Kalshi Hires 23-Year-Old Crypto Influencer Amid $2 Billion Expansion

- Kalshi appoints 23-year-old influencer John Wang as head of crypto. - Hire follows $185 million funding round amid ongoing U.S. regulatory challenges. On August 25, 2025, Cointelegraph reported that prediction market platform Kalshi, valued at $2 billion, named 23-year-old blockchain entrepreneur and social media influencer John Wang as its new head of crypto. This strategic hire is part of Kalshi’s effort to enhance crypto adoption while navigating the intricate U.S. regulatory landscape. Before joining Kalshi, Wang co-founded a blockchain security firm, and in his new role, he will focus on accelerating crypto-native engagement and expanding the platform's appeal among cryptocurrency users. This hiring decision follows the company’s pivotal step toward incorporating digital assets earlier this year when it began accepting Bitcoin deposits. Moreover, the move comes just two months after Kalshi raised $185 million in funding, underscoring the platform’s financial health and its strategic focus on scaling its offerings. Wang’s appointment comes as Kalshi operates under heightened regulatory scrutiny. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) launched an enforcement action against the platform in September 2024, but a court ultimately dismissed the case in May 2025. Adding to the complexity, the nomination of former Kalshi board member Brian Quintenz as the new CFTC chair has generated industry-wide interest. Despite these challenges, Kalshi has seen user participation grow, especially in politically sensitive prediction markets, after a critical court ruling in October 2024 allowed the platform to host predictions on U.S. elections, bolstering its legitimacy in high-stakes betting circles. In an August 25 statement to Cointelegraph, Wang described prediction markets as mechanisms for processing “truth through tangible belief-driven systems.” In the same report, Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour praised the hire, calling it a “betting on slope” and stating the move reflects the company’s commitment to progressive leadership that redefines public interaction with market-based insights.