Prediction market open interest — the sum of outstanding contracts that remain “open” in the market — has reached a record weekly high. It hit $1.48 billion in the week ending June 15, the second record-setting week in a row. Unlike trading volume, which reflects daily activity, open interest tracks the capital that participants have deployed and which remains at risk. The recent surge represents a roughly sixfold increase over the past year, highlighting how users are maintaining longer-term financial positions and how prediction markets are maturing into durable market infrastructure. Big events bring in the crowds, and more traders are staying to participate in a wide range of markets across politics, economics, culture, crypto, and more.