A U.S. Army soldier has been charged with allegedly profiting from over $400,000 in bets on the prediction market platform Polymarket using classified information about a military operation. Master Sergeant Gannon Ken Van Dyke was involved in “Operation Absolute Resolve,” which captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Prosecutors allege he used his insider knowledge to buy shares in contracts predicting Maduro’s removal and U.S. military action.
Gannon Ken Van Dyke, a U.S. Army soldier, faces charges for allegedly using classified information to profit from prediction market bets. The charges relate to his involvement in the planning and execution of “Operation Absolute Resolve” in January.
This operation resulted in the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Van Dyke allegedly purchased shares on the cryptocurrency-based platform Polymarket after learning details of the mission.
The specific contracts he bet on were “Maduro out by January 31” and “Trump invokes War Powers against Venezuela by January 31.” He reportedly asked Polymarket to delete his account after profiting from the trades, according to U.S. Department of Justice allegations.
He is accused of making more than $400,000 from these bets. The case highlights potential legal risks associated with using insider information on decentralized prediction markets.
