How Old Do You Have to Be to Use KALSHI: Eligibility Details
If you’re evaluating Kalshi, the first question is usually about eligibility: how old do you have to be to use Kalshi? The platform is a US-regulated prediction market, so it enforces age, residency, and identity checks. In practice, you must be at least 18 years old and a resident of a supported state in the United States. Beyond age, you’ll undergo KYC verification and link a US bank account or eligible debit card. Once you clear those checks, you can access Kalshi’s binary YES/NO contracts and the settlement in USD.
Eligibility basics: age and residency
Kalshi is a CFTC-regulated Designated Contract Market. To open an account, you must be 18 years of age or older. In addition to age, you need to be a US resident in a state where Kalshi allows trading. Kalshi maintains a published list of eligible states, and eligibility can change with regulatory updates. Meeting these two criteria—age and state residency—is the first gating step before you can move to verification.
Account setup and verification
After you confirm you meet the age and residency requirements, Kalshi requires KYC verification. You must provide identifying information and a valid US bank account or eligible debit card linked to your Kalshi account. Identity verification is mandatory, and anonymous trading is not possible. Once your identity is verified, you can fund your account and view the market data with read-only access and place trades through authenticated endpoints.
Trading on Kalshi: what you can trade
Kalshi offers binary YES/NO contracts that settle to $1.00 if your side wins and $0.00 otherwise. All trades are USD-settled with a tick size of 0.01 and price limits between $0.01 and $0.99. As a qualified user, you can participate in markets across politics, economics, weather, and more. Remember, you must be within Kalshi’s legal framework, and some categories may have additional geographic or state restrictions.
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FAQ
- Do I have to be a US citizen to use Kalshi?
- Kalshi requires US residency and compliance with Kalshi’s regulatory rules. Citizenship is not the sole determinant; residency and identity verification are the key factors.
- What if I’m under 18?
- You must be 18 or older to open an account and trade on Kalshi. If you are under 18, you cannot create an eligible Kalshi account.
- How is age verified on Kalshi?
- Age verification is part of the KYC process. Kalshi collects identifying information and documents to confirm you meet the minimum age and residency requirements.
- What contracts can I trade once I’m eligible?
- Eligible traders can access binary YES/NO event contracts that settle to $1.00 based on predefined resolution rules and data from Kalshi’s designated sources.