Kalshi outlines penalties after two insider cases

Key Takeaway:

• Kalshi announced insider-trading enforcement against two prediction-market accounts.
• Actions clarify CEA-based anti-fraud rules apply to event contracts.
• Penalties: five-year ban, $2,246; two-year suspension, roughly $20,397.

Kalshi disclosed enforcement actions against two accounts for insider trading on its prediction markets. The cases involve a congressional candidate and a content creator’s employee. The actions highlight how derivatives law applies to event contracts.

The cases were described in a February 25 enforcement advisory detailing potential violations of Commodity Exchange Act Section 6(c)(1) and CFTC Regulation 180.1, which prohibit fraudulent or manipulative schemes, according to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The advisory reported a five-year ban and about $2,246 in fines for the political candidate, and a two-year suspension with roughly $20,397 in fines for the creator-affiliated trader.

These actions clarify that trading on material non‑public information in event contracts can trigger anti‑fraud enforcement. The framework differs from securities insider‑trading law but addresses comparable misconduct through the CEA’s broad anti‑manipulation authority.

In the political‑candidate matter, trades occurred in a market tied to the candidate’s own race. The advisory imposed a five‑year ban and approximately $2,246 in fines. The notice cited potential violations under CEA 6(c)(1) and 17 C.F.R. 180.1.

In the creator‑affiliated case, the trader was an editor for the YouTube channel MrBeast. Penalties included a two‑year suspension and around $20,397 in fines, combining profit disgorgement and a monetary penalty. The editor was identified as Artem Kaptur, as reported by CBS News.

Kalshi describes a surveillance‑first approach that detects anomalous trading and freezes accounts before funds can be withdrawn. The exchange also indicates that implicated accounts are referred to regulators. “In both of these cases, our systems flagged the trades and our surveillance team froze the traders’ accounts. Neither trader withdrew any profits,” said Robert DeNault, Head of Enforcement, Kalshi.

Practically, the cited CFTC rules bar trading event contracts using material non‑public information obtained in breach of a duty or through deceptive conduct. Candidates and employees with inside knowledge should abstain from markets where they hold such information.

At the time of this writing, Augur (REP) is quoted near $0.9581 with volatility around 38% and an RSI near 34. The same week, prediction‑market notional volume dipped 1.4% to $5.25 billion while Kalshi rose 6.7% to $2.59 billion, based on data from Artemis.

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