The expansion comes as Jump took stakes in Kalshi and Polymarket, helped provide Kalshi’s first institutional block-trade liquidity and joined rivals staffing up for the fast-growing market.
Jump Trading Group has doubled its dedicated prediction markets team to roughly 20 people in 2026, deepening its push into a sector it views as part of mature financial markets. Simon Johansen, Jump’s head of prediction markets, said the Chicago-based firm has also taken equity stakes in Kalshi and Polymarket in exchange for providing market-making services, with those deals struck around February 2026. By May 2026, Jump had facilitated Kalshi’s first institutional block-trade liquidity, a milestone for larger investors seeking to move size without disrupting prices. The expansion comes as prediction markets attract heavier participation around major events such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup, when combined monthly trading volume across platforms topped $50 billion. Jump’s move mirrors a broader Wall Street buildout, with DRW and Susquehanna International Group also establishing dedicated teams, suggesting tighter spreads and fewer easy arbitrage opportunities as institutional market makers crowd into the space.