Yield Lottery · Review
ActivePoolTogether Review 2026: A No-Loss Prize Savings Game
PoolTogether is a no-loss prize savings protocol: deposits earn yield, and that yield is pooled into prizes that depositors can win. It suits people who want a low-stress savings game, but prizes are never guaranteed.
By the DappsAtlas editorial team · Updated
DappsAtlas score
7.0/10
Good
Our verdict on Pooltogether
7.0/10PoolTogether suits people who like the idea of a savings pot with a chance at prizes, and who understand DeFi wallets and gas. Its main strength is the no-loss design: the yield funds prizes while depositors can withdraw their deposit. The main caveat is that prizes are never guaranteed, smart-contract and underlying-protocol risk remain, and the project has faced legal scrutiny. Check which contract version you are using, read the audit information in the docs, and only deposit what you can afford to have exposed.
Score breakdown
How Pooltogether scores
- Security
- 6.5/10
- Ease of use
- 7.5/10
- Fees
- n/a
- Features
- 6.5/10
Scores run from 0 to 10 and are based only on facts we could verify. Where information was missing we mark the score n/a rather than guess.
What is Pooltogether?
PoolTogether is an open-source, decentralized protocol for no-loss prize games. It combines elements of a savings account and a lottery. Users deposit crypto, the pooled deposits earn yield in DeFi, and that yield is paid as prizes to a few winners.
The project launched in 2019 and became one of the better-known examples of a prize-linked savings game in crypto. It has since expanded from Ethereum to Base and Optimism, and it has a governance token, POOL. In 2022 it launched the Pooly NFT collection of 10,110 NFTs to crowdfund a legal defense, which shows that regulators have taken an interest in the model.
The homepage could not be loaded for this review, so details of the current interface, supported assets and prize schedule are not covered here. What is clear from multiple sources is the core idea: deposits stay yours, and the interest is the prize.
How Pooltogether works
PoolTogether takes deposits from many users and puts that money to work across DeFi, where it earns interest. Instead of paying that interest evenly, the protocol collects it and awards it as prizes to randomly selected depositors.
The more a user deposits, the better their odds of winning, but principal is not what is being won or lost. A depositor who does not win keeps their deposit and can take it out. That is why the game is called no-loss.
The original version used a 1 Dai ticket. Newer versions run on Ethereum, Base and Optimism, with the aim of lowering transaction costs. Users do need to know which contract version they are using, because older versions are listed as deprecated.
7 features
Key features
01
No-loss prize model
Deposits earn yield from DeFi, and the yield funds prizes instead of being paid out evenly to everyone.
02
Flexible withdrawals
One source highlights no locked period and the ability to withdraw an entire deposit at any time.
03
Multi-chain deployment
The protocol is described as running on Ethereum, Base and Optimism, which can lower costs compared with mainnet alone.
04
Open-source code
Code is public on GitHub, and the project lists developer documentation and a bug bounty.
05
POOL token governance
The POOL token is tied to the protocol's community and governance structure.
06
Deposit-based odds
Entries follow deposits, with odds linked to how much a user holds in the pool relative to others.
07
Delegation promotions
The team has run promotions such as delegating deposit power to a chosen participant, giving full prize odds with nothing at risk for the delegator.
Pros and cons
What we like
- Principal is not what is staked, so non-winners keep their deposit under the no-loss design.
- One source reports no locked period and withdrawal of the full amount at any time.
- Open-source code, public GitHub and a listed bug bounty allow community scrutiny.
- Runs on Ethereum, Base and Optimism, offering lower-cost options than mainnet alone.
- Simple concept that is easy for newcomers to grasp compared with typical DeFi yield strategies.
Watch out for
- Prizes are not guaranteed, so a depositor may win nothing for long stretches and earn less than they would from a plain savings or lending position.
- Deposits are put to work across DeFi, so smart-contract and underlying-protocol risk apply even though the prize mechanism does not touch principal.
- The project has faced legal pressure in the past, and it funded a legal defense through an NFT sale in 2022, which shows regulatory risk in some jurisdictions.
- Older contracts are marked deprecated, so users with funds in earlier versions need to migrate and should check which version they are using.
- Audit details, team information and a full fee schedule are not published in the material reviewed here, so users must check them in the official docs.
- Prize odds depend on deposit size relative to the pool, and small depositors may see very low odds of winning.
Pooltogether fees
The material reviewed does not publish a fee schedule. One user write-up says there are no hidden fees, but that is a single-source claim and not a substitute for the protocol's own documentation.
Users still pay network gas on Ethereum, Base or Optimism when depositing and withdrawing. Gas is much cheaper on Base and Optimism than on Ethereum mainnet. Any protocol-level cost, such as a share of yield taken for operations, would be shown in the official app or documentation.
Is Pooltogether safe?
PoolTogether is non-custodial in design: deposits sit in smart contracts and users hold their own wallets. The main risks are bugs in those contracts and failures in the DeFi protocols where deposits are invested. The project lists a bug bounty and public code, but audit reports are not detailed in the material reviewed, so check the developer documentation for them.
The protocol has also faced regulatory pressure. In 2022 it ran an NFT sale to fund its legal defense. Users should check that prize-linked games are allowed where they live. This is not a casino, but it is lottery-like, so 18+ applies and users should treat it as entertainment on top of savings, not a guaranteed income. Deprecated contract versions exist, so only use the version linked from the official site.
6 steps
How to get started with Pooltogether
- 1
Check that prize-linked savings products are legal where you live, and that you are at least 18.
