Kalshi is the United States' first and only exchange for event contracts, fully regulated by the CFTC. Trade on politics, economics, weather, sports and more — legally, transparently, and with real money on outcomes that matter.
Kalshi is the first and only exchange in the United States legally permitted to offer event contracts — binary outcome financial instruments that pay based on the result of real-world events. Founded by Tarek Mansour and Luana Lopes Lara and regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Kalshi operates with the same legal standing as major US financial exchanges like CME Group or CBOE.
Kalshi markets cover a broad range of real-world events: US economic data (Fed rate decisions, CPI, GDP, unemployment), elections and political outcomes, weather events, sports championships, and technology milestones. Each market is a YES/NO binary contract — buy YES if you believe an event will occur, or NO if you don't. Correct predictions pay $1.00 per contract at settlement.
The key distinction between Kalshi and offshore prediction markets is legal protection: as a CFTC-regulated exchange, Kalshi operates under rigorous US financial law, with customer funds fully segregated and protected. US residents can trade Kalshi event contracts with full confidence that their funds are secure and every transaction is legally enforceable under American law.
Four simple steps to start trading event contracts on the US's only regulated prediction market.
Sign up at Kalshi.com or on the Kalshi app. US residents verify identity (KYC) per CFTC requirements — quick and secure.
Deposit US dollars via ACH bank transfer, wire, or debit card. No crypto needed. Min deposit $1. Funds available instantly.
Browse 500+ live Kalshi markets. Choose your event, review YES/NO prices, and buy contracts at the market or limit price.
Correct predictions pay $1.00/contract at settlement. Sell contracts before expiry to realize P&L. Withdraw USD anytime.
Kalshi covers the events that shape the US economy, politics, and daily life — all legally traded as CFTC-regulated contracts.
Federal Reserve rate decisions, CPI inflation prints, GDP growth, unemployment rate, recession probability, S&P 500 level targets.
US elections (presidential, Senate, House), executive orders, legislation passage, Supreme Court decisions, government shutdown odds.
Hurricane season predictions, seasonal temperature anomalies, NOAA weather forecasts — unique to Kalshi, unavailable at other exchanges.
Super Bowl, NBA Finals, World Series, Stanley Cup, FIFA World Cup 2026, college football, golf majors, UFC title fights.
AI model releases, tech earnings, product launch outcomes, regulatory decisions on major technology companies and platforms.
Geopolitical developments, international elections, global economic indicators, major scientific discoveries and space events.
The Kalshi API is a comprehensive REST and WebSocket interface that gives developers and quantitative traders programmatic access to all Kalshi markets. The Kalshi API provides real-time contract prices, order book data, portfolio management, and automated order placement — all backed by CFTC-regulated infrastructure that guarantees the legal standing of every transaction.
The Kalshi API is widely used by institutional traders monitoring US economic data releases, political analysts building probability dashboards, and quantitative developers automating trading strategies around Fed announcements, election events, and earnings seasons. The REST API uses standard authentication via API keys tied to your Kalshi account, with Python and TypeScript SDKs maintained in the official Kalshi GitHub repository. Full documentation is available at trading.kalshi.com/docs.
The Kalshi app brings the full power of America's only regulated prediction market to your phone. Available on iOS and Android, the Kalshi app provides a sleek, intuitive interface for browsing markets, placing trades, managing your portfolio, and tracking event outcomes in real time.
The Kalshi app is designed specifically for US residents who want to trade prediction markets legally and securely. Fund your account directly from a US bank account via ACH, or use a debit card for instant access. Push notifications alert you when markets you're watching move significantly or when a contract is about to settle — keeping you ahead of every major US event.
MIT and Stanford GSB alumnus, previously at Goldman Sachs. Mansour co-founded Kalshi with the mission of creating a legal, CFTC-regulated marketplace for event contracts in the United States. He led the multi-year regulatory process that resulted in Kalshi becoming the only CFTC-approved prediction market in US history.
MIT EECS graduate and former software engineer at top technology firms. Lopes Lara built the technical infrastructure that powers the Kalshi exchange — including the real-time matching engine, Kalshi API, and Kalshi app. Her engineering leadership enabled Kalshi to operate at institutional-grade reliability from day one.
Kalshi is the only prediction market in the United States that is regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) — the same regulator that oversees CME Group and CBOE. This means Kalshi is legally authorized to offer event contracts to US residents, with full regulatory protections including segregated customer funds and mandatory financial reporting. Other prediction markets, including offshore platforms, do not have this regulatory status and operate outside US financial law. For US residents, Kalshi is the only legally compliant choice.
Kalshi was founded by Tarek Mansour (CEO) and Luana Lopes Lara (CTO), both MIT graduates. Mansour, who also holds an MBA from Stanford GSB and worked at Goldman Sachs, led the years-long regulatory process to obtain CFTC approval. Lopes Lara, an MIT EECS engineer, built the technical platform from the ground up. Together, the Kalshi founders created the first legally-regulated prediction market exchange in US history, backed by top investors including Y Combinator, Henry Kravis, and Sequoia Capital.
The Kalshi API is a REST and WebSocket interface that provides programmatic access to all Kalshi markets, prices, and order management functions. Developers authenticate using API keys tied to their Kalshi account. The REST API supports market data retrieval, order placement, position management, and account information. The WebSocket endpoint streams real-time price updates. Official Python and TypeScript SDKs are available at the Kalshi GitHub. Full API documentation is at trading.kalshi.com/docs — the most comprehensive prediction market API available under US regulatory oversight.
Kalshi is CFTC-regulated at the federal level, which provides the legal basis for operation across the United States. However, some states may impose additional restrictions on certain types of markets. Kalshi's compliance team monitors state-level regulatory requirements and may restrict access to specific markets in certain jurisdictions. Most US residents can access the full Kalshi platform. The Kalshi app and website will show you which markets are available based on your location during the account setup process.
The Kalshi app offers full feature parity with the web platform, including all market categories, order types (market and limit orders), portfolio tracking, and account management. The Kalshi app adds mobile-specific features such as push notifications for price movements and settlement alerts. One advantage of the Kalshi app for active traders is speed — you can act on breaking news or economic data releases in seconds from anywhere. Both the Kalshi app and web platform are backed by the same CFTC-regulated infrastructure and USD settlement system.
The only CFTC-regulated prediction market in the US. 500+ markets. USD deposits. No crypto needed.
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