Prediction Market Names 23-Year-Old John Wang as Head of Crypto
Kalshi, the regulated U.S. prediction market platform, is doubling down on its crypto ambitions with the appointment of John Wang as Head of Crypto. The hire, announced Monday on LinkedIn, underscores the company’s push to expand its offerings and attract crypto-native traders at a time of mounting regulatory scrutiny and intensifying competition.
CEO Tarek Mansour described the move as “betting on slope”—a phrase signalling both speed and trajectory—as Kalshi accelerates its expansion into blockchain-driven prediction markets.
At just 23, Wang brings a mix of unconventional career choices and industry experience. He left the University of Pennsylvania in 2024 to pursue a full-time career in crypto and has since built an impressive résumé. His background includes stints at venture firm Paradigm and gaming blockchain company Immutable before co-founding Armour Labs, a startup specialising in blockchain security. Mansour praised Wang’s vision and energy, noting that his confidence in the young executive grew with every conversation.
Kalshi has steadily introduced new tools designed to appeal to digital asset traders. Earlier this year, the platform enabled deposits in Bitcoin and USDC, and in May, it rolled out support for Solana, broadening the ways users can fund accounts. The strategy is clear: to compete with decentralised rivals like Polymarket, which have captured significant momentum in 2025.
Wang himself sees prediction markets as more than financial instruments. Drawing on his observations during the 2024 U.S. elections, he argues that markets can become a framework for society to process truth—cutting through partisan narratives by converting collective belief into measurable outcomes. His perspective suggests Kalshi is not just expanding trading options, but also staking a claim on how public discourse might evolve in the crypto age.
The appointment comes shortly after Kalshi’s $185 million Series B funding round in June, which pushed its valuation to $2 billion. That growth, however, has unfolded under the watchful eye of regulators. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission previously filed an enforcement action against the platform, though the case was later dropped. Even so, Kalshi remains in a delicate position as it tries to balance innovation with compliance.
By bringing Wang on board, Kalshi is signalling its belief that crypto will play a decisive role in the future of prediction markets—and that it intends to lead that shift rather than follow.
