Key takeaways

  • Blockchain.com has filed for two CFTC licenses: Futures Commission Merchant (FCM) registration and Designated Contract Market (DCM) designation.
  • Approval would let the company offer regulated crypto futures, options, and prediction market contracts to US retail and institutional customers.
  • The move fits a broader regulatory push that already includes MiCA authorization in the EU, FCA registration in the UK, and a VASP license in the Cayman Islands.
  • The filings follow earlier self-custodied prediction markets and perpetual futures for users in eligible markets worldwide.

What happened

Blockchain.com announced on Oct. 13, 2026, that it has filed applications with the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) for registration as a Futures Commission Merchant (FCM) and designation as a Designated Contract Market (DCM).

If approved, the registrations would allow the company to bring regulated crypto derivatives, including futures and options, as well as prediction market contracts, to US retail and institutional customers. The company said the goal is to expand the range of markets accessible through its platform.

Peter Smith, Executive Chairman, CEO, and Co-Founder of Blockchain.com, framed the applications as a way to let users manage digital assets, trade derivatives, and take positions on real-world events without switching between different apps. He said the DCM and FCM applications build toward that future in the US through the appropriate regulatory frameworks.

The filings are part of Blockchain.com's global regulatory strategy. Over the past year, the company secured MiCA authorization through the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) in the EU, achieved Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) registration in the UK, and obtained a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license in the Cayman Islands. Earlier this year, it also announced self-custodied prediction market offerings and perpetual futures trading for users in eligible markets around the world.

Market context

US traders currently navigate a fragmented landscape. Crypto trading and prediction markets often sit on separate platforms, each with its own access rules and oversight. Blockchain.com is seeking to change that by bringing these markets together through one integrated app experience under CFTC regulatory oversight.

The company describes itself as operating in more than 70 jurisdictions. Since its inception in 2011, it says it has supported over 95M+ wallets, 44M+ confirmed accounts, and more than $1.1 trillion in crypto transactions. Its product suite includes secure self-custody, institutional services, and other offerings aligned with global regulation and privacy standards.

The CFTC filings reflect a path that has become more common among large crypto firms: pursue federal oversight in the US while accumulating licenses in major jurisdictions elsewhere. For Blockchain.com, the EU, UK, and Cayman approvals serve as a track record that may support its US applications.

Why it matters

For US customers, the filings could eventually mean access to regulated crypto derivatives and prediction markets inside an app they may already use. That would reduce the need to move between platforms and could bring a wider set of markets under a single compliance and security framework.

For Blockchain.com, an FCM registration and DCM designation would mark a significant expansion of its US business. An FCM registration would allow it to handle customer orders for futures and options, while a DCM designation would let it operate a marketplace for those contracts. Both are central to offering regulated derivatives rather than relying on offshore or unregulated venues.

The applications also signal how crypto firms are positioning themselves as digital assets become more integrated into financial markets worldwide. Prediction markets, in particular, have drawn interest as a way to take positions on real-world events, and bringing them under CFTC oversight would give them a clearer regulatory footing in the US.

What to watch

Whether the CFTC approves the applications, and on what timeline, remains uncertain. The filings are a step toward offering these products to US users, not a guarantee of approval.

Also worth watching is how Blockchain.com integrates prediction markets and derivatives into its existing app if the licenses are granted, and whether other crypto platforms follow with similar CFTC applications. The company's ability to replicate its international licensing momentum in the US will be a key test of its regulatory strategy.