On June 8, 2026, Kalshi introduced LINKPERP, the first U.S. regulated perpetual futures contract tied to Chainlink's LINK token, under CFTC self-certification. The cash-settled contract has no expiration date, tracks the CME CF Chainlink-Dollar Real Time Index, and represents 10,000 LINK per contract with a minimum tick of $0.0001 ($1 per contract). Central clearing runs through Kalshi Klear, which applies funding rate caps and lower leverage limits than offshore venues—a design intended to attract compliant institutional flows rather than speculative maximum leverage.
The launch marks a regulatory milestone for onshore crypto derivatives. Kalshi self-certified the contract under CFTC Regulation 40.2(a), the same fast-track mechanism used for its BTCPERP debut on May 29, 2026, which made Kalshi the first U.S. company to offer regulated perpetual futures. The CEO, Tarek Mansour, described perpetual futures as an important financial instrument and emphasized the expansion into derivatives. Chainlink's official X account called LINKPERP “an industry first for a U.S. regulated market and a major step for compliant access to Chainlink exposure.”
In parallel, institutional LINK ETF net assets have crossed $101.21 million with zero outflow days since inception on December 2, underlining growing institutional interest. Meanwhile, Chainlink's oracle network has enabled over $30 trillion in transaction value across more than 70 blockchains, and the Chainlink Reserve holds over 4 million LINK. The network's Payment Abstraction system converts various assets into LINK for service payments, supporting sustained demand for the token.
Kalshi has indicated that if LINKPERP volumes justify expansion, it may pursue similar regulated perpetuals for ETH, SOL, and LTC. The launch arrives while LINK trades near $7.88, its lowest level in recent months, creating a stark contrast between bullish infrastructure developments and bearish price action.
