You wake up to a notification that the Fed rate decision market on Kalshi moved 12 points overnight. By the time you check your phone, open the Kalshi app, find the right market, and read through the order book, the price has already settled. The opportunity to act on that movement passed while you were navigating the interface.
Now imagine a different morning. Your AI agent sends you a message at 6 AM: “The Fed rate hold market moved from 62 to 74 cents overnight on higher-than-expected CPI data. Your current position is 50 contracts at average cost 55 cents. Current P/L: +$95.” You reply “set an alert if it drops below 70” and go back to your coffee.
That is what the OpenClaw Kalshi skill enables. It connects your AI agent to Kalshi’s prediction market platform, giving you conversational access to market data, portfolio tracking, price alerts, and research workflows. No app switching. No dashboard refreshing.
This guide covers what Kalshi is, how the skill works, and practical ways to use it for market monitoring and decision-making.
What Is Kalshi?
Kalshi is a regulated prediction market exchange based in the United States. It is the first CFTC-regulated exchange dedicated to event contracts. Users buy and sell contracts on the outcomes of real-world events: economic indicators, weather, elections, Fed decisions, earnings, geopolitics, and more.
Each contract trades between $0.01 and $0.99, where the price represents the market’s implied probability of that event occurring. A contract priced at $0.73 means the market assigns a 73% probability to that outcome. If the event happens, the contract pays out $1.00. If it does not, the contract expires worthless.
Kalshi has grown significantly since its launch, attracting traders who want to express views on events that traditional financial instruments cannot directly capture. As of early 2026, it offers thousands of active markets across dozens of categories.
What the Kalshi Skill Does
The OpenClaw Kalshi skill connects your agent to the Kalshi API. It provides read access to market data and, if you configure trading credentials, the ability to place and manage orders.
Core capabilities:
- Market browsing — Search and filter markets by category, keyword, or event date
- Price monitoring — Check current prices, spreads, and volume for any market
- Portfolio tracking — View your open positions, P/L, and trade history
- Price alerts — Set alerts when markets cross specified price thresholds
- Order book inspection — View bid/ask depth and recent trades
- Market research — Pull historical price data and volume trends
- Order management — Place limit orders, cancel open orders, check fills (requires trading credentials)
- Settlement tracking — Monitor when markets settle and what the outcomes are
The skill works in read-only mode by default. You can browse markets, check prices, and track portfolios without enabling trading. Trading capabilities require additional API credentials with trading permissions.
Important Notes Before You Start
Prediction markets involve real money and financial risk. A few things to understand:
- Kalshi is available to US residents who meet eligibility requirements. Check Kalshi’s terms for your jurisdiction.
- Trading involves risk. Contract prices can move against your position. Only trade what you can afford to lose.
- The OpenClaw Kalshi skill is a tool, not financial advice. It gives you access to data and execution. It does not make recommendations.
- API trading carries the same risks as app trading. Orders placed through the skill are real orders on the Kalshi exchange.
With that said, the skill is equally valuable for people who never trade. Market monitoring and research workflows do not require trading credentials at all.
Installation and Setup
Step 1: Create a Kalshi Account
If you do not have a Kalshi account, sign up at kalshi.com. Account verification typically takes a day or two.
Step 2: Get Your API Credentials
Log into Kalshi and navigate to Settings then API Keys. Generate a new API key pair:
- API Key ID — Your public identifier
- API Secret — Your private key (shown once, save it securely)
For read-only access (market data and portfolio viewing), a standard API key works. For trading, you need to enable trading permissions on the key.
Step 3: Install the Skill
clawhub install kalshiStep 4: Configure Credentials
openclaw config set kalshi.api_key YOUR_API_KEY_ID
openclaw config set kalshi.api_secret YOUR_API_SECRETFor better security, use environment variables:
export KALSHI_API_KEY=your-key-id
export KALSHI_API_SECRET=your-secretStep 5: Verify the Connection
openclaw skills reload
openclaw startTest it:
Show me the top Kalshi markets by volume todayIf the agent returns market data, you are connected. If you see an authentication error, verify your API credentials.
Browsing and Searching Markets
The Kalshi platform hosts thousands of markets. The skill helps you find what matters to you without scrolling through the app.
