Kalshi Appoints Influencer John Wang as Head of Crypto Amid Market Expansion

Prediction markets are having a moment, and Kalshi is positioning itself to capture a bigger slice of the action. On Monday, the platform announced that John Wang, a prominent figure in crypto space, has joined as its new head of crypto.

The move comes as competition intensifies among platforms seeking to merge digital assets with event-based trading.

Building crypto markets at Kalshi

Wang, who previously built a strong reputation engaging with crypto communities online, outlined his role in a post on X. “I’ll be bringing new crypto markets to life, growing Kalshi’s builder ecosystem, and leading the push onchain,” he wrote, framing the appointment as an opportunity to expand crypto adoption beyond its current base.

While Wang admitted that Kalshi wasn’t an obvious fit at first, he said the firm’s growing commitment to blockchain-based markets ultimately drew him in.

Kalshi already offers event-based contracts, allowing users to trade outcomes tied to elections, economic indicators, and other real-world events. But in recent months, the company has moved deeper into crypto integration.

In May, Kalshi added Solana support, following earlier steps to let customers fund accounts using Bitcoin and USDC. With Wang onboard, the firm is signaling that it intends to double down on this direction.

Competition in prediction markets

The timing of Wang’s hire coincides with a surge of interest in prediction platforms, where traditional brokerages and crypto-native firms are beginning to overlap.

Robinhood has announced plans to let users place wagers on football outcomes through a partnership, while Coinbase has explored its own entry into prediction markets. On the blockchain side, Polymarket remains a frontrunner, reporting over 286,000 active traders in July, its most since April.

Kalshi, however, is bolstered by fresh resources and regulatory clarity. In June, the company closed a $185 million Series C led by Paradigm at a reported $2 billion valuation.

And in May, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission moved to dismiss an appeal that could have complicated Kalshi’s operations. With elections approaching, Kalshi has leaned into the idea that political markets in particular could reshape how people consume information.

Wang himself recalled seeing Kalshi billboards in Times Square during the last election cycle: “This is how society will process truth. Not through punditry or biased takes, but through markets that transform belief into something tangible.”

With Wang’s addition, Kalshi is betting that crypto-native expertise will help it reach new audiences, and better compete in an increasingly crowded prediction market.

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