- 2
Install a self-custody wallet and fund it with a supported asset on Ethereum, Base or Optimism.
- 3
Open the official PoolTogether app and confirm you are on the current version, not a deprecated one.
- 4
Connect your wallet and choose a prize pool on the network you prefer.
- 5
Approve the token and deposit an amount you are comfortable having exposed to smart-contract risk.
- 6
Check back to see whether you have won, and withdraw your deposit whenever you want.
Who Pooltogether is for
PoolTogether fits crypto users who already hold stablecoins or other supported assets and want a low-effort way to take part in prize draws without staking their principal. It is less suitable for anyone who needs a predictable yield, who is uncomfortable with smart-contract risk, or who lives where prize-linked games are restricted.
Pooltogether FAQs
What is PoolTogether?
PoolTogether is a decentralized protocol for no-loss prize games. Users deposit crypto, the deposits are put to work across DeFi to earn yield, and that yield is awarded as prizes to depositors instead of being paid out evenly.
Can you lose money on PoolTogether?
Under the no-loss design, only the interest generated by deposits is distributed as prizes, and depositors can withdraw their deposit. One source describes no locked period and full withdrawal at any time. Smart-contract and underlying-protocol risks still exist, so principal is not risk-free.
How do you get a ticket or entry?
The original version used a 1 Dai ticket, and tickets were simply deposits of a stablecoin. Current versions work on the same deposit-for-odds principle, but readers should check the official app for the assets and amounts currently supported.
Which networks does PoolTogether support?
The protocol is described as running on Ethereum, Base and Optimism. Older contract versions are listed as deprecated on the project's developer pages.
Does PoolTogether have a token?
Yes, POOL is the project's governance-related token. Holders are tied to the community governance of the protocol, though the specifics of voting and token use are published by the project, not summarized here.
Is PoolTogether legal and safe?
The protocol itself is open source and runs on smart contracts, but that does not remove risk. It faced legal pressure in the past, and users should check whether prize games are permitted where they live and only deposit what they can afford to have exposed to smart-contract risk. Users must be 18 or older, or the age of majority locally.
Compare
Pooltogether alternatives
PoolTogether V3 is a no-loss prize savings protocol where deposit yield funds prizes, for users who want to save with a chance to win.
PoolTogether V5 is a decentralized no-loss prize savings protocol where deposit yield funds prizes, aimed at DeFi savers across seven chains.
Ample is a prize-linked savings protocol where users deposit assets like USDC, keep principal with no lockups, and pooled yield funds weekly prizes.
PoolTogether V4 is a no-loss prize savings protocol where deposit yield funds prizes, for crypto users who want a lottery-style chance without a ticket cost.
Tramplin is a non-custodial Solana staking platform that pays pooled staking revenue to randomly selected users, with on-chain proof of the draws.
Tardly is a no-loss lottery on Algorand where staked ALGO yield funds the prize and depositors can withdraw at any time.
Same category
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Moonpot is described as a BNB Chain and Fantom yield product offering crypto prize pots for users willing to accept draw and contract risks.
Bountive is described as a Starknet prize-savings protocol, but its current app and prize mechanics are unclear.
Freebie Life Finance is described as an Avalanche staking lottery offering a random chance to win tokens.
Pooltime is a frontend for PoolTogether prize pools, where crypto deposits generate entries in chance-based draws.
Amnext was described as a BNB Chain savings game with an AMC token and no-loss prize pool, but current operation is unclear.
Same chain
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Lido is a liquid staking protocol where users stake ETH and receive stETH, a reward-earning token usable across DeFi, governed by LDO holders.
Aave V3 is a non-custodial DeFi lending protocol on 21 chains where users earn interest on deposits or borrow against collateral.
Uniswap V4 is the latest Uniswap DEX version with hooks and concentrated liquidity, running on 22 chains for self-custody token swaps and liquidity provision.
Uniswap V3 is a non-custodial decentralized exchange protocol for token swaps and concentrated liquidity provision across 40+ chains.
DeFi Saver is a non-custodial tool for managing and automating leveraged lending positions across major DeFi protocols on Ethereum and layer-2 networks.
OKX is a major centralized crypto exchange for spot and derivatives trading, earn products and a Web3 wallet, with its own OKB token.
Guides
Guides about Pooltogether
NFT
PoolTogether Legal Defense and NFT Fundraising: A 2026 GuideA plain-language guide to what PoolTogether's legal defense involves, how NFT sales can help fund legal costs, and what readers should verify before buying an NFT or depositing funds. Live public reporting were unavailable, so this guide explains where to check the current case status rather than stating it.
DeFi
PoolTogether Review 2026: How No-Loss Prize Savings WorksPoolTogether is a prize savings protocol where deposit yield funds prizes instead of ticket sales, so depositors can usually withdraw what they put in. This guide explains how it works, how prize odds behave, and what risks and legal questions to check before you use it.
Crypto gambling
What Is Crypto Gambling? How It Works and RisksCrypto gambling means using cryptocurrency to place bets or play games of chance, from casino games and sports betting to prediction markets. Learn how deposits, odds, withdrawals and blockchain settlement work, and what risks to check before participating.
Crypto gambling
Koinswap and Yield-Plus-Gambling Models: What to Check in 2026Koinswap is described as combining yield farming with gambling, but the research gathered for this guide does not confirm how it works. This explainer covers the models that products mixing yield and betting typically use, and the questions to ask before depositing.
How we checked
Sources
No public sources were recorded for this review.
Last updated . Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it.