Browsing by Category
Show me all active Kalshi markets in the Economics categoryWhat prediction markets are available for Fed rate decisions?List open markets related to weather eventsThe agent returns markets with their current price, volume, and close date.
Searching by Keyword
Search Kalshi for markets about "CPI" or "inflation"Find any active markets related to the S&P 500Filtering by Date
Show me Kalshi markets that settle this weekWhat markets close in the next 24 hours?Markets settling soon often have the most activity and the sharpest price movements. This is useful for finding actionable opportunities.
Market Details
Once you find an interesting market:
Show me the details for the "Will the Fed cut rates in March?" marketThe agent returns:
Market: Will the Fed cut rates in March 2026?
Ticker: FED-26MAR-T25
Current Yes price: $0.28
Current No price: $0.72
24h Volume: 45,230 contracts
Open Interest: 128,500 contracts
Settles: March 19, 2026
Category: Economics > Federal ReservePrice Monitoring and Alerts
Keeping track of market movements is one of the most practical uses of the OpenClaw Kalshi skill. Instead of checking the app periodically, set up alerts and let your agent notify you.
Current Price Check
What is the current price of the Fed March rate cut market?Quick and instant. No app opening required.
Setting Price Alerts
Alert me if the Fed March rate cut market moves above $0.35 or below $0.20The agent monitors the market price and sends you a message when either threshold is crossed. You can set alerts on as many markets as you want.
Volume Alerts
Notify me if any market in the Economics category trades more than
100,000 contracts in a single dayHigh volume often signals new information entering the market. Volume alerts help you spot these moments.
Multi-Market Watchlist
Create a watchlist with these markets:
- Fed March rate cut
- CPI above 3% February
- S&P 500 above 5500 by end of Q1
Show me the current prices every morning at 8 AM.Your agent sends a morning briefing with the latest prices on your tracked markets. A personalized prediction market dashboard delivered to your messaging app.
Portfolio Tracking
If you hold positions on Kalshi, the skill tracks your portfolio without you needing to open the app.
Current Positions
Show my open Kalshi positionsPositions:
1. Fed March rate cut (Yes) - 100 contracts at avg $0.22
Current: $0.28 | P/L: +$6.00
2. CPI above 3% Feb (No) - 50 contracts at avg $0.65
Current: $0.71 | P/L: +$3.00
3. S&P above 5500 Q1 (Yes) - 200 contracts at avg $0.45
Current: $0.41 | P/L: -$8.00
Total unrealized P/L: +$1.00Trade History
Show my Kalshi trade history for the last 30 daysReturns a chronological list of your trades with prices, quantities, and outcomes.
Settlement History
What Kalshi positions have I settled in 2026?
Show the outcome and realized P/L for each.Track your win rate and total realized returns over time.
Portfolio Alerts
Alert me if my total unrealized P/L drops below -$50Risk management through your messaging app.
Market Research Workflows
Beyond trading and monitoring, the OpenClaw Kalshi skill is a research tool. Prediction market prices aggregate the beliefs of thousands of participants. They are a useful signal for understanding what the market expects.
Historical Price Charts
Show me the price history of the Fed March rate cut market over the last 30 daysThe agent returns historical price data that shows how sentiment has shifted. Useful for understanding the trajectory of a market before taking a position.
Event Impact Analysis
How did the Fed March rate cut market react to the January jobs report?
Show the price 24 hours before and after the report.Tracking how markets respond to specific events helps you understand what information is priced in and what moves the needle.
Cross-Market Comparisons
Compare the current prices of all Fed rate decision markets for 2026
(March, May, June, July)Fed Rate Cut Markets 2026:
- March: $0.28 (28% implied probability)
- May: $0.42 (42% implied probability)
- June: $0.61 (61% implied probability)
- July: $0.68 (68% implied probability)The term structure of rate cut expectations in one message. Compare this with what bond markets imply, or use it as a quick gauge of economic expectations.
Probability vs. Reality
For the last 20 Kalshi economics markets that settled,
compare the settlement price 24 hours before close with the actual outcome.
Were markets well-calibrated?This helps you evaluate whether Kalshi markets are overpricing or underpricing certain types of events.
Order Management
If you have enabled trading permissions on your API key, the skill can place and manage orders.
Placing a Limit Order
Buy 50 contracts of Yes on the Fed March rate cut market at $0.25The agent places a limit buy order at your specified price. It confirms the order details before execution.
