Blockchain.com seeks CFTC approval for U.S. event contracts, crypto derivatives

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Blockchain.com seeks CFTC approval

Highlights

Blockchain.com has applied to the CFTC for DCM and FCM licenses to offer event contracts and crypto derivatives in the U.S.
Blockchain.com seeks to expand into U.S. regulated markets as competitors like Crypto.com, Gemini Space Station, and Coinbase already run similar event contract products.
The CFTC has approved six new DCMs in 2026, while Blockchain.com advances U.S. regulatory filings and targets a $4–6 billion IPO this year.

Licensing push targets U.S. expansion

As first reported by CNBC, Blockchain.com says it has applied to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for two licenses that would let it offer event contracts and cryptocurrency derivatives in the U.S. The company is seeking designation as a futures exchange through a designated contract market license and registration as a futures commission merchant, the broker category used for derivatives contracts.

Peter Smith, Blockchain.com's CEO and co-founder, says users should be able to manage digital assets, trade derivatives and take positions on real-world events without switching between multiple apps. He says the DCM and FCM applications are meant to build that model in the U.S. within existing regulatory frameworks.

Earlier this year, Blockchain.com began offering prediction markets through a partnership with Polymarket and perpetual futures powered by Hyperliquid to some international customers. Those products are not yet available through the proposed U.S. regulatory setup the company is now seeking.

Industry race broadens as IPO plans advance

Blockchain.com is entering a crowded field as crypto and prediction market operators increasingly move into each other's businesses. Crypto.com and Gemini Space Station already run their own event contract marketplaces, while Coinbase offers similar products mainly through a partnership with Kalshi. At the same time, Kalshi and Polymarket have launched perpetual futures for U.S. and international customers, respectively.

The company's filing effort also comes as more groups seek futures exchange approvals. Blockchain.com joins 11 other companies that have filed this year alone for DCM licenses, while the CFTC has approved six new DCMs in 2026.

Its regulatory push unfolds alongside preparations for the public markets. Blockchain.com confidentially filed for an initial public offering with the Securities and Exchange Commission in May, and Bloomberg reported last month that the company was planning to go public this year with a target valuation of between $4 billion and $6 billion.

In our earlier coverage of Kalshi’s U.S. AI data center buildout contract, we noted that traders were assigning rising odds to the number of planned and operating facilities topping 5,100 before 2027. The piece also highlighted how permitting friction, community pushback, and execution risks can still disrupt project timelines even as market pricing points to continued expansion.

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