Blockchain.com files for CFTC licenses to offer U.S. derivatives and prediction markets

Blockchain.com’s push into U.S. prediction markets and crypto derivatives hinges on two new regulatory licenses that would let it compete directly with established players like Coinbase and Crypto.com. The company’s move coincides with its imminent public debut and reflects a broader shift by crypto platforms to capture the derivatives and event-contract boom.

• Blockchain.com filed for designated contract market and futures commission merchant licenses with the CFTC to offer event contracts and derivatives to U.S. customers.
• Twelve companies have sought DCM approval this year, with the CFTC approving six new designated contract markets in 2026.
• The company confidentially submitted its IPO filing in May and targets a $4 billion to $6 billion valuation for a public debut this year.

• 2 CFTC license types sought by Blockchain.com for U.S. regulatory approval
• 12 companies filing for DCM licenses in 2026 through the filing deadline
• $4B-$6B Target valuation range for Blockchain.com’s public offering this year
• 95M Wallets connected to Blockchain.com since its founding in 2011

CNBC reported that Blockchain.com has filed for two distinct regulatory licenses with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to expand its U.S. product offering. The company seeks designation as both a futures exchange, formally known as a designated contract market, and as a futures commission merchant, which would permit it to act as a broker for derivatives contracts. The twin applications position Blockchain.com to serve retail and institutional traders in the event-contract and digital-asset derivatives markets.

Blockchain.com seeks unified trading environment across derivatives and prediction markets

Peter Smith, CEO and co-founder of Blockchain.com, said the company wants to create a streamlined platform where users can manage digital assets, trade derivatives, and take positions on real-world events without switching between separate applications. The filing reflects a broader industry trend in which crypto platforms are integrating prediction markets, perpetual futures, and event contracts into single interfaces to reduce friction for traders.

Blockchain.com already operates prediction markets through a partnership with Polymarket and offers perpetual futures powered by Hyperliquid to international customers. The CFTC filing would extend these offerings to U.S. markets under a formal regulatory framework. Competing platforms have moved aggressively into this space: Crypto.com and Gemini Space Station run their own event-contract marketplaces, while Coinbase offers event contracts primarily through a partnership with Kalshi.

Twelve companies vie for CFTC approval as derivatives regulation opens new pathways

Blockchain.com is one of twelve companies that filed for designated contract market licenses during 2026, according to CFTC filings. The regulator has approved six new DCMs this year alone, signaling a willingness to expand the number of platforms permitted to offer derivatives and event contracts. The approval of multiple new platforms suggests the CFTC views regulated competition in this space as beneficial to market development.

Kalshi and Polymarket, two specialized platforms focused on prediction markets, have also launched perpetual futures contracts to serve U.S. and international customers respectively. The convergence of prediction-market and derivatives trading suggests regulatory acceptance of bundled products, provided they are offered through licensed entities.

IPO timeline and valuation coincide with regulatory push for expansion

Blockchain.com’s CFTC applications arrive as the company prepares to go public.

The company confidentially submitted a draft registration statement on Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission in May 2026. Bloomberg reported in September that Blockchain.com targets a valuation between $4 billion and $6 billion for its initial public offering later this year. The timing positions regulatory approval of U.S. derivatives licenses as a potential catalyst for the offering, since expanded access to U.S. markets would increase the company’s addressable revenue base.

According to the company’s SEC filing, Blockchain.com has built trust among more than 95 million wallets and over 43 million verified users since its 2011 founding, and has facilitated over $1.1 trillion in total crypto transactions.

The BlockWest read. Regulatory approval of these licenses would reshape how institutional capital flows through crypto derivatives markets. Blockchain.com’s public valuation already prices in some expectation of U.S. market access, but the CFTC’s actual approval timeline remains uncertain. Investors should watch whether approval arrives before or after the IPO closes, since delayed regulatory clarity could compress the initial trading premium if institutional buyers view U.S. derivatives access as a material revenue driver.

The CFTC has not announced a timeline for reviewing Blockchain.com’s applications. The company targets a 2026 IPO completion, though the Securities and Exchange Commission’s review process, combined with CFTC regulatory scrutiny, could delay either milestone. Market participants should monitor the CFTC’s published docket for action on the Blockchain.com filings and watch for any statements from the agency signaling its stance on the growing volume of DCM license requests.

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