Onboarding Friction and Payout Reliability in Prediction Markets

Been diving deeper into Polymarket lately, not just for the 'fun' bets but genuinely trying to understand its utility for hedging or even just gauging sentiment on certain macro events. The premise is solid, but one area I'm consistently scrutinizing across these decentralized platforms – and Polymarket is no exception – is the infrastructure layer, specifically around initial onboarding and subsequent payout reliability.

My primary concern isn't the market mechanics, which seem robust, but rather the KYC/AML process. While I understand the necessity from a regulatory perspective, the friction can be substantial, particularly for users with a global footprint who might encounter varying regional requirements. It often feels like a bottleneck before even participating. Beyond that, the long-term reliability of payouts, especially with larger sums, is always in the back of my mind. We're dealing with new financial paradigms here, and while the smart contracts handle the distribution, the underlying liquidity providers or the platform itself maintaining smooth, timely withdrawals is crucial for broader adoption and serious capital. Anyone else found themselves particularly scrutinizing these aspects rather than just the market odds themselves?