Polymarket has added Steam to its login page, placing the gaming platform alongside Google, MetaMask, Phantom, Rabby, Coinbase Wallet, and WalletConnect. The move marks the first time a prediction market has used a gaming account as an identity credential, giving Polymarket a direct route toward Steam’s roughly 147 million monthly active users.
Steam now appears in the login grid
On the updated login screen, Polymarket still highlights “Continue with Google” and email verification at the top. Below that, the wallet and identity options appear in a grid. The first row shows Steam, MetaMask, Phantom, and Rabby. The second includes Coinbase Wallet and Rainbow, while WalletConnect appears on the final row.
Steam is not a crypto wallet, which suggests Polymarket is using Steam OpenID through an OAuth-style authentication flow. After a user signs in with a Steam account, Polymarket automatically creates a custodial embedded wallet on the backend, following the same model already used for Google login. One less step. Users do not need to install MetaMask or prepare a seed phrase before entering the prediction market.
Valve’s anti-crypto stance on Steam remains in place
The contrast is hard to miss. In October 2021, Valve updated Steam’s developer policy to ban games built on blockchain technology or games that issue or allow trading of cryptocurrencies or NFTs. Blockchain game and NFT projects were removed from the platform after that policy change.
Valve co-founder Gabe Newell said at the time that virtual items on Steam should not carry real-world value. He also pointed to user frustration linked to crypto payments on Steam and to fraud risks in many crypto-related transactions. According to the source material, that position had not changed by 2026, and Steam’s store still does not allow crypto-related game listings.
Using Steam identity without entering the Steam store
Steam has never blocked third-party apps from using Steam OpenID as an identity layer. It is a long-standing open interface already used by services such as Twitch and Discord. Polymarket’s latest change does not bring a crypto product into the Steam store. It pulls Steam users outward into a crypto-native application instead.
From a product standpoint, the setup reduces onboarding friction for users outside the crypto core. A familiar gaming account handles the sign-in, while wallet creation is abstracted into the background. For Polymarket, that means a wider entry path aimed at users who may never have installed a crypto wallet before.