KALSHI Mechanics
Yes Ask
The ASK price to buy YES on a Kalshi market; the YES side’s best offer.
Detailed explanation
YES ask is the lowest price at which someone is willing to sell YES contracts. In Kalshi binary markets, the YES ask plus the NO bid/ask structure helps define the market’s edge and fair value. Traders watch YES ask alongside the NO equivalents to estimate the cost of locking in a spread or forming hedges within a single market. Always remember that prices are quoted in cents and settle to $1 or $0 depending on the outcome.
Worked example
Market X: YES ask = 42¢, NO bid = 56¢. The spread between YES and NO is 14¢, and the best-ask YES at 42¢ means buying YES costs 0.42, with a potential $1.00 payout if TRUE.
FAQ
- What is the relationship between YES ask and the market price?
- The YES ask is the price sellers want for YES; combined with NO sides, it helps define the market’s edge and whether a synthetic risk-free spread exists.
- How does YES ask affect arbitrage strategies?
- If YES ask + NO ask < $1.00, traders can buy both legs to lock in guaranteed cents, minus fees.
See Yes Ask on a live Kalshi market
KalshiArb scans every open Kalshi market for arbitrage edges where YES + NO < $1.00. Plug in your Kalshi API key and start receiving alerts in under 5 minutes.
Related terms
- Yes ContractA YES contract is the binary Kalshi market side that pays $1 if the event resolves true, $0 otherwise.
- No ContractThe NO contract is the opposite side of a binary Kalshi market, paying $1 if the event does not occur.
- No AskThe NO ask is the lowest NO price offered to sell NO contracts.
- Best BidThe highest price investors are willing to pay for a YES or NO side of a Kalshi market.
- Best AskThe lowest price sellers are willing to accept for a contract side (YES/NO) on the current Kalshi order book.
- Tick SizeTick size is the minimum price increment by which Kalshi contract prices can move (1 cent).