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What is Kalshi?

1. What is Kalshi?

  • Definition: Kalshi is the world's largest and leading regulated prediction market platform.

  • Regulation: It is federally regulated in the US as a Designated Contract Market (DCM) by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). This regulation is a key feature that distinguishes Kalshi from many other prediction market platforms.

  • Mission: Kalshi's vision is to allow people to capitalize on their opinions on real-world outcomes and hedge against everyday risks.

2. What are Event Contracts?

Event Contracts are the unique financial products traded on Kalshi.

  • Mechanism: An Event Contract is a legally binding contract based on whether a specific, real-world event will or will not happen.

  • Trading: Users can buy "Yes" or "No" positions on an outcome.

    • The contract pays out $1 if your selection is correct.

    • The current contract price (which ranges from $0.01 to $0.99) reflects the market's estimated probability of that event occurring.

  • Zero-Sum Nature: Prediction markets are generally zero-sum, meaning one trader's gain is another trader's loss, excluding platform fees.

3. Investment and Trading Topics

Kalshi offers markets across a vast range of real-world events, including:

  • Economics: E.g., Will the Fed raise interest rates in the next meeting?

  • Politics/International Affairs: E.g., Will a specific bill pass by a certain date?

  • Culture & Media: E.g., Will a movie gross over a specific amount?

  • Weather: E.g., Will a city's temperature exceed a certain degree?

  • Traditional Financial Markets: Event contracts related to outcomes for indices like the S&P 500 or NASDAQ.

  • Scientific Advancements: E.g., Will a major medical milestone be announced?

4. How Kalshi Makes Money

  • Transaction Fees: Kalshi charges a small transaction fee on the expected earnings of the contract. They pride themselves on competitive, low fees compared to industry standards.

5. Latest Company and Funding Information

  • Founding: Kalshi was founded in 2018.

  • Valuation: The company recently achieved an $11 billion valuation following a $1 billion Series E funding round (as of late 2025).

  • Investors: Notable investors include Paradigm, Sequoia, Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), and ARK Invest.

  • Growth: The platform has seen massive growth, with trading volumes recently exceeding $1 billion weekly.

6. Investment Limits

  • Individual Contract Limit: Users are typically allowed to invest up to $25,000 on a single contract, though some specific contracts may have higher limits (up to $7 million).

  • No Margin: Traders are not allowed to use margin to take positions.