# Interactive Brokers Plans to Sell Institutions on Prediction Markets

*Author: Jack Inabinet*
*Published: Jan 21, 2026*
*Source: https://www.bankless.com/interactive-brokers-plans-institutional-prediction-market-expansion*

---

On its Tuesday earnings call, Interactive Brokers (NASDAQ: IBKR) – a leading online brokerage firm – stated it plans on onboarding utility companies into prediction markets during 2026.

### **What's the Scoop?**
- **Growing Institutional Interest:** According to IBKR Chair Thomas Peterffy, the company's most frequently traded prediction markets have been temperature-related. The brokerage house is working to add electricity and natural gas contract support, allowing institutional clients (like utility companies) to efficiently hedge energy consumption exposure through a prediction market.
- **Stablecoin Support:** Last week, IBKR launched stablecoin account funding support, allowing clients to fund their TradFi investment accounts in seconds, with 24/7 availability (including weekends and banking holidays) using USDC on Base, Ethereum, or Solana.
- **Banking License Application:** In December, Interactive Brokers [applied](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-12-19/interactive-brokers-applies-for-national-trust-bank-charter?embedded-checkout=true) for a national trust bank charter with the OCC. The same license was [secured ](https://www.bankless.com/read/news/u-s-national-banking-regulator-grants-trust-charters-to-five-crypto-banks)earlier that month by five new banking entities created by digital asset-related companies.

> At earnings, Interactive Brokers highlighting temperature prediction markets doing the most volume on platform> The [$IBKR](https://twitter.com/search?q=%24IBKR&src=ctag&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) roadmap effectively going to be the institutional playbook: add in electricity + nat gas mkts > Over-time add full suite for clients to hedge specific… [https://t.co/0xBSeDcS5R](https://t.co/0xBSeDcS5R) [pic.twitter.com/8znXVfWRyG](https://t.co/8znXVfWRyG)— Omar (@TheOneandOmsy) [January 21, 2026](https://twitter.com/TheOneandOmsy/status/2013801559298035923?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
---

*This article is brought to you by [MetaMask](https://www.bankless.com/sponsor/metamask-1776260643?ref=interactive-brokers-plans-institutional-prediction-market-expansion)*