Glossary › Cash balance
Checked September 25, 2026 · 5 sources · plain-English definition, not financial advice
Cash balance: The cash in your Kalshi account available to trade, including realized gains; unlike portfolio value it does not move with market prices.
Kalshi's help center separates two numbers. Cash balance is your available cash, including realized gains from closed positions, and it does not fluctuate with market prices. Portfolio value is your cash balance plus the current market value of your open positions, so it moves whenever prices move.
Cash leaves the balance when you buy, because the cost of the position is set aside as collateral, and comes back when you sell or when a market settles your way: Kalshi says winning contracts are paid out to your cash balance. Kalshi's API reports both the balance and the portfolio value in cents.
Not all of it may be withdrawable at once. Kalshi's security holds apply to recently deposited amounts, money tied up in open positions cannot be withdrawn until you close them, and earnings beyond your deposits can be withdrawn once they are settled cash.
Kalshi withdrawals: timing, fees and holds
Checked September 25, 2026. Kalshi changes fees, rules, funding options and limits; the market's rules, the order ticket and Kalshi's help center are the final word.
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