Kalshi launches perpetual stock futures… self-reported trading volume of 404.4 billion won

Kalshi launched perpetual futures tied to more than 50 U.S. stocks and ETFs listed on the NYSE and Nasdaq on February 5, marking the prediction-market platform's expansion into leveraged equity-style trading without requiring users to hold the underlying shares. COO Luana Lopes Lara said cumulative trading volume surpassed $300 million (about 404.4 billion won) by the morning of launch following a private rollout, though Bankless noted the figure is company-reported and not an audited disclosure. The contracts let traders take long or short positions based on individual share-price direction, broadening Kalshi's product set beyond event contracts. The volume claim matters as an early signal of demand for perpetuals on traditional equities, a structure more common in crypto markets. What to watch next is whether Kalshi publishes audited or exchange-verified volume data and how the offering scales across the full 50-plus ticker lineup.