Prediction-Market Catalysts: FOMC, CPI, and the Events That Move Prices
Catalysts are the scheduled events that reprice prediction markets — Fed decisions, CPI prints, finals, elections. Here's how to use a catalyst calendar for context.
What is a catalyst?
A catalyst is a scheduled event that can reprice a market the moment it lands: an FOMC rate decision, a CPI inflation print, a tournament final, an election. Between catalysts, prices drift; on the catalyst, they jump.
Why a calendar matters
A price without context is just a number. Knowing that an FOMC decision is 25 days out — or that a CPI print drops next week — tells you *why* a macro market is where it is and *what* could move it next. Tickrr's catalyst calendar shows upcoming events with countdowns, scoped to the category you're viewing.
The big macro catalysts
- FOMC rate decisions (~8 per year): the Fed's rate call reprices rate and rate-adjacent markets instantly.
- CPI prints (monthly): inflation surprises move macro expectations.
- Jobs reports: labor-market data shifts the rate path.
Using catalysts with divergences
Cross-venue gaps often widen *into* a catalyst as the two crowds disagree about the outcome, then snap shut when the result lands. Watching the calendar alongside the gap is watching the setup and the trigger together — as information, never as a prompt to act.
Intel only. Tickrr never tells you to bet and never promises an outcome.
FAQ
How many times a year does the Fed decide rates?
The FOMC holds about eight scheduled meetings per year; each rate decision can reprice rate-sensitive prediction markets immediately.