Crypto bettors wager on Zelenskyy’s fate amid Trump row

Crypto bettors are now putting wagers on the fate of Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy after a small row with United States President Donald Trump. Zelenskyy was kicked out of the White House yesterday, with Trump taking to social media to blast him for not being thankful.

According to reports from the polygon-based betting platform Polymarket, users are now placing wagers on how long the Ukrainian president will remain in his role. More than $500,000 in bets have been placed by crypto bettors on Zelenskyy leaving office before July.

While the platform notes that Zelenskyy’s fate hangs in the balance, it puts the likelihood of an early departure at 26%. The Ukrainian president visited the White House yesterday in what was supposed to be a high-stakes negotiation. However, things went sideways when the negotiation became explosive at the Oval Office. Zelenskyy ended up walking out and Trump made it clear that a peace deal was off the table for now.

Bets on Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy leaving office before July 2025 have surpassed $500,000. Source: Polymarket

Zelenskyy’s heated meeting with Donald Trump

Zelenskyy met with US President Donald Trump and his Vice JD Vance at the Oval Office, discussing the ongoing war with Russia and other deals. The subject proved to be a touchy one as it ended in disagreement, with Trump accusing Zelenskyy of being an uncooperative ally. He also said he didn’t even show any gratitude towards the United States.

Trump mentioned that during the negotiations, it was evident that Zelenskyy still had hate towards Putin in his heart, noting that he won’t be able to make a deal with that kind of hate.

“You see the hatred he’s got for Putin, that’s very tough for me to make a deal with that kind of hate,” Trump said. According to reports, Trump accused Zelenskyy of not acknowledging and appreciating the efforts of the United States to back Ukraine in the war that has now reached three years.

President Donald Trump shared a statement after his heated Oval Office meeting with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky. Source: @realDonaldTrump (X/Twitter)

According to sources inside the room, Trump wanted Zelenskyy to make a minerals deal with the United States, with the US President pressing him for the deal. “You don’t have the cards right now,” he said. “You’re either going to make a deal or we’re out, and if we’re out, you’ll fight it out and I don’t think it’s going to be pretty.”

Trump also accused the Ukrainian president of gambling with World War III, noting that he was using the United States’ involvement in the ongoing war as a bargaining chip.

Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky argue during their Oval Office meeting on February 28, 2025. Source: Yahoo Finance

Crypto bettors want Zelenskyy to be ‘thankful’

Currently, crypto bettors have wagered more than $21 million on the likelihood of Ukraine’s war with Russia ending in the first three months of Trump’s reign as president. Trump had promised during his campaign that he was going to do everything in his capacity to ensure that the war ends when he gets into the Oval Office.

According to records on Polymarket, the likelihood of the bet now stands at 23% following the meeting on Friday. Meanwhile, users on the platform have begun to show their frustrations, urging Zelenskyy to show gratitude to the United States for helping his country. A user on the platform said: “[Zelenskyy] should’ve thanked the American people, how hard can it be to show some gratitude?”

Polymarket has hosted similar wagers on its platform, with the betting website allowing crypto bettors to wager on the likelihood of former President Joe Biden dropping out of the 2024 United States presidential contest. The website also opened up wagers to crypto bettors for the winner of the 2024 United States presidential election, tipping the eventual winner, Donald Trump for a win ahead of opponent, Kamala Harris.

“Prediction markets give people a financial motivation for conducting thorough research and making rational analysis before placing their bets, and they provide a much higher level of accuracy versus traditional polling because of this financial motivation,” a former exec at Polygon Labs said.

Ukraine is now proposing a crypto tax of up to 10% to support its economy, with the promise of additional support from the United States dwindling.

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