Prediction Market PredictIt Gains CFTC Approval for New Exchange Launch

Prediction market platform PredictIt, originally an academic project focused on political forecasting, has secured regulatory approval from the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to operate as both a designated contract market (DCM) and derivatives clearing organization (DCO). The D.C.-based Aristotle, which operates PredictIt, announced plans to launch an expanded exchange in October, promising deeper liquidity and diversified markets for U.S. traders.

While the platform began in 2014 as a niche academic venture run by New Zealand's Victoria University of Wellington, it has since grown to over 400,000 active users. The CFTC's greenlight marks a pivotal shift—PredictIt will now compete with regulated prediction markets like Kalshi, though Aristotle remains tight-lipped about specific new market offerings beyond political contracts.