Settlement method
Settlement with the final result means that settlement can occur once the outcome of a future question was determined in the real world.
All trades "for" the one winning answer will be judged at a win paying 1 credit per share, trades for all other answers pay nothing, as do trades "against" the correct answer. Logically, trades against all other answers will also pay 1 credit per share as these answers did, in fact, not happen.
Advantages and disadvantages
Pro
- Users will give their most objective prediction, firmly rooted in expected reality.
- Prices converge rapidly, right to the last traders' own expected likelihood of an answer.
Con
- Less motivating for long term questions (for the same incentive amount) running longer than one to three months. It is highly advisable to provide larger incentives to long running questions.