Overview

Kalshi is a US-based event-contract exchange approved by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as a Designated Contract Market. Founded by MIT graduates in 2018 and launched to the public in 2021, it lets US users legally trade yes/no contracts on the outcome of real-world events — from economic data prints to elections.

What Kalshi actually is

Kalshi lists standardized event contracts on topics like inflation prints, Fed rate decisions, weather, entertainment, and elections. Contracts trade between $0.01 and $0.99 and settle to $1.00 (yes) or $0.00 (no) based on a pre-published rulebook. All trading is denominated in US dollars — no crypto required.

Who it's built for

US adults who want a regulated venue to hedge macro or event risk, or to trade their views on real-world outcomes with the same investor protections that apply to other CFTC-regulated markets.

Regulation & safety

KalshiEX LLC is a Designated Contract Market (DCM) and its clearinghouse, Kalshi Klear, is a Derivatives Clearing Organization (DCO) — both registered with and regulated by the CFTC. Customer funds are held in segregated accounts at FDIC-insured US banks.