Blockchain.com seeks CFTC approval for prediction markets

TLDR

Blockchain.com has applied to the CFTC for licenses to run regulated US prediction markets and crypto derivatives platforms, but there is no approval or timeline yet.

1. Blockchain.com is seeking designated contract market and futures commission merchant licenses to offer event contracts and crypto derivatives to US retail and institutional users.
2. The move fits a broader regulatory battle over whether prediction markets are federally regulated derivatives or state regulated gambling, which could limit what contracts Blockchain.com can list.
3. For crypto users, the key watchpoints are CFTC review of the applications and ongoing court and rulemaking outcomes that will decide how broad and safe US prediction markets become.

Deep Dive

1. What Blockchain.com Is Asking The CFTC For

According to CNBC, Blockchain.com has filed with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for two licenses, a designated contract market license to operate a futures exchange and a futures commission merchant registration to act as a derivatives broker for event contracts and crypto products in the US, serving both retail and institutional customers.Blockchain.com seeks U.S. approval

Multiple reports note that the company already offers prediction markets via a partnership with Polymarket and perpetual futures powered by Hyperliquid to some non US users, and wants to bring those functions in house for a regulated American venue.Blockchain.com has applied to the CFTC

There is no indication yet that the CFTC has approved the licenses, so the plan remains an application and not a live US product.

2. Why Prediction Markets And Derivatives Matter For Regulation

Event contracts and crypto derivatives can fall under CFTC jurisdiction when structured as commodity futures under the Commodity Exchange Act, which is why Blockchain.com must go through this licensing path to serve US users.Blockchain.com applied for CFTC approval

At the same time, state regulators and major sports leagues argue that many sports and election contracts are gambling products subject to state law, not federal swaps regulation, and have pushed lawsuits and Supreme Court petitions involving platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket.Prediction markets oversight is being tested in US courts

The CFTC has also floated event contract rules that would treat most prediction markets as derivatives while explicitly excluding casino style wagers, which would draw a line between federally regulated venues and traditional sportsbooks.CFTC split its prediction market policy

3. What Crypto Users Should Watch Next

If approved, Blockchain.com could offer US based users regulated access to crypto derivatives and event contracts, potentially with margin rules, reporting, and customer protections that differ from offshore perpetual futures exchanges.Regulated products could deepen market structure

However, CFTC reviews can take months, approval is not guaranteed, and ongoing Supreme Court and appellate cases around Kalshi and similar venues may constrain which types of sports, political, or other contracts can be listed even on licensed markets.New Jerseys petition challenges prediction market jurisdiction

For now, the practical signal is that large crypto firms are trying to bring prediction markets and derivatives onshore rather than rely solely on offshore platforms, but users should expect evolving rules and product menus rather than a quick, fully open US market.

Conclusion

Blockchain.coms CFTC applications signal that prediction markets and crypto derivatives are moving toward regulated US infrastructure, yet the sector still sits inside a live tug of war between federal derivatives law and state gambling oversight. Until the CFTCs rules and key court cases settle, any new US venue, including a potential Blockchain.com platform, will operate under shifting constraints that matter for which events you can trade and how protected you are as a customer.