Online prediction market platform Kalshi will allow users to access its contracts through brokerages, a move aimed at expanding its reach and mainstreaming event-based trading.
The company, which lets users bet on outcomes of political, business, and entertainment events, said the integration would enable stock traders to participate in its markets alongside equities and cryptocurrencies.
“Over time, integrating with brokers will enable the 160 million Americans who own stock to access prediction markets,” Tarek Mansour, Kalshi’s co-founder and CEO, said in a statement. “Kalshi is committed to growing prediction markets into a trillion-dollar asset class — and we are not going to stop building until we do.”
Prediction markets surged in popularity during the 2024 U.S. election, with platforms like Kalshi claiming to have reflected Donald Trump’s victory odds more accurately than traditional opinion polls. Kalshi currently has 908 active contracts, up from 290 in October and 691 on Election Day.
Users can wager on topics ranging from political events, such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation votes, to business and entertainment, including Super Bowl advertisers and Netflix’s most-watched show.
Kalshi’s expansion into brokerages was made possible after the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (C.F.T.C.) lifted restrictions on its ability to work with futures contract merchants earlier this month. The platform previously won a legal battle to offer election-related contracts, despite opposition from the C.F.T.C.
The shift comes amid a broader regulatory realignment. Caroline Pham, a C.F.T.C. commissioner who has criticized election betting restrictions, was recently appointed acting chair, increasing speculation that the agency may adopt a more favorable stance toward prediction markets.
The Trump administration has also shown support for event-based trading. Kalshi recently hired Donald Trump Jr. as a strategic adviser, positioning itself closer to the administration’s regulatory outlook.
Since its launch, Kalshi has processed $2 billion in betting volume and recorded two million app downloads. Wall Street firms have begun incorporating prediction market data into their research, further legitimizing the sector.
However, regulatory scrutiny remains. In November, federal agents raided the home of Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan as part of an investigation into whether the rival platform operated an unlicensed commodities exchange.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2025/02/03/93934-kalshi-seeking-to-offer-prediction-market-access-via-brokerages
