Prediction Markets Meetup Group

Prediction Markets: Go Institutional

Mon, Nov 2 · 4:30 PM EST

Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E Washington St, Chicago, IL 60602, USA, Chicago, IL, US

Presented by Kalshi | Hosted by 51 Alpha

​Join us in Chicago during FIA Expo Week for an afternoon bringing together the leaders shaping the future of prediction markets!

​Presented by Kalshi, the event will feature an exclusive fireside chat with Luana Lopes Lara, Co-founder & COO of Kalshi, moderated by Kate Knibbs, Senior Writer at WIRED, alongside a panel of industry leaders exploring the institutional adoption of prediction markets.

​From liquidity and market infrastructure to regulation and institutional participation, we'll explore what it takes to establish prediction markets as a mainstream financial asset class.

​Expect insightful conversations, fresh perspectives, and plenty of opportunities to connect with exchanges, trading firms, market makers, investors, regulators, and other industry professionals.

​Date: Monday, November 2, 2026
Time: 3:30–7:00 PM CT
Venue: Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL

## ​Agenda

• ​3:30–4:00 PM | Arrival & Welcome Drinks
• ​4:00–4:30 PM | Panel: Institutional Adoption of Prediction Markets
• ​4:30–5:00 PM | Networking Break
• ​5:00–5:30 PM | Fireside Chat & Q&A with Luana Lopes Lara
• ​5:30–7:00 PM | Networking Reception

## ​Featured Fireside Chat

​Luana Lopes Lara | Co-Founder & COO, Kalshi

​Luana Lopes Lara is a co-founder and COO of Kalshi, the largest prediction market in the United States, trading over $100 billion annually across politics, sports, economics, crypto, and more.
​Before founding Kalshi, Luana worked at Citadel Securities and Bridgewater Associates. She studied Computer Science and Mathematics at MIT and was previously a professional ballerina with the Bolshoi Ballet School.

​Moderated by Kate Knibbs | Senior Writer, WIRED

​Kate Knibbs is a senior writer at WIRED covering prediction markets, the future of media, and how AI is transforming the internet. Her reporting also explores digital gray markets and regulatory battles surrounding emerging technologies.

## ​Panel: Institutional Adoption of Prediction Markets

​A discussion exploring the infrastructure, liquidity, regulatory considerations, and market developments driving institutional participation in prediction markets.
​Joe Green | Vice President, Head of Prediction Markets, Cboe Global Markets

​Joe Green leads prediction markets initiatives at Cboe Global Markets and explores growth opportunities across retail and alternative investments. Over the past 15 years, he has held roles across Cboe's Legal, Labs, Indices, and Data Vantage teams.
​He holds a bachelor's degree from Indiana University, a J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law, and an MBA from Northwestern University.

​Edward Woodford | Founder & CEO, zerohash

​Edward Woodford is the Founder and CEO of zerohash, a leading crypto infrastructure platform trusted by institutions including Stripe, Franklin Templeton, Shift4, and Interactive Brokers.
​Under his leadership, zerohash has secured over $170 million in funding, settled more than $45 billion in transaction volume, and onboarded over five million people into the crypto and stablecoin economy.

​J. Matthew Haws | Senior Advisor to the Chairman & Chicago Regional Administrator, CFTC

​J. Matthew Haws serves as Senior Advisor to CFTC Chairman Michael S. Selig and Chicago Regional Administrator at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
​He brings more than 13 years of experience advising global financial institutions on derivatives markets, regulatory compliance, and enforcement. Previously, he served as Senior Legal Counsel at Marex and a partner at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP. He holds a J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law.

​Moderated by Carl Kennedy | Partner, Dechert LLP

​Carl Kennedy is a Partner at Dechert LLP and Head of its Commodities and Derivatives Team within the Financial Services Group.
​A former CFTC regulator, Carl helped develop rules implementing the Dodd-Frank Act and now advises financial institutions, hedge funds, and trading firms on derivatives regulation, compliance, enforcement, and regulatory policy.
​He also co-leads the CFTC Graduates Society and has been recognized by Chambers Global and The Legal 500.

## ​Our Sponsors & Partners

​Presenting Sponsor | Kalshi

​Founded in 2018, Kalshi is a next-generation financial exchange and a pioneer in establishing prediction markets as a regulated financial asset class.
​As the first CFTC-regulated exchange for event contracts, Kalshi enables millions of users and a growing number of institutions to trade on the outcomes of real-world events, providing real-time market-based insights into the future.

​Learn more: www.kalshi.com

​Gold Sponsor | Cboe Global Markets

​Cboe Global Markets is a leading global exchange operator providing trading, clearing, and investment solutions across options, futures, equities, and foreign exchange markets.
​Founded in 1973 as the world's first listed options exchange, Cboe has pioneered financial products including the VIX Index and S&P 500 index options and continues to innovate across derivatives, market infrastructure, and emerging financial products, including prediction markets.

​Gold Sponsor | zerohash

​zerohash is a leading digital asset infrastructure provider enabling banks, brokerages, fintechs, and trading platforms to integrate cryptocurrency trading, stablecoin payments, and tokenization.
​Founded in 2017 by Edward Woodford, zerohash provides regulated infrastructure for liquidity, custody, compliance, and settlement, supporting institutional adoption of digital assets and emerging financial products, including prediction markets.

Drinks Reception | Aeropay

Aeropay is the bank-connected layer in the US and Canada built for modern commerce. Businesses use Aeropay to connect bank accounts, accept payments, deliver instant payouts, and prevent fraud, all through one platform, one integration, and one network spanning 12,000+ U.S. financial institutions. Aeropay is a privately held company founded in Chicago in 2017. Learn more at aeropay.com.

Dinner Sponsor | River Markets

River Markets is the first prime broker dedicated to prediction markets, providing execution, risk management and financing across all venues via a single platform. We currently support over 25 institutional clients and have executed more than 150 million contracts to date.

​51 Alpha Series Sponsors

​Special thanks to Edge Markets and Connamara Technologies for their continued support of the 51 Alpha event series.

​Official Video Partner | Video One Productions

​Special thanks to Video One Productions for supporting the event's professional video production and helping us share these important industry conversations with a broader audience.
​Learn more: video1pro.com

## ​About 51 Alpha

​51 Alpha brings together the people and organizations shaping the future of prediction markets through industry panels, fireside chats, educational programs, and networking experiences.
​Our events connect exchanges, market makers, trading firms, investors, regulators, legal professionals, and technology providers to encourage meaningful conversations and industry collaboration.
​Learn more: www.fiftyonealpha.com

## ​Photography & Video Notice

​Photography and videography will take place throughout the event. By attending, you acknowledge that you may appear in photographs or video recordings used by 51 Alpha for promotional, marketing, social media, editorial, and documentation purposes.
​If you prefer not to be photographed or recorded, please notify a member of the event team upon arrival.

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​Thank you to our presenting sponsor, Kalshi, and all our sponsors and partners for supporting this event and helping bring the prediction markets community together in Chicago!
​We look forward to seeing you on November 2!