> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.prophetmarket.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.prophetmarket.ai/introduction.md).

# Introduction

*What Prophet is, who it is for, and what to understand before you trade.*

Prophet is a prediction market. You write a question about the future, an AI models prices it, and you take the side you believe is mispriced. If you are right, each winning share pays one dollar. If you are wrong, it pays nothing.

This documentation is a plain walkthrough of how Prophet actually works. It follows your money at every step: where it sits, who can move it, what it costs to trade, how long resolution takes, and what happens when a question cannot be answered cleanly. Where the mechanism has limits, this documentation states them rather than hiding them.

{% hint style="danger" %}
**Regional availability**

Prophet is not available to US citizens or residents. Prediction markets carry varying legal status and Prophet is unavailable in some other regions. See [Availability](/availability.md) before creating an account.
{% endhint %}

## The shape of the product

| Value       | Metric               | Note                         |
| ----------- | -------------------- | ---------------------------- |
| **0¢–100¢** | Share price range    | Price is probability         |
| **$1.00**   | Winning share payout | Losing shares pay $0.00      |
| **USDC**    | Settlement currency  | On Polygon, in your own Safe |

Every market on Prophet is a yes or no question with a resolution date and a stated source of truth. You can trade an existing market or write your own. Prices move as new information arrives, and you can exit a position before the event concludes rather than waiting for the outcome.

## Four things worth knowing up front

**Your money is not held by Prophet**

Your USDC and your shares sit in a Gnosis Safe on Polygon that you own. Prophet cannot move anything out of it without a signature from you.

**Resolution takes hours, sometimes days**

Prophet waits three hours after the resolution time before it starts, runs an ensemble of models, and then holds the result in a twelve hour on chain review window before payouts unlock. Nothing about settlement is instant.

## How to read this documentation

If you have never traded a prediction market, start with [Prophet 101](/get-started/prophet-101.md), which explains the mechanism from zero, then follow [Quickstart](/get-started/quickstart.md) to place a first trade. If you already understand prediction markets and want to know how Prophet differs, read [How Prophet Differs](/get-started/how-prophet-differs.md) and then [Resolution](/core-concepts/resolution.md), which is where most of the interesting engineering sits.

If you are about to move a meaningful amount of money, read [Fees, Spread & Gas](/reference/fees-spread-and-gas.md) and [Risks](/safety/risks.md) first. Neither page is long, and both will change how you size your positions.

| If you are                          | Start at                                                                              |
| ----------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| New to prediction markets           | [Prophet 101](/get-started/prophet-101.md)                                            |
| Ready to place a first trade        | [Quickstart](/get-started/quickstart.md)                                              |
| Experienced with prediction markets | [How Prophet Differs](/get-started/how-prophet-differs.md)                            |
| About to trade meaningful size      | [Fees, Spread & Gas](/reference/fees-spread-and-gas.md) and [Risks](/safety/risks.md) |
| Looking for a definition            | [Glossary](/resources/glossary.md)                                                    |
| Looking for a quick answer          | [FAQ](/resources/faq.md)                                                              |

{% hint style="info" %}
**One invariant explains almost everything**

One dollar equals one YES share plus one NO share. Every mechanism in this documentation, from pricing to payouts to what happens when a market is voided, follows from that single equation. If you only remember one thing, remember that.
{% endhint %}


---

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