The Kalshi success story is driven by numerous market forces and internal company policies. But perhaps none more than Kalshi’s powerful and seemingly daily business development successes.
Iconic financial firm Cantor Fitzgerald is opening access for its roughly 3,000 institutional clients to trade event contracts on the CFTC-regulated Kalshi platform. Announced on August 19, 2026, the service allows hedge funds, family offices, and other large firms to execute block trades outside the central order book. Cantor acts as introducing broker, arranging negotiated deals at a single price, while Susquehanna International Group supplies institutional-scale pricing and liquidity.
Pascal Bandelier, Co-CEO and Global Head of Equities at Cantor, explained the timing in the company statement: “Prediction markets are growing rapidly, but institutional participation has not kept pace because investors have lacked the ability to transact at scale on a regulated exchange. The liquidity is here.” Cantor is extending the trading model it already uses in equities and fixed income to event contracts, giving professional traders a familiar way to move meaningful size into prediction markets. Yet another sign that institutional Wall Street firms are moving toward full recognition of these news markets as valuable tools for investment portfolios.
How the Block Trading Service Works
Client-traders negotiate positions privately through Cantor, then settle the trades on Kalshi. Susquehanna Predictions, already a primary liquidity provider on the platform, quotes and supports the larger tickets. This keeps sizable orders off the public book, limiting market impact while still meeting institutional compliance standards.
The effort sits inside Cantor’s Global Markets division under Bandelier and Co-CEO Christian Wall. Kalshi starts as the first venue, with room for additional regulated platforms later, with expansion coming in stages. Institutional clients can also propose new contract ideas that match specific hedging or directional needs; Kalshi reviews these new markets for possible listing. You can see the full integration coming to fruition: institutional clients not only trading on Kalshi markets but also creating them.
Early interest centers on practical uses. Hedge funds have asked about contracts linked to product shipments and infrastructure metrics. Family offices are exploring weather, commodity, and yield-related outcomes as direct hedging tools. By handling brokerage and pairing it with Susquehanna’s market-making strength, Cantor creates a ready channel for clients already working with the firm in other asset classes. Customer trust is baked in. Clients can explore these prediction market contracts with Cantor’s stamp of approval.
Why Scale Matters for Event Contracts Right Now
Event contract volume has risen sharply, yet larger professional desks often found it difficult to enter or exit positions efficiently. The new block process solves that trading friction. Once size can move cleanly, pricing efficiency tends to improve for all traders as spreads tighten and depth increases.
Max Crowley, VP of Business Development at Kalshi, highlighted Cantor’s deep relationships and execution experience as the right match for expanding the role of event contracts in client portfolios. The partnership also creates a feedback loop: institutions surface real demand, and new listings can follow where regulatory conditions allow.
The service set up for Cantor builds on Kalshi’s earlier steps to attract professional capital, including its first major block trade earlier this year. With roughly 3,000 institutional relationships now connected, the infrastructure for larger activity is in place.
As more professional-size investors enter the market, event contracts become easier to use alongside traditional strategies. The combination of trusted brokerage, dedicated liquidity, and client-driven product ideas removes the barriers that previously kept many desks on the sidelines.
References
- Cantor Joins Brokers Offering Access to Kalshi Prediction Market – Bloomberg
- Cantor launches prediction market trading for institutional investors – Reuters
- Cantor opens Kalshi prediction markets to thousands of institutional clients – CoinDesk
- Cantor Commences Institutional Block Trading in Prediction Markets – Business Wire
- Cantor Commences Institutional Block Trading in Prediction Markets – Yahoo Finance
- Cantor Fitzgerald to Offer Kalshi Event Contracts to About 3,000 Institutional Clients
- Cantor Fitzgerald Bridges Wall Street and Kalshi Prediction Markets for Institutions – Blockonomi
- Cantor Fitzgerald Opens Kalshi Prediction Markets to Hedge Funds, Institutional Investors – DeFi Rate
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