Kalshi CEO teases 401(k) access, NFL season parlays, and Solana integration amid expansion push
Prediction market platform Kalshi is making bold moves to expand its reach — from mainstream finance to crypto to potentially disrupting sports betting with parlays — according to CEO Tarek Mansour’s latest comments at the Solana Accelerate conference in New York.
During a panel titled “Regulation and Innovation in the Realm of Prediction Markets,” Mansour hinted that Kalshi contracts could be integrated into major financial broker apps — potentially those offering 401(k) accounts — by the end of 2026. While not suggesting the contracts would be directly held within retirement accounts, he implied their accessibility would rival that of traditional investments.
“By the next year and a half, I think most mainstream financial brokers, where you have your 401(k), will have Kalshi markets available within app,” Mansour said.
A Kalshi spokesperson later clarified that the statement referred to brokerage accessibility, not 401(k) account compatibility — a key distinction given the regulatory complexity of retirement investing.
While discussing the regulatory challenges the company has faced since its launch, Mansour also stated that Kalshi is currently in a growth phase and is one of the fastest-growing companies in the United States today.
“The rate of growth is really fast, so I am not being able to project anymore …. I think Kalshi is one of the fastest-growing companies in the US today. Maybe by the end of the year, we will be THE fastest growing company in America,” he added.
High-stakes vision for prediction markets
Mansour’s comments reflect Kalshi’s aggressive positioning as a legitimate financial market, even as it faces scepticism about its partnerships and alleged sports-focused offerings. Just days earlier, Kalshi prematurely announced a deal with Elon Musk’s xAI — a statement it had to walk back within hours. While xAI acknowledged ongoing discussions, no formal agreement has been reached.
Despite such missteps, Mansour doubled down on Kalshi’s broader mission to mainstream prediction markets.
“We’re going to go much more aggressively next year,” he said, referencing an expansion of market structures beyond binary “yes/no” contracts — potentially allowing for multi-leg prediction parlays akin to sportsbook offerings.
Sports contracts in the shadows — for now
Interestingly, despite sports-related markets accounting for the majority of Kalshi’s trading volume in recent months, Mansour spoke sparingly about the category. According to data from InGame, sports events dominated Kalshi activity in both April and early May, yet the only direct reference from Mansour came in a broader timeline of market trends.
“Last fall, October-November was super election, politics dominated… Then March was sports,” he said, suggesting cyclical user engagement.
While Kalshi’s partnership with Robinhood includes sports contracts, its WeBull integration does not currently include them. Mansour avoided confirming whether future financial broker partnerships would allow users to access sports event markets — likely a silence given regulatory sensitivities around defining such contracts as financial instruments.
Could NFL Parlays disrupt the industry?
One of the biggest developments teased was the potential rollout of parlay-style products in time for the 2025 NFL season. Prediction market enthusiasts and sports bettors alike have long speculated whether Kalshi — or any exchange-based model — could offer parlay functionality with sufficient liquidity to rival traditional sportsbooks.
Mansour’s comments hinted at innovation in this space without confirming specifics.
“It’s not about the yes or no question[…] it’s underlying,” he said cryptically, indicating new contract structures may arrive in Q3 or Q4 this year.
If Kalshi can support parlays — especially on sports — while maintaining liquidity and regulatory compliance, it could pose a serious challenge to legacy sports betting operators, who rely heavily on parlays for profit margins.
Crypto integration expands with Solana
Further signalling its embrace of decentralised finance, Kalshi also announced during the conference that it now accepts Solana (SOL) for user deposits, joining Bitcoin and Ethereum as supported cryptocurrencies.
“In many ways, we always wanted to be in crypto, we just didn’t have legal and regulatory avenues to do it. Companies like us, Robinhood lean heavily on crypto. Often, Solana is one of the ecosystems of choice because it’s trader-friendly. We launched stable coins late last year, we’ve launched Bitcoin early this year, and this morning we launched Solana deposits …. We’re going to start over time posting transactions on the blockchain to enable more transparent financial systems,” Mansour said.
Solana is currently the sixth-largest cryptocurrency globally by market cap, according to CoinMarketCap, and its inclusion may boost Kalshi’s appeal among the crypto-savvy prediction market audience.
