courting hedge funds, asset managers and other Wall Street participants, a strategy the company says is crucial for moving beyond its predominantly retail user base.

Founded in 2020, Polymarket allows users to trade on the outcomes of real‑world events—elections, sports scores, economic indicators—using cryptocurrency tokens for settlement. The platform has attracted attention for its innovative use of blockchain but has also faced regulatory warnings from U.S. authorities concerned that some prediction markets could be subject to securities laws.

The appointment reflects a broader trend of crypto‑adjacent firms hiring veterans from traditional finance to gain credibility. Institutional investors have been cautious about entering prediction markets due to compliance uncertainties, limited market depth and price‑discovery challenges. By adding a Goldman Sachs alum, Polymarket hopes to signal that its governance and risk controls meet Wall Street standards.

Analysts suggest that securing sizable institutional orders could deepen market liquidity, tighten spreads and make Polymarket’s token‑based settlement more appealing. The company plans to roll out a suite of compliance tools and enhanced reporting features in the coming months, aligning its operations with the expectations of regulated financial institutions.

Mantil’s hiring underscores the growing convergence between digital‑asset platforms and legacy finance. As banks and asset managers increasingly explore crypto‑related services, bringing seasoned executives on board may become a standard approach to bridging cultural and regulatory gaps between the two sectors.