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Kalshi launches Ethereum perpetual futures in the U.S. after CFTC approval

Kalshi launches Ethereum perpetual futures in the U.S. after CFTC approval

Kalshi added a second live U.S.-regulated crypto perpetual after Bitcoin, as broader CFTC approvals for Coinbase and Kalshi intensified debate over retail risk, market structure and pending altcoin reviews.

BTC
ETH
XRP

Fact Check
The Defiant article explicitly states Kalshi filed perpetual futures on 12 altcoins including XRP and SHIB three days after the CFTC's May 29 approval of Kalshi's BTCPERP bitcoin perpetual contract. Yahoo Finance and Decrypt independently confirm the same filing list, and Bitcoin Magazine confirms the prior bitcoin perpetual launch. Both elements of the claim—the XRP/SHIB filing and the May 29 CFTC Bitcoin perpetual approval—are corroborated.
Summary

Kalshi has launched Ethereum perpetual futures in the United States after CFTC approval, expanding its regulated domestic crypto-derivatives lineup beyond the Bitcoin perpetual futures it introduced on June 3, 2026. The Ethereum rollout makes Kalshi one of the first venues offering U.S.-regulated crypto perpetuals in a market long dominated by offshore platforms, and it comes amid broader scrutiny after the CFTC also cleared Coinbase for similar products. Proposed perpetual contracts tied to XRP, Shiba Inu and other altcoins remain under separate regulatory review. The approvals have also triggered criticism from CME Group CEO Terry Duffy, who called perpetual futures "a disaster waiting to happen," warning that leverage, funding costs and auto-liquidation features can create outsized risks for retail traders even as supporters argue that bringing the product onshore could improve oversight.

Terms & Concepts
  • crypto-perpetuals: Crypto derivatives contracts that do not expire on a set date and can remain open indefinitely.
  • funding payments: Periodic payments in perpetual futures markets used to help keep contract prices aligned with the underlying spot market.
  • auto-liquidation: A mechanism that automatically closes leveraged positions when losses breach required margin levels.