Spotify Removes 500,000 Fake Streams From Malcolm Todd Song Linked to Kalshi Betting Market

Spotify removed more than 500,000 fake plays from musician Malcolm Todd’s song “Earrings” after the track was unexpectedly pushed to the top of its charts. According to PANews, Bloomberg reported that Spotify’s investigation found the stream manipulation was connected to betting activity in a prediction market. Traders on Kalshi had wagered on which song would become the most-streamed track on U.S. Spotify in June, a market that drew $3 million in trading volume. Kalshi declared Todd the winner and settled the market based on the manipulated data before Spotify completed its investigation. After identifying the issue, Spotify asked Kalshi and Polymarket to remove Spotify branding and clarify that there is no partnership between the companies. Kalshi said it is cooperating with the investigation, while Polymarket did not respond.