Polymarket is close-only in Ethiopia. If you’re a new visitor, you can’t start trading here — new positions cannot be opened. Ethiopia is not geoblocked by Polymarket itself; the restriction reflects a difficult legal and access environment shaped by the National Bank of Ethiopia’s prohibition-first stance on virtual assets and the suspension of all Birr-paired crypto trading in 2026.
Current Status: Close-Only
Polymarket lists Ethiopia as close-only: existing Ethiopian 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 new trades from Ethiopia.
Unlike some countries where the restriction is a Polymarket compliance decision, Ethiopia’s situation is driven by the domestic environment. The National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) has repeatedly stated that it never granted permission for cryptocurrencies and that using them for transactions is illegal. There is no licensed local on-ramp, and the peer-to-peer rails Ethiopians previously used have been suspended.
Why Ethiopia Is Close-Only
The NBE’s Virtual-Asset Stance
The National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) maintains a broad, prohibition-first approach to virtual assets. In February 2026 (public notice dated 27 February 2026), the NBE deemed Birr-paired peer-to-peer (P2P) cryptocurrency transactions illegal, stating they would remain prohibited “until a formal framework is introduced.”
The central bank then reaffirmed this position through March 2026 and again in July 2026, when it reiterated that it never gave permission for cryptocurrencies and listed the prohibited activities. NBE notices explicitly prohibit the use, purchase, sale, exchange, transfer, trading, settlement, and facilitation of transactions involving virtual assets under the current framework.
This makes Ethiopia one of a small number of countries whose central bank openly bans crypto rather than regulating it. The NBE has indicated work on a future framework, but as of 2026 none has been formally introduced.
The 2026 Birr-Pair Suspensions
The NBE’s prohibition had a direct practical impact on Ethiopian users in 2026:
- Binance suspended trading with the Ethiopian Birr (ETB), effective 15 May 2026
- OKX and Bybit followed with similar Birr-pair suspensions
- Telegram’s Crypto Wallet suspended ETH Birr P2P trading from 2 June 2026
These suspensions removed the informal P2P on-ramps that had previously been the main way Ethiopians acquired crypto, tightening access further.
Ethio Telecom, TeleBirr and M-Pesa
Ethiopia’s financial infrastructure is centred on mobile money rather than crypto. Ethio Telecom, the state-owned monopoly operator, runs TeleBirr — the country’s dominant mobile-money service with tens of millions of users. Safaricom Ethiopia launched commercial operations in October 2022 and brought M-Pesa to the market in August 2023, having paid roughly US$150 million for its mobile-money licence alone.
These services move Ethiopian Birr domestically but do not provide crypto access. They sit alongside the NBE’s prohibition rather than enabling it.
The Legal Landscape
Cryptocurrency Law
Ethiopia has no legal framework for retail cryptocurrency. The NBE’s prohibition-first notice of February 2026 (reaffirmed July 2026) is the operative policy, banning Birr-paired P2P transactions and listing broad prohibited activities. Because there is no licensing regime, no local crypto exchange operates legally in Ethiopia.
Gambling and Prediction Markets
I could not verify a specific, current Ethiopian statute that directly addresses decentralized prediction markets such as Polymarket. In the absence of a verified law, it is safest to treat the position as unregulated and uncertain: prediction markets fall in a grey area, and given the NBE’s restrictive stance on crypto more broadly, they are not an officially sanctioned activity.
The Financial Regulator
The National Bank of Ethiopia is the central bank and the authority that has taken the firmest public position on virtual assets. Tax administration falls under Ethiopia’s Ministry of Revenues. Neither body has published a specific framework for Polymarket or prediction-market profits as of mid-2026.
Depositing & Trading Status in Ethiopia
Because Ethiopia is close-only on Polymarket, new visitors cannot open trades — there is no permitted way to open a fresh position from Ethiopia today. Existing accounts should focus on closing open positions.
For anyone holding or acquiring crypto, the only workable path is offshore: hold USDC on an international exchange, then transfer it to your Polymarket deposit address. Polymarket converts USDC to PUSD (its own dollar-pegged stablecoin) on arrival over the Polygon network — a $3 minimum, arriving in seconds.
Note the exchange situation honestly: the international exchanges Ethiopians historically used for Birr-paired P2P (Binance, OKX, Bybit, and Telegram’s wallet) suspended ETB trading in 2026 following the NBE’s prohibition. As of writing there is no reliable, legal local on-ramp for the Ethiopian Birr.
| Exchange | ETB P2P Status (2026) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Binance | Suspended (since 15 May 2026) | Was the most-used Birr P2P platform |
| OKX | Suspended | Followed the NBE prohibition |
| Bybit | Suspended | Followed the NBE prohibition |
For the general deposit walkthrough, see our How to Deposit on Polymarket guide.
Tax Implications
Ethiopia does not have a published, specific tax framework for individual crypto or prediction-market gains, and I could not verify a defined tax rate. What we can say with confidence:
- Tax administration sits with the Ministry of Revenues, which applies Ethiopia’s general income-tax rules.
- There is no verified capital-gains rate or specific crypto provision on the books.
- Because the NBE has not formally introduced its promised virtual-asset framework, the tax treatment of Polymarket profits for Ethiopian individuals is unregulated and uncertain.
Treat any gains conservatively and seek local professional guidance. Keep records of deposits, trades, and withdrawals in case reporting rules change.
Getting Started
If you’re in Ethiopia, the honest starting point is that new trading is not currently available 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 if you hold crypto offshore:
- 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
- Hold or acquire USDC on an international exchange (recognising Birr P2P rails are suspended)
- Deposit on Polymarket — transfer USDC via the Polygon network
- Close or manage existing positions — with close-only status, focus on unwinding rather than opening
- Re-check status — revisit the legal and availability situation, as Ethiopia’s framework is still under development
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