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Polymarket in the DRC (2026) | Close-Only — BCC Crypto Ban, Legal Status & Guide

Polymarket is close-only in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The BCC (central bank) prohibits cryptocurrency activity and there is no licensed local on-ramp, so new trades can't be opened. Breakdown of the crypto ban, mobile-money context, and what users should know.

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Polymarket is close-only in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). If you’re a new visitor, you can’t start trading here — new positions cannot be opened. The DRC pairs one of Africa’s firmest cryptocurrency stances — the central bank has prohibited crypto — with a uniquely deep mobile-money ecosystem that runs almost entirely on fiat. As a result, Polymarket restricts DRC accounts to closing existing positions only.

Current Status: Close-Only

Polymarket lists the DRC as close-only: existing Congolese accounts can close the positions they already hold, but cannot open new ones. For most visitors the practical result is that Polymarket is effectively off-limits for starting fresh trades in the DRC.

The DRC is not under US OFAC sanctions and is not geoblocked by the platform itself. Instead, the close-only status reflects the domestic environment: the Banque Centrale du Congo (BCC) prohibits cryptocurrency activity, and there is no licensed local on-ramp through which a new user could realistically fund an account.

Why the DRC Is Close-Only

The BCC’s Crypto Prohibition

The Banque Centrale du Congo (BCC) has taken a firm, prohibition-first stance on virtual assets:

  • The BCC has explicitly stated that Bitcoin and all other cryptocurrencies are prohibited in the DRC — they are neither regulated nor authorized.
  • The central bank has repeatedly warned the public about the risks of crypto, citing cybercrime and money laundering, and has flagged crypto-related pyramid and investment schemes.
  • Unauthorized crypto investment schemes have been shut down by authorities.
  • There is no licensing framework for crypto service providers in the country.

Because there is no legal local exchange and the central bank treats crypto as a financial-crime risk, there is no compliant path for a DRC-based user to open a new Polymarket position.

The Mobile-Money Reality

The DRC’s financial-inclusion story is a striking contrast: mobile money is one of the most widely used payment systems in Central Africa, yet it operates almost entirely on fiat (the Congolese franc, CDF) and has not been built out as a crypto on-ramp.

  • The four dominant mobile-money providers are Vodacom M-Pesa, Airtel Money, Orange Money, and AfriMoney.
  • Mobile money reached roughly 29 million active users by late 2024 — a penetration rate of about 30% of the population, and one of Africa’s fastest-growing mobile-money markets.
  • Vodacom M-Pesa is the market leader with roughly half of the market and over 6 million active users, followed by Airtel Money and Orange Money.

These are powerful rails for everyday payments and remittances, but they are not crypto on-ramps. Under the BCC’s prohibition, no major DRC mobile-money operator offers a CDF-to-USDC conversion, so the mobile-money ecosystem does not change the practical difficulty of funding a Polymarket account.

Gambling Law

Games of chance in the DRC are a formal, regulated sector:

  • Gambling is legal and online gambling is treated as a regulated activity, overseen by the Ministry of Sports and Leisure and the national lottery operator SONAL.
  • A new draft law laying out the fundamental principles for gambling was adopted by the Cabinet in April 2025 and transmitted to Parliament in mid-2025, but is still pending as of 2026.

Prediction markets like Polymarket are not explicitly addressed by the current framework. Even setting that grey area aside, a crypto-based platform collides with the central bank’s ban on virtual assets, which is the binding constraint for DRC users.

Exchange Controls & AML

The DRC maintains some capital-movement controls that add friction to moving money:

  • Transfers abroad are generally free, but any transaction above USD 10,000 requires a “Modèle RC” declaration issued through an approved commercial bank.
  • The central bank collects a 2% exchange-control fee on transactions subject to its regulation.

The same AML concerns behind these controls — and the central bank’s emphasis on the money-laundering risk of virtual assets — are part of why the BCC takes such a firm line on crypto.

