> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.bravadotrade.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# UMA Resolution on Polymarket

> How Polymarket markets settle through UMA's Optimistic Oracle, why a concluded event is not immediately redeemable, and how disputes extend that window.

Polymarket markets do not settle themselves. When an event concludes, the outcome must be reported on-chain and accepted before winning shares can be redeemed. Polymarket uses [UMA](https://uma.xyz)'s Optimistic Oracle for that step.

The practical consequence: **an event finishing in the real world and a position becoming redeemable are two different moments**, sometimes separated by a meaningful window.

## The resolution lifecycle

<Steps>
  <Step title="Assertion">
    A proposer asserts the outcome on-chain and posts a bond backing that claim.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Challenge window">
    The assertion stays open for a fixed period. If nobody disputes it, it is accepted and settles automatically.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Dispute (optional)">
    Any party may dispute within the window by posting their own bond. A disputed assertion escalates to a UMA token-holder vote instead of settling on the proposer's word, so the initially proposed outcome is not guaranteed to be the final one.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Settlement">
    The final outcome is written on-chain. Winning outcome tokens become redeemable at \$1; losing tokens are worth \$0.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What this means when you build

* **Do not treat a concluded event as realized PnL.** Until settlement, the position is still open and its value is still a mark, not a realization.
* **Budget for the dispute path.** An undisputed market settles predictably. A disputed one takes materially longer and can land on a different outcome than first proposed.
* **Redeem only after settlement.** Calling [`POST /v2/trade/positions/redeem`](/api/trade/positions) before a market settles will not produce collateral.

<Warning>
  A market whose event has visibly concluded is not necessarily settled, and an undisputed assertion can still be disputed until its challenge window closes. Confirm final resolution state before treating a position as closed.
</Warning>

## Data availability during resolution

PMWAS and tax endpoints return `503` with `available: false` while a wallet's data is still being processed. This is expected rather than an error state, poll on a reasonable interval and surface a "processing" state to users. See [Error reference](/reference/errors).

## Related

* [UMA API](/products/uma-api), querying resolution data programmatically
* [Positions](/products/trade-api#positions), redeem, split, and merge
* [Polymarket overview](/markets/polymarket/overview)