Finance News
By James Thorp
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Trading Volumes Explode. Open interest crossed $1 billion on April 15. First time since November 2024's election.
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Platforms Adjust Strategy. Robinhood is playing it safe. The company is limiting exposure to high-risk contracts—war,…
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What Happens Next. The CFTC is using lawsuits to assert federal authority.
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CFTC Chairman Michael Selig went before the House Agriculture Committee on April 16. He made one thing clear: prediction markets belong under federal watch, and the agency won't…
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Selig said contracts tied to war, death, and commodities raise real consumer protection issues. His agency treats them as derivatives, which puts them in CFTC territory.
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Open interest crossed $1 billion on April 15. First time since November 2024's election. Weekly volumes? $6.5 billion. That's massive.
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Kalshi led the charge with $3.54 billion in trading volume. Polymarket wasn't far behind at $2.48 billion.
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The numbers show robust engagement even as legal pressure mounts. Platforms are caught between expanding their reach and staying on the right side of regulators who can't agree…
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Robinhood is playing it safe. The company is limiting exposure to high-risk contracts—war, politics, anything that screams insider trading or manipulation concerns.
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Kalshi is also the main player in the jurisdictional fight. The company is defending its right to offer sports contracts across state lines, arguing federal law preempts state…
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Read also: Schwab Eyes Prediction Markets While Ramping Up Crypto Trading Access
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Meanwhile, infrastructure is evolving. Leverate introduced a hybrid market-making engine that combines automated pricing with a central limit order book.
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The CFTC is using lawsuits to assert federal authority. The agency wants clarity, and it's betting courts will side with Washington over state regulators.
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Kalshi's commodities hub is a strategic move. By offering contracts on energy, agriculture, and metals, the platform positions itself as more than just a sports or politics…
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The legal complexity is wild. Federal preemption doctrine says federal law trumps state law when Congress clearly intends it.
The Currency Analytics
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