Kalshi files with CFTC to launch equity index perpetual futures

Published Aug 18, 02:22 PM UTC

Prediction market platform Kalshi has filed with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to launch perpetual futures, or 'perps,' tied to equity indexes. The proposed 'US500' perp would track the MerQube U.S. Large Cap Index, which follows the largest 500 U.S.-listed companies. This follows Kalshi's May 2026 approval for crypto perps and a July filing for precious metals perps. Perpetual futures, previously traded only offshore, allow continuous trading without expiration. Kalshi's expansion has raised competition concerns for traditional exchanges like CME Group and CBOE Global Markets, whose stocks initially fell on the crypto perps approval. CME has sued the CFTC over the matter. Kalshi aims to become a full-fledged multi-asset exchange, with its perps already crossing $1 billion in notional volume within a week of launch.