Prediction markets are attracting attention from almost every corner of the gaming, finance, and technology industries right now, though one of the more interesting developments is happening behind the scenes. While most people focus on platforms like Kalshi or Polymarket, companies building the infrastructure powering the category are quietly becoming just as important.
During the NEXT Focus: Prediction Markets event in Malta, Trade Handle got an exclusive interview with Anton Sych of DataArt to discuss where the industry is heading, how operators are approaching the category, and why prediction markets are increasingly looking like much more than a niche internet product.
Trade Handle’s Interview with Anton Sych at NEXT Focus Malta
Standing inside the prediction markets side event room in Valletta, Sych described DataArt as a company heavily involved in software engineering, AI, trading systems, and digital product development across gaming and financial technology. According to Sych, prediction markets now sit directly in the middle of several industries in which DataArt has already spent years working.
“One of the biggest shifts is that prediction markets are no longer just about forecasting outcomes,” Sych said during the interview. “They are becoming information markets where prices reflect collective probability.”
That perspective stood out because it reflects how much the industry has evolved over the past two years. Sports contracts still dominate much of the activity today, though Sych believes the category is expanding far beyond sports into politics, economics, culture, entertainment, and real-time global events.
Why Companies Like DataArt are Paying Closer Attention
One thing that became very clear when speaking with Sych is that infrastructure is one of the biggest conversations in prediction markets right now. DataArt has experience building exchanges, sportsbook technology, AI systems, and cloud-scale digital platforms, which naturally overlap with many of the same operational challenges prediction market companies now face.
Sych pointed to liquidity management, market creation, settlement systems, KYC controls, fraud monitoring, and real-time data infrastructure as major areas where sportsbook and prediction market technologies increasingly overlap. The difference, he explained, is that prediction markets operate much more closely to exchange-style trading systems, where users interact with one another rather than a traditional operator.
DataArt also believes more companies are exploring prediction markets privately than most people probably realize publicly. According to Sych, many organizations are no longer asking whether prediction markets matter. Instead, they are trying to figure out how the category could eventually affect their existing products or customer ecosystems.
Prediction Markets are Starting to Attract Casual Users
One of the more interesting parts of the conversation centered around user behavior. Sych believes prediction markets are attracting a much broader audience than traditional sportsbook-style products because users are no longer limited to sports-focused contracts. Politics, entertainment, macroeconomics, crypto, and cultural events all create entry points for users who may never have interacted with sports products previously. That broader mix of markets naturally creates a more casual audience over time.
At the same time, Sych acknowledged that prediction markets still require a learning curve for many users. Unlike traditional sportsbook products, prediction market users often think more in terms of probability, pricing movement, and information flow rather than simply picking outcomes.
For new users entering the space, Sych emphasized the importance of trust and user experience. He encouraged users to start small, carefully understand market rules, and focus on platforms that provide clear onboarding and reliable settlement structures.
DataArt Sees a Much Bigger Industry Taking Shape
Another major takeaway from the conversation is that companies like DataArt clearly expect the prediction market industry to continue expanding rapidly over the next several years. Sych pointed to the growing number of major companies entering the category, including FanDuel Predicts, Fanatics, Robinhood, DraftKings, and Underdog.
From his perspective, the industry is still in the middle of a broader consolidation and infrastructure-building phase.
Regulation remains one of the largest long-term questions, though Sych believes the market ultimately stabilizes rather than disappears. He also expects AI to play a much larger role moving forward through market creation, suspicious activity monitoring, settlement systems, customer education, and platform operations.
The Trade Handle Prediction Markets Take
One thing we continue to hear repeatedly in Malta is that prediction markets are no longer viewed as a side experiment. Companies with deep experience in AI, exchange infrastructure, financial systems, and sportsbook technology are now actively building around the category. That matters because the industry’s future likely depends just as much on infrastructure and user experience as it does on contracts themselves.
Speaking with Anton Sych gave us a much clearer picture of how serious some of the technology conversations behind prediction markets have already become. Prediction markets may still feel early to many users today, though companies like DataArt are clearly preparing for a future in which these platforms become far more mainstream than they are now.