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Kalshi’s CFTC-Approved Perpetual Futures and World Cup Markets Drive Record Volumes

lite News Desk 2 min read

At a glance

  • Kalshi became the first U.S. firm to offer CFTC-regulated perpetual futures
  • Over $5.5 billion traded on Kalshi’s perpetual futures in the first two weeks
  • World Cup prediction markets reached $7 billion in combined weekly volume by mid-June 2026

Recent developments in U.S. prediction markets and perpetual futures have resulted in new trading opportunities and record-setting activity, particularly around major sporting events and cryptocurrency-linked contracts.

On May 29, 2026, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission approved KalshiEX LLC’s BTCPERP perpetual futures contract, enabling it to be listed for trading and clearing as a regulated futures contract. This approval marked Kalshi as the first U.S.-based company to offer CFTC-regulated perpetual futures contracts, with its initial offerings tied to cryptocurrencies.

Kalshi’s entry into the perpetual futures space followed rapid growth in offshore trading, where global perpetual futures volume increased from $28 trillion in 2023 to more than $90 trillion in 2025. These markets were previously not accessible to U.S. institutions, highlighting the significance of Kalshi’s regulatory approval and market launch.

Within the first two weeks after the CFTC approval, Kalshi’s perpetual futures business generated over $5.5 billion in trading volume across 11 contracts linked to cryptocurrencies. This activity demonstrated substantial demand for regulated perpetual futures among U.S. participants.

What the numbers show

  • Kalshi’s perpetual futures saw over $5.5 billion in trading volume in two weeks
  • World Cup-related prediction markets reached $7 billion in combined weekly volume by mid-June 2026
  • Kalshi’s sports prediction markets traded over $344 million on World Cup markets by June 17, 2026

Prediction markets also experienced heightened activity during the 2026 World Cup, with Kalshi reporting $2.9 billion in trading volume for tournament-related markets. Combined weekly volume across Kalshi and Polymarket reached a record $7 billion by mid-June 2026, reflecting increased engagement from market participants.

By June 17, 2026, Kalshi’s sports prediction markets had processed more than $344 million in trades on World Cup markets, with over $200 million of that volume occurring since the tournament began. The company listed nearly 500 unique World Cup tournament markets to accommodate demand for event-based trading.

To enhance data quality and settlement reliability for its sports markets, Kalshi signed a data agreement with Sportradar. This partnership was intended to provide institutional-grade settlement data for the growing number of sports-related prediction markets on the platform.

Kalshi’s expansion into regulated perpetual futures and its active role in prediction markets illustrate ongoing changes in the U.S. trading landscape. The combination of regulatory approval and high-profile events has contributed to increased trading volumes and broader market participation.

* This article is based on publicly available information at the time of writing.

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