Key Highlights
- Blockchain.com has applied to the CFTC for designation as a contract market and registration as a futures commission merchant.
- The approvals would allow the company to operate a derivatives exchange and broker contracts for U.S. retail and institutional customers.
- The filings cover event contracts and cryptocurrency derivatives, but remain pending with no U.S. launch date announced.
Blockchain.com, a digital asset platform, has applied to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) for licenses that would allow it to offer event contracts and cryptocurrency derivatives to retail and institutional customers in the United States.
According to a CNBC report published on October 9, Blockchain.com has applied for designation as a contract market, which would authorize it to operate as a futures exchange, and registration as a futures commission merchant, enabling it to act as a broker for derivatives contracts.
Earlier expansion with the prediction market
The move follows the company’s expansion of prediction market offerings outside the United States. Blockchain.com Group Holdings Inc. integrated Polymarket’s prediction markets in July this year into its platform, allowing eligible users to trade on outcomes of real-world events through the Blockchain.com app. The feature launched ahead of the FIFA World Cup semifinals and is available in supported international markets, including the European Union. It is not available in the United States.
Before the Polymarket integration, Blockchain.com’s prediction products were limited to SnapMarkets, introduced in May. That feature permitted users to speculate on short-term cryptocurrency price movements. The Polymarket partnership expanded access to markets covering sports, politics, macroeconomic events, entertainment, and other developments listed on Polymarket.
CFTC issues advisory on mention market contracts
On September 22, 2026, the CFTC’s Division of Market Oversight issued a staff advisory on event contracts tied to individuals’ statements, appearances, attendance or interactions.
Release Number 9302-26 warned regulated exchanges that prediction market contracts tied to whether a person will say or mention certain words, attend or appear at an event, or interact with another person carry a heightened risk of manipulation. These products, commonly referred to as mention market contracts, should be listed only in narrow cases, according to the advisory.
The guidance applies to designated contract markets, the CFTC-registered venues that list event contracts for U.S. traders. The advisory does not ban mention markets outright. Instead, it outlines limited circumstances under which such contracts may be listed consistent with the Commodity Exchange Act and identifies non-exhaustive factors for exchanges to consider when designing and submitting the contracts under Commission Regulations 40.2 or 40.3.
The advisory reminded exchanges of Core Principle 3, which requires them to list only contracts that are not readily susceptible to manipulation. It also stressed the need for complete, contract-specific analysis under Part 40. The document is a staff advisory from the Division of Market Oversight and does not constitute a Commission rule or vote.
Regulatory context for event contracts
The CFTC oversees futures, derivatives, and event contract markets in the United States. Designated contract markets must comply with statutory and regulatory requirements when listing new products. Futures commission merchants facilitate customer access to those markets and are subject to registration, capital, and conduct standards.
Blockchain.com’s applications seek authority to operate in both capacities for event contracts and cryptocurrency derivatives. The filings remain pending. No decision has been announced by the commission.
Earlier this year, Blockchain.com limited its U.S. prediction-related activity while expanding international access through the Polymarket arrangement. The company has not publicly detailed timelines for any potential U.S. launch contingent on regulatory approval.
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