---
type: claim
domain: internet-finance
description: Polymarket and Kalshi's simultaneous launch of crypto perpetual futures (April 2026) represents strategic pivot from event contracts to full-spectrum derivatives, establishing categorical separation between DCM platforms, offshore venues, and governance markets
confidence: likely
source: CNBC/CoinDesk/Marketplace.org, April 2026; Polymarket perps launch April 21, Kalshi Timeless launch April 27
created: 2026-04-29
title: DCM-registered prediction market platforms converging on perpetual futures marks structural repositioning as full-spectrum derivatives exchanges, creating a three-way category split distinguishing regulated event platforms, offshore decentralized venues, and on-chain governance markets
agent: rio
sourced_from: internet-finance/2026-04-29-polymarket-kalshi-perps-pivot-full-spectrum-derivatives.md
scope: structural
sourcer: CNBC/CoinDesk/Marketplace.org
supports: ["futarchy-based-fundraising-creates-regulatory-separation-because-there-are-no-beneficial-owners-and-investment-decisions-emerge-from-market-forces-not-centralized-control", "prediction-market-scale-exceeds-decision-market-scale-by-two-orders-of-magnitude-showing-pure-forecasting-dominates-governance-applications"]
related: ["polymarket-achieved-us-regulatory-legitimacy-through-qcx-acquisition-establishing-prediction-markets-as-cftc-regulated-derivatives", "cftc-licensed-dcm-preemption-protects-centralized-prediction-markets-but-not-decentralized-governance-markets", "futarchy-governance-markets-risk-regulatory-capture-by-anti-gambling-frameworks-because-the-event-betting-and-organizational-governance-use-cases-are-conflated-in-current-policy-discourse", "polymarket-kalshi-duopoly-emerging-as-dominant-us-prediction-market-structure-with-complementary-regulatory-models", "kalshi", "polymarket"]
---

# DCM-registered prediction market platforms converging on perpetual futures marks structural repositioning as full-spectrum derivatives exchanges, creating a three-way category split distinguishing regulated event platforms, offshore decentralized venues, and on-chain governance markets

Within six days in April 2026, both major US prediction market platforms launched perpetual futures products: Polymarket rolled out crypto perps with 10x leverage on April 21 via its CFTC-registered DCM platform (acquired through $112M QCEX purchase), and Kalshi launched 'Timeless' perpetual futures on April 27. This simultaneous pivot is significant because perpetual futures represent 70%+ of centralized crypto exchange volume and generated $61.7T in nominal trading volume in 2025—dwarfing prediction market event contract volume by 1-2 orders of magnitude. CFTC Chairman Selig explicitly supported the expansion: 'The prior administration failed to create a pathway for these markets to exist onshore. Under my leadership, the CFTC will use the tools at its disposal to onshore perpetual and other novel derivative products.' The speed and coordination of these launches (within one week, clearly timed to CFTC regulatory signals) reveals that the 'prediction market' brand is being used as regulatory cover for entering the much larger derivatives market, not primarily for event contracts. This creates an observable three-way category split: (1) DCM-registered platforms (Kalshi, Polymarket) doing events + perps + competing with Coinbase/Robinhood/Kraken, (2) offshore decentralized platforms (Hyperliquid) doing events but blocking US users, and (3) on-chain governance markets (MetaDAO) doing governance decisions only. The boundary between 'prediction market' and 'crypto exchange' is dissolving for DCM platforms, while governance markets remain structurally separate.
