Open interest
Last reviewed 2026-08-07
Open interest — definition
The total dollar value of contracts currently held by traders that have not yet settled.
Open interest measures how much money is on the table waiting for resolution. It grows when new positions are opened and shrinks when traders close or markets settle.
A market with high open interest but low volume is one where positions are being held, not flipped.
Learn more: How prediction markets work
See also
Frequently asked questions
What does open interest mean in prediction markets?
The total dollar value of contracts currently held by traders that have not yet settled.
How does open interest work in practice?
Open interest measures how much money is on the table waiting for resolution. It grows when new positions are opened and shrinks when traders close or markets settle.
Sources & further reading
- CFTC — Event contracts explainedU.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission
- Kalshi — how prices and settlement workKalshi
- UMA Optimistic Oracle documentationUMA Protocol
Last reviewed 2026-08-07 · CollegePredictionMarkets.com