Deposit & Trading Status

Because the DRC is close-only on Polymarket, new visitors cannot open trades — there is no permitted way to open a fresh position from the DRC today. Existing accounts should focus on closing any open positions.

For anyone already holding crypto or an open position, the mechanics are the same as elsewhere: hold USDC on an international exchange, transfer it to your Polymarket deposit address over the Polygon network — a $3 minimum, arriving in seconds — and Polymarket converts USDC to PUSD (its own dollar-pegged stablecoin) on arrival.

The difficult step is the fiat-to-crypto on-ramp. With the BCC prohibition in place, DRC users realistically rely on offshore exchanges or informal peer-to-peer (P2P) transfers to acquire USDC. These operate in a legal grey area under the central bank’s rules, and carry real risk. There is no verified local exchange offering a CDF-to-USDC deposit rail that connects to Polymarket.

Tax Considerations

The DRC has no established, specific tax framework for cryptocurrency — and because crypto activity lacks a recognized legal status under the central bank’s prohibition, there is no clearly defined taxable path for prediction-market profits.

In practice, this means gains are not collected through a dedicated crypto tax regime, but they also have no compliant standing. Anyone handling crypto in the DRC should keep detailed records of all funding, trades, and withdrawals, because the absence of a framework works both ways — there is no recognized treatment, and the central bank views crypto activity primarily as a financial-crime risk. Consult a qualified local adviser for current treatment.

Getting Started

The honest starting point is that new trading is not currently available in the DRC because the country is close-only and there is no legal local on-ramp. If you already hold an open position that needs closing, or you hold crypto offshore:

  1. Sign up for Polymarket — an account is free, though you’ll first need to confirm you’re not in a region where Polymarket closes accounts
  2. Hold or acquire USDC offshore or via P2P — recognising the BCC prohibits local crypto activity and there is no licensed on-ramp
  3. Deposit or review funds — transfer USDC via the Polygon network ($3 minimum)
  4. Close or manage existing positions — with close-only status, focus on unwinding rather than opening
  5. Re-check status — the DRC’s gambling and crypto frameworks are still evolving, so revisit the availability situation over time

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Polymarket available in the DRC?
Not for new trading. Polymarket lists the DRC as close-only: existing accounts can close positions they already hold, but new trades cannot be opened. The restriction reflects a difficult domestic environment — the central bank (BCC) prohibits cryptocurrency activity — rather than a simple country geoblock.
Why is Polymarket close-only in the DRC?
The Banque Centrale du Congo (BCC), the DRC's central bank, has explicitly prohibited cryptocurrency activity. Bitcoin and other virtual currencies are neither regulated nor authorized in the country, and the BCC has warned against the risks of cybercrime and money laundering, including crypto-related pyramid schemes. With no licensing framework for crypto service providers and no legal local on-ramp, opening new trades is not practicable for most users.
Can I deposit or withdraw USDC from the DRC?
It's difficult. Because the BCC prohibits crypto and there is no licensed local exchange, there is no compliant CDF-to-USDC on-ramp. In practice many users acquire USDC through international exchanges or informal peer-to-peer (P2P) routes, which operate in a legal grey area. Any on-chain USDC can be sent to a Polymarket address, but the domestic fiat-to-crypto step is the hard part.
How is crypto taxed in the DRC?
The DRC has no specific tax framework for cryptocurrency, and crypto activity lacks a recognized legal status under the central bank's prohibition. As a result, gains are not taxed through a dedicated crypto regime, but they also have no compliant standing. Anyone involved should keep records of funding and transactions, because the absence of a framework cuts both ways.
Is gambling or prediction trading legal in the DRC?
Land-based games of chance and online gambling are regulated activities in the DRC, overseen by the Ministry of Sports and Leisure and the national lottery operator SONAL. Prediction markets specifically are not explicitly addressed by the current framework, and crypto-based platforms are further constrained by the central bank's prohibition on virtual assets. A new draft law on gambling fundamentals is still making its way through Parliament.