Checking Open Orders
Show my open orders on KalshiCanceling an Order
Cancel my open buy order on the Fed March rate cut marketMarket Orders
Buy 25 contracts of No on the CPI market at market priceMarket orders fill immediately at the best available price.
Conditional Patterns
While the skill does not have built-in conditional orders, you can combine alerts with orders:
If the Fed March rate cut market drops below $0.20,
buy 100 contracts of Yes at $0.19The agent monitors the price and places the order when the condition is met. This is functionally equivalent to a stop limit order, implemented through your agent.
Kalshi Skill vs. the Kalshi App
Both give you access to the same markets. The difference is the interface and workflow.
| Feature | Kalshi App | OpenClaw Kalshi Skill |
|---|---|---|
| Market browsing | Visual cards, categories | Text-based search and filtering |
| Order book | Full depth chart | Summary data |
| Order placement | Click-based | Conversational |
| Portfolio view | Dashboard with charts | Text summary with P/L |
| Price alerts | In-app notifications | Agent messages on any channel |
| Research | Built-in charts | Historical data queries |
| Speed for simple checks | Open app, navigate | Send one message |
| Mobile experience | Dedicated app | Any messaging app |
| Automation | Not available | Fully scriptable through agent |
Use the Kalshi app for: Detailed order book analysis, visual chart review, and browsing markets you did not know existed.
Use the OpenClaw Kalshi skill for: Quick price checks, portfolio monitoring, automated alerts, research queries, and placing orders without switching apps.
Configuration Options
# Set preferred market category for browsing
openclaw config set kalshi.default_category "Economics"
# Enable or disable trading (safety switch)
openclaw config set kalshi.trading_enabled false
# Set alert check interval (seconds)
openclaw config set kalshi.alert_interval 60
# Set portfolio update interval (seconds)
openclaw config set kalshi.portfolio_interval 300The trading_enabled flag is a safety measure. Set it to false if you only want read access, even if your API key has trading permissions. This prevents accidental order placement.
Troubleshooting
”Authentication failed”
Kalshi API keys can be deactivated. Log into Kalshi, check your API key status, and regenerate if needed:
openclaw config set kalshi.api_key NEW_KEY_ID
openclaw config set kalshi.api_secret NEW_SECRET“Market not found”
Kalshi market tickers follow a specific format (e.g., FED-26MAR-T25). If searching by name does not work, try the ticker directly:
Show details for Kalshi market FED-26MAR-T25“Insufficient balance”
Your Kalshi account does not have enough funds for the order. Deposit funds through the Kalshi app. The skill cannot initiate deposits.
”Trading not permitted”
Your API key may not have trading permissions. Check the key settings in Kalshi, or verify that trading_enabled is set to true in your OpenClaw config.
Alerts not firing
Check that your agent is running. Alerts only work while your OpenClaw agent process is active. If the agent restarts, you may need to re-set alerts:
Show my active Kalshi alertsCombining Kalshi with Other Skills
The Kalshi skill works alongside other OpenClaw capabilities for richer workflows.
Research Pipeline
Use web search skills to gather news, then check how markets reacted:
Search for the latest CPI data release, then show me how Kalshi
inflation markets moved in the last 24 hoursNotification Integration
Combine Kalshi alerts with messaging skills for multi-channel notifications. Get alerts on Telegram when markets move, with a summary forwarded to your email.
Data Logging
Pair with database or spreadsheet skills to log market data over time:
Every day at market close, record the prices of my watchlist markets
to a Google SheetBrowse finance skills for tools that complement prediction market workflows.
Getting Started
If you have not set up OpenClaw yet, the Getting Started guide covers the full installation process.
Once your agent is running:
clawhub install kalshi
openclaw config set kalshi.api_key YOUR_KEY
openclaw config set kalshi.api_secret YOUR_SECRET
openclaw skills reloadStart with market browsing:
Show me the most active Kalshi markets todaySet up a watchlist for markets you follow. Add price alerts for the thresholds you care about. The prediction market becomes a data source you query through conversation rather than an app you check compulsively.
For the full skill documentation, visit the kalshi skill page. For more finance-related tools, browse finance skills. And for curated picks across all categories, see Best OpenClaw Skills 2026.