White House warns staff against using nonpublic information for prediction-market bets

The White House circulated an internal memo warning federal employees that using nonpublic government information to place wagers on prediction markets (and related platforms) could constitute insider trading and violates federal ethics rules, a warning prompted by scrutiny of high-volume trades linked to the Iran war. The memo emphasizes that such misuse is a serious offense and will not be tolerated; officials noted there is no public evidence tying any White House staff to trades, but lawmakers have pressed for tighter regulation as the CFTC’s stance shifts and Congress considers additional bills.