Quick Breakdown
- Kalshi has established a new office in Washington, DC, and appointed veteran campaign operative John Bivona as its first Head of Federal Government Relations.
- The expansion aims to promote “responsible innovation” and secure federal oversight as the platform reaches a record $100 billion in annualised trading volume.
- This move follows a year of legal victories against the CFTC and ongoing jurisdictional battles with state gaming commissions in Massachusetts and New Jersey.
The US-regulated exchange Kalshi announced the opening of a dedicated Washington, DC, office on Monday, January 26, 2026, marking a pivotal shift in its strategy to cement prediction markets as a mainstream financial asset class. Alongside the new physical presence, the firm hired John Bivona to lead its federal policy efforts and expand its influence among lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
Bivona, who has previously worked on high-level political campaigns, will be responsible for navigating the increasingly complex regulatory landscape as prediction markets transition from niche experimental tools to high-volume financial infrastructure.
Scaling regulatory efforts amidst record volumes
The decision to plant a flag in the nation’s capital comes as Kalshi’s platform activity surges to unprecedented heights. According to official statements, the exchange now handles $100 billion in annualised trading volume, with millions of daily users speculating on everything from election results to the Super Bowl. Bivona emphasised that Kalshi spent four years seeking regulatory approval before its initial launch, positioning the company as the “most trusted” player in a category often criticised for its proximity to gambling.
Kalshi has also hired Blake Bee to lead its state-level policy efforts, a critical role as the company fights multiple cease-and-desist orders. In January 2026, a Massachusetts judge issued a preliminary injunction against Kalshi, temporarily banning it from offering sports-based contracts in the state. The platform’s expansion into DC is widely seen as an attempt to prove that its operations fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), rather than a patchwork of state-level gambling laws.
Strategic alignment with federal transparency goals
Beyond its lobbying efforts, Kalshi is actively supporting legislative measures to bolster the integrity of prediction markets. CEO Tarek Mansour recently voiced support for the “Public Integrity Act of 2026,” a bill proposed by Representative Ritchie Torres that would ban government officials from using non-public information to trade on event outcomes. Mansour argued that such federal standards are necessary to distance regulated exchanges from “unregulated offshore platforms” that lack oversight.
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