Extra paid 30 seconds after a top trader's buy: +1.43¢

What copying a Polymarket trader costs, measured and worked. Behind buys by the 1,000 most profitable wallets, a follower 30 seconds late paid 1.43¢ a share more in event markets; fees and fill put a copier of a $50 crypto trade down about 6% before the market moves.

- Copier's cost on a $50 crypto trade: 6%
- Extra paid behind the top 100 wallets: +1.97¢
- Active winners profitable again next month: 124 of 137

Observed 2026-09-12T15:06Z to 2026-09-13T22:55Z, population: 54,828 buys by 195 of the top 1,000 cohort wallets.

Study: https://vultax.com/research/polymarket-copy-trading-costs-and-tools
Markdown: https://vultax.com/research/polymarket-copy-trading-costs-and-tools.md
Data: https://vultax.com/research/polymarket-copy-trading-costs-and-tools/data.json
Share card: https://vultax.com/og/article/research/polymarket-copy-trading-costs-and-tools
Live screen: https://app.vultax.com/analytics/radar

Vultax Research, Polymarket Copy Trading: Following 30 Seconds Late Cost 1.43¢ a Share, Before Fees, 2026-09-16, https://vultax.com/research/polymarket-copy-trading-costs-and-tools