According to Cointelegraph, the animated series South Park has launched its 27th season with a sharp critique of cryptocurrencies and politics, focusing on prediction market apps in its latest episode. The episode, titled "Conflict of Interest," aired on Wednesday and features a debate among South Park's elementary school characters about the value of prediction markets and the oversight role of U.S. regulators.
In the episode, characters engage in bets using a Kalshi- or Polymarket-like app, speculating on topics such as school lunches, the Israel-Palestine conflict, and the gender of a fictional baby. The show humorously critiques those managing prediction markets and U.S. regulators, including the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC), portraying them as "highly professional strategic advisers." A character resembling Donald Trump Jr., who joined Polymarket's advisory board in August, is also featured.
South Park has a history of incorporating cryptocurrency and blockchain themes into its satire. Previous episodes have explored U.S. President Donald Trump's connections to crypto, labeled Bitcoin as a "fly-by-night Ponzi scheme," and mocked NFT investors. The show's 27th season began after Paramount Global, its owner, settled a $16 million lawsuit with Trump over claims of deceptive editing in an interview. The series frequently targets the U.S. president in its satire.
Federal scrutiny of prediction markets appears to be diminishing in the United States. Kalshi was involved in a legal dispute with the CFTC after being ordered to cease offering political event contracts in 2023. A lower court ruled in favor of Kalshi, leading the CFTC to appeal, which it later withdrew in May under acting Chair Caroline Pham. Similarly, Polymarket has seen favorable outcomes with the CFTC under Pham's leadership. On September 3, the financial regulator issued a no-action letter to two Polymarket entities, allowing them to offer event contracts without the usual reporting requirements, free from enforcement threats. Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan stated that the CFTC's decision provided the company with "the green light to go live in the USA."