Kalshi opens Washington, D.C. office and hires John Bivona to lead policy push

Kalshi, the federally regulated prediction-market exchange, is planting a flag in Washington.

The New York-based company said it has opened a new office in D.C. and hired veteran Democratic strategist John Bivona as its first head of federal government relations. Kalshi also brought on Blake Bee, a former Amazon public-policy executive, to run state-level outreach.

Bivona’s resume is built around campaigns and government operations rather than trading desks. He previously served as the first White House liaison at the Department of Homeland Security and worked as chief of staff for then‑Rep. Antonio Delgado. He also held a senior role at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee during the 2018 cycle and more recently launched Intersection Government Relations and Intersection Advocacy.

Kalshi framed the D.C. expansion as a bid to deepen its ties with policymakers while keeping a regulatory-first posture. The company said it plans to add more staff in Washington and wants to recruit talent from both parties.

Bee’s hire looks tailored to a different battlefield. At Amazon, he worked on state and local public policy and dealt with state attorneys general. Before that, he spent seven years at the National Association of Attorneys General and earlier served as executive counsel and an assistant attorney general in Mississippi.

The timing is hard to miss. Prediction markets are growing fast, but they’re also running into friction with state gambling regulators, especially over sports-related event contracts. Kalshi argues that its products fall under the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s umbrella, while several states say the contracts function like unlicensed sports betting.

In recent weeks, the company has been fighting those disputes in court, including a clash with Massachusetts and a separate challenge involving Tennessee. Adding a D.C. footprint won’t settle those cases, but it signals Kalshi is preparing for a longer policy fight that stretches beyond the courtroom.

Kalshi said it is the first CFTC-regulated exchange focused on event outcomes and claimed it is now doing about $100 billion in annualized trading volume.