The integration will begin in 2026. On-air forecast tickers and a CNBC-branded page will also be included on Kalshi’s platform. The deal comes as Kalshi recently expanded its media presence through a similar arrangement with CNN and builds on its growth after an $11 billion valuation. Meanwhile, Polymarket is strengthening its position in the sector through partnerships with DraftKings, PrizePicks and UFC parent TKO Group as it prepares a CFTC-approved token launch. At the same time, YZi Labs, which was founded by Binance’s CZ, is increasing its exposure to prediction markets with new platforms like Predict.fun and the fast-growing Opinion.
CNBC Adds Kalshi Forecasts
CNBC took a big step into the prediction market space through a new multi-year partnership with Kalshi. Beginning in 2026, CNBC will incorporate Kalshi’s event-probability data across its television programming, digital products, and subscriber platforms. Shows like “Squawk Box” and “Fast Money” will feature a dedicated on-screen ticker displaying real-time forecast movements, while Kalshi will host a CNBC-branded page on its platform showcasing markets curated by the network.
Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour described the collaboration as a shift toward the “next evolution” of financial reporting, and argued that prediction markets offer an entirely new layer of insight by quantifying expectations about what may happen next rather than simply reporting current conditions.
Announcement from CNBC
CNBC president KC Sullivan called prediction markets an increasingly important analytical tool and believes that Kalshi’s forecast data is a powerful extension of traditional financial journalism. The partnership builds on Kalshi’s growing presence across major media outlets, coming just days after the company announced a similar integration deal with CNN for both on-air analysis and newsroom reporting.
Kalshi was launched in 2018, and quickly became one of the largest regulated prediction market operators in the United States, offering tradable markets on elections, economic indicators, sports results and other real-world outcomes. The company’s prominence surged even more after its $1 billion capital raise in November at an $11 billion valuation, which made its 29-year-old co-founders billionaires. CEO Luana Lopes Lara was recognized by Forbes as the world’s youngest self-made woman billionaire.
While Kalshi expands its footprint through mainstream media partnerships, blockchain-based competitor Polymarket is experiencing its own wave of momentum. Polymarket inked multiple high-profile partnerships with established brands including DraftKings, PrizePicks and TKO Group Holdings, which selected the platform as the official prediction partner for UFC and Zuffa Boxing. Its valuation reached $10 billion in October, and the company is preparing to launch a token after securing approval from the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission to operate an intermediated trading platform.
YZi Labs Pushes Into Prediction Markets
Meanwhile, the venture capital firm that was founded by Binance co-founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, YZi Labs, is intensifying its focus on prediction markets as well. On Wednesday, CZ shared YZi-backed Predict.fun as a new prediction platform launching on BNB Chain, where users can earn yield on funds while their predictions are active.
He accompanied the announcement with a disclaimer that the post was not an endorsement. The move follows a dramatic rise in trading activity on Opinion, another YZi-supported prediction platform that stepped up as one of the most active markets in the sector.
Opinion was created by Hong Kong-based Opinion Labs in 2023, and launched exclusively on BNB Chain in October after securing $5 million in seed funding led by YZi Labs, with participation from Animoca Ventures, Echo, Manifold Trading and Amber Group. While CZ described YZi’s involvement as a minority investment aimed at providing strategic value, the platform’s breakout growth attracted a lot of industry attention.
Within just four weeks of its debut, Opinion’s weekly trading volume surged to almost $1.5 billion, surpassing Kalshi’s $1.2 billion and Polymarket’s roughly $1 billion, according to data from Dune Analytics. With 40% of the total $3.7 billion weekly market share, Opinion set a new sector record, even eclipsing Polymarket’s peak during the 2024 US election cycle.
The sudden rise led to questions from market analysts, who argue that the acceleration seems too sharp to be entirely organic. TEN Protocol co-founder Cais Manai said that Opinion’s volume spike “looks more like engineered activity than a sudden mass onboarding,” and suggested that prediction market volume across the industry may be inflated during the current boom. Despite broader crypto market softness, prediction markets as a whole reached new highs in November, with cumulative activity jumping past $13 billion.
With both Predict.fun and Opinion gaining traction on BNB Chain, YZi’s portfolio is at the center of one of crypto’s fastest-expanding sectors.
