Kalshi’s Crypto Perpetual Futures Reach $17.98 Million Open Interest

Kalshi daily crypto perpetual-futures open interest reached a record $17.98 million. The reading puts attention on Kalshi's CFTC-regulated perpetual futures, which allow traders to take leveraged positions on crypto prices without buying the underlying assets.

Perpetual futures, or perps, are derivative contracts that let traders take a position on an asset's price without owning the asset itself. A trader can take a long position when expecting a price rise or a short position when expecting a decline. Unlike traditional futures, perpetual futures do not have an expiration date, although positions require sufficient collateral to remain open.

Kalshi's perpetual-futures guide says the company became the first in U.S. history to offer CFTC-regulated perpetual futures on May 29, 2026. The guide describes crypto perpetual futures as a way to trade price movements in assets, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and XRP, without crypto changing hands.

Leverage allows collateral to control a larger position, amplifying both potential gains and potential losses. A price move against a leveraged position can lead to liquidation if losses consume the required collateral. Kalshi's guide also says its contracts use a funding rate charged every eight hours, a mechanism intended to keep perpetual-futures prices aligned with the underlying spot market.