Luana Lopes Lara is the world's youngest self-made female billionaire and co-founder of Kalshi, the prediction market that sued the U.S. government and won.
Natalie Brunell sits down with Luana to trace her journey from a rigorous ballet school in Brazil to MIT, then to a trading desk at Citadel, and into a multi-year battle with the CFTC that ended in a federal lawsuit. After 65 lawyers told her the idea was impossible, Kalshi sued the U.S. government — and won one month before the 2024 election.
We get into:
- What prediction markets are, and how Kalshi's data is being used as a forecasting tool
- What it's like being named the world's youngest self-made woman billionaire - all before she's 30
- The four-year regulatory fight with the CFTC and the decision to sue to U.S. government
- How Kalshi screens for insider trading — and where the stock market doesn't
- Why nearly 30% of Kalshi's users are women, well above most trading platforms
- Her first Bitcoin: a $100 giveaway from the MIT Bitcoin Club
- A Federal Reserve paper found Kalshi's markets outperformed economists at forecasting macro trends
- Her case for why the American Dream is still alive
Follow Luana Lopes Lara on X: https://x.com/luanalopeslara and follow Kalshi at https://x.com/Kalshi
----
Order Natalie's new book "Bitcoin is For Everyone," a simple introduction to Bitcoin and what's broken in our current financial system: https://amzn.to/3WzFzfU
---
Coin Stories is powered by lead sponsor Gemini. Invest as you spend with the Gemini Credit Card. Earn up to 4% back in sats on everyday purchases like gas and groceries. Sign up today https://www.gemini.com/natalie
----
Ledn is the global leader in Bitcoin-backed loans, issuing over $9 billion in loans since 2018, and they were the first to offer proof of reserves. With Ledn, you get custody loans, no credit checks, no monthly payments, and more. Get .25% off your first loan, learn more at https://www.Ledn.io/natalie
----
Earn passive Bitcoin income with industry-leading uptime, renewable energy, ideal climate, expert support, and one month of free hosting when you join Abundant Mines at https://www.abundantmines.com/natalie
----
Natalie's Bitcoin Product Partners:
- Check out my favorite lightning wallet and trivia app Speed Wallet. If you're a business, let Speed help you accept BTC like they did for Steak 'n Shake! Visit http://speed.app/natalie/ and use code COINSTORIES10 for 5,000 free sats
- Block's Bitkey Cold Storage Wallet was named to TIME's prestigious Best Inventions of 2024 in the category of Privacy & Security. Get 20% off using code STORIES at https://bitkey.world
- Master your Bitcoin self-custody with 1-on-1 help and gain peace of mind with the help of The Bitcoin Way: https://www.thebitcoinway.com/natalie
- With BitcoinIRA, you can invest in bitcoin 24/7 inside a tax-advantaged IRA. Choose a Traditional IRA to defer taxes, or a Roth IRA for tax-free withdrawals later. Take control of your future with BitcoinIRA: https://www.bitcoinira.com/natalie
Natalie's Upcoming Events:
- Join us for the biggest Bitcoin conference in Europe at BTC Prague this June 10-13 with a keynote from Michael Saylor, Code HODL for discounted passes: https://btcprague.com/
Extra Services to Consider:
- Protect yourself from SIM Swaps that can hack your accounts and steal your Bitcoin. Join America's most secure mobile service, trusted by CEOs, VIPs and top corporations: https://www.efani.com/natalie
- Ditch your fiat health insurance like I did four years ago! Join me at CrowdHealth: www.joincrowdhealth.com/natalie
----
This podcast is for educational purposes and should not be construed as official investment advice. Ads in this episode are baked-in and may reference promotions or offers that are no longer available at the time of listening.
----
VALUE FOR VALUE — SUPPORT NATALIE'S SHOWS
- Strike ID https://strike.me/coinstoriesnat/
- Cash App $CoinStories
#money #Bitcoin #investing
