Kalshi Adds Zcash And Shiba Inu Perps

Kalshi has added perpetual futures contracts for Zcash ($ZEC), NEAR Protocol ($NEAR), Dogecoin ($DOGE), and Shiba Inu ($SHIB) to its platform, the latest step in a rapid expansion of the prediction market operator's regulated derivatives business.

Four New Contracts, 13 Crypto Assets Total

The additions bring the total number of supported crypto assets to 13, alongside Bitcoin and other altcoins. Zcash perpetuals are offered with up to 2x leverage, while NEAR contracts allow leverage of up to 2.6x. Shiba Inu's perpetual contract, listed under the ticker KSHIB, also carries a maximum leverage ratio of 2x.

The contracts trade under Kalshi's American Perpetuals label, a product line that never expires and instead settles through periodic funding payments between traders. The contracts are available through a structure approved by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission and do not carry expiration dates.

Kalshi opened its perpetuals push in late May with Bitcoin, the first such contract ever cleared for trading on a U.S. venue. Ethereum, XRP, Solana, and Hyperliquid followed through June under the same regulated framework. Kalshi is the first company in U.S. history to offer regulated perpetual futures to American traders.

Some Contracts Still Awaiting CFTC Sign-Off

Kalshi has already secured approval for most of its filed products, though contracts linked to Stellar, Polkadot, and Hedera remain under review by the CFTC. Because such products may vary significantly depending on the assets they reference, the Commission took the view that a voluntary, case-by-case review process under Regulation 40.3 is the appropriate route for listing perpetual contracts, rather than self-certification.

The approvals came despite CME Group's lawsuit against the U.S. CFTC and its chairman, alleging that these contracts are swaps. The SEC and CFTC are also requesting public comments to clarify and harmonize definitions of derivatives products, especially swaps.

Last year, crypto exchanges processed $86 trillion in perpetual futures volume, according to data from CoinGecko. The bulk of that activity has historically taken place on offshore platforms, making Kalshi's regulated onshore offering a notable structural shift for U.S. traders.

Sources:
crypto.news: Kalshi launches Zcash and SHIB perps as lawsuit heats up
CFTC: Order for Approval of Kalshi BTCPERP Contract
CoinDesk: U.S. CFTC opens crypto perp door with approval of first regulated firm