It sounds like a plot twist straight from a financial thriller: a solitary figure places a risky bet moments before a geopolitical explosion, walking away with a fortune while the rest of the world reels from the news. However, this was no movie script.
Less than five hours before nighttime explosions rocked the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, an unknown trader doubled down on bets that Nicolás Maduro would soon be out as the country's leader. The timing was impeccable, almost too perfect, as the wagers on Polymarket, a popular crypto-based betting platform, netted the trader more than £316,000 ($400,000) and fuelled suspicions that someone used inside knowledge of the closely held US operation to make a quick profit.
