Interactive Brokers rolled out a new prediction markets platform on Thursday, pulling event contracts from three separate liquidity pools into a single trading interface. The platform, built for professional traders, combines offerings from Kalshi, CME Group, and the brokerage's own affiliate exchange, ForecastEx.
Three liquidity pools, one screen
Until now, traders who wanted to bet on everything from election outcomes to interest-rate moves had to hop between different exchanges and platforms. Interactive Brokers' new system changes that. It consolidates event contracts from Kalshi, the federally regulated prediction market; CME Group, the giant derivatives exchange; and ForecastEx, the company's in-house venue for event-based derivatives.
The result is a single interface where eligible clients can view and trade contracts from all three sources. The company hasn't spelled out exactly which clients qualify, but the platform's design targets professional traders — not casual retail punters.
A growing asset class gets a unified home
Prediction markets have drawn increasing attention from institutional players. Kalshi, which won regulatory approval to list event contracts in 2020, has seen volumes climb as traders use its markets to hedge political and economic risks. CME Group, the world's largest futures exchange, also offers event-based products tied to economic data. ForecastEx, Interactive Brokers' own exchange, focuses on binary contracts linked to outcomes like Fed rate decisions.
By stitching these three liquidity pools together, Interactive Brokers is effectively creating a one-stop shop for event-driven trading. The move could boost liquidity across all three venues as traders no longer need to maintain separate accounts and interfaces.
What's available on the platform
The exact list of contracts isn't fully detailed in the announcement. But based on the constituent exchanges, users can expect contracts covering political races, economic indicators, corporate earnings, and central bank policy decisions. Kalshi's markets include topics like congressional control and inflation reports; CME's event contracts cover employment data and GDP; ForecastEx offers binary outcomes on Fed funds rate moves.
Interactive Brokers has long been a technology-forward brokerage, known for its low-cost trading and sophisticated tools. This platform fits that mold — it's not for beginners. Professional traders who already use Interactive Brokers' main trading system will find the new prediction markets integrated into their existing workflow.
The launch comes as regulators increasingly scrutinize event-based contracts. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission under both the Trump and Biden administrations has weighed in on which contracts should be allowed. Kalshi itself has faced legal battles over the scope of its approved markets. Interactive Brokers' move to aggregate contracts from multiple regulated venues may be an attempt to offer diversification while staying within regulatory lines.
The platform went live Thursday. Eligible clients can access it through their Interactive Brokers accounts. The company hasn't said whether it plans to add more liquidity pools or expand access to retail traders. That question remains open.
