Blockchain.com seeks CFTC licenses for prediction markets

TLDR

Blockchain.com is seeking US CFTC licenses to offer regulated prediction markets and crypto derivatives to retail and institutional traders.

1. Blockchain.com has applied for designated contract market and futures commission merchant licenses to run event contracts and crypto derivatives in the United States.
2. The move aligns with a broader push to bring prediction markets and perpetual futures into regulated venues amid ongoing disputes between federal regulators and US states.
3. Crypto users should watch CFTC rulemaking and court decisions, which will determine whether these products become widely available in the US and under what restrictions.

Deep Dive

1. What Blockchain.com Is Applying For

Multiple reports say Blockchain.com has applied to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) for two licenses: a designated contract market (DCM) license and a futures commission merchant (FCM) registration, allowing it to operate a futures exchange for event contracts and act as a broker for crypto derivatives such as futures and perpetuals for US customers.Blockchain.com has already been offering prediction markets via Polymarket and perpetual futures via Hyperliquid to non-US users.

If approved, Blockchain.com could host its own prediction markets (event contracts on outcomes like elections, sports, macro data) and crypto derivatives in a single regulated app instead of routing trades through partners abroad.Coverage from Cointelegraph and others echoes the DCM and FCM license details.

2. Why It Matters For Prediction Markets And Derivatives

Prediction markets and crypto derivatives are currently split between offshore platforms and a small number of US venues like Kalshi, with growing interest from Coinbase and Crypto.com.Recent analysis notes that at least 11 companies have applied for CFTC exchange licenses this year, with six new DCMs approved.

At the same time, states and major sports leagues are arguing in court that many sports and election contracts are gambling products subject to state law, not federal derivatives regulation.Briefs from New Jersey and the NFL to the US Supreme Court highlight this clash over who oversees sports-related prediction markets.

3. What To Watch Next

CFTC approval is not guaranteed and has no fixed timeline. Key near-term signals include:

1. Whether the CFTC finalizes proposed rules that explicitly classify event contracts (sports, politics, weather) as swaps under its jurisdiction while carving out casino-style betting.
2. Supreme Court decisions on cases like New Jersey vs Kalshi, which could either reinforce CFTC exclusivity or confirm states power to restrict sports prediction markets.
3. How Blockchain.coms potential US platform is structured (limits on contract types, leverage, age restrictions) compared with its current Polymarket and Hyperliquid integrations.

For crypto users, the outcome will affect where they can legally trade event-based contracts and crypto derivatives, how much leverage and product variety is available, and what protections (margin rules, segregation of customer funds) apply.

Conclusion

Blockchain.coms bid for CFTC licenses signals that major crypto firms want prediction markets and derivatives inside the US regulatory perimeter rather than purely offshore. The real impact will depend on how the CFTC and courts draw the line between derivatives and gambling, which will shape both the kinds of contracts that can be listed and how accessible they are to US traders.