Blockchain.com Files with CFTC for U.S. Prediction Markets and Crypto Derivatives
The application, if approved, would expand regulated access to cryptocurrency derivatives and event contracts for U.S. Retail and institutional participants under a federal oversight framework.
Blockchain.com has submitted applications to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission seeking designation as a designated contract market and registration as a swap execution facility, with the goal of offering event contracts and cryptocurrency derivatives to U.S. Customers, according to a report published October 9, 2026 by CNBC.
The CFTC is the primary federal regulator for U.S. Derivatives markets, including futures and swaps. A designated contract market designation would allow Blockchain.com to list standardized contracts for trading by the general public, while a swap execution facility registration would permit the platform to operate a trading system for swaps between eligible counterparties, according to CFTC definitions published on the agency's official website, cftc.gov.
Event contracts, sometimes called prediction markets, allow participants to take positions on the outcome of specific future events, including economic data releases, regulatory decisions, or other measurable occurrences. The CFTC has authority under the Commodity Exchange Act to approve or reject such contracts, and has previously blocked certain prediction market applications on the grounds that the contracts were contrary to the public interest.
Blockchain.com is one of the largest cryptocurrency infrastructure companies by user count. The company reported in its publicly available materials that it has served more than 40 million verified users across its wallet and exchange products. The company is privately held and does not file public earnings reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
The application represents one of several moves by crypto-focused firms to seek formal CFTC registration rather than operating in regulatory gray areas. Kalshi, a competing prediction market platform, received CFTC approval in an earlier period and has since expanded its contract offerings. Whether Blockchain.com's application will be treated similarly or face additional scrutiny is not yet known. The outcome would be determined by the CFTC's review process, which includes a public comment period.
Crypto derivatives have been a contested regulatory area between the CFTC and the SEC. The CFTC has asserted jurisdiction over Bitcoin and Ether as commodities, while the SEC has pursued enforcement actions against exchanges listing tokens it classifies as securities. The Blockchain.com filing lands squarely in CFTC territory by framing its products as commodity derivatives and event contracts rather than securities.
The timing of the application follows a period of shifting regulatory posture at the CFTC. The agency under its current leadership has signaled greater openness to engaging with crypto firms through formal registration rather than enforcement-first approaches, though no formal CFTC statement on the Blockchain.com application had been published as of the date of this report.
For U.S. Investors, approval would create a federally regulated venue for trading cryptocurrency derivatives and event contracts, an option currently available through a limited number of CFTC-registered platforms. Existing regulated crypto derivatives trading in the U.S. Is largely concentrated at CME Group, which lists Bitcoin and Ether futures. Blockchain.com's entry, if approved, would add a native crypto-firm competitor to that regulated space.
What the CFTC's review timeline will be, and whether the agency will request modifications to the proposed contract structures, is not yet known. CFTC designation reviews have historically taken several months to more than a year, depending on the complexity of the application and the volume of public comment received.