Catenaa, Sunday, February 01, 2026-Prediction markets platform Kalshi has opened a new office in Washington to strengthen its lobbying and policy engagement with the US government as regulatory scrutiny intensifies across states.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission regulated exchange said the move is designed to deepen federal and state outreach as it expands its footprint in event based trading.
The company appointed John Bivona as its first head of federal government relations. Bivona previously served as White House liaison at the Department of Homeland Security during the Biden administration and brings more than two decades of political experience.
Kalshi also named Blake Bee to lead state policy efforts. Bee previously managed state and local public policy at Amazon and worked closely with state attorneys general on regulatory matters.
The expansion comes as Kalshi reports rapid growth in trading activity. The platform posted $6.58 billion in monthly volume in December, making it the largest prediction market by that measure.
Rival Polymarket reported $2.28 billion during the same period. Kalshi’s volume accelerated from September, coinciding with the start of the US National Football League season. Trading topped $441 million in the first four days after kickoff, according to company data.
Despite its federal license, Kalshi continues to face resistance from state regulators over sports related contracts. Authorities in Arizona, Tennessee, Connecticut and Massachusetts have argued the products amount to unlicensed sports gambling under state law.
Court rulings have diverged. A federal judge in Nevada ordered Kalshi to comply with state gaming rules, rejecting claims that federal oversight overrides state authority.
Kalshi has appealed. In Tennessee, a federal judge temporarily blocked state efforts to halt the contracts.
Several states have also moved against rival platforms, keeping regulatory uncertainty a major obstacle for prediction market